Resource Base Team
Qualified Teachers of the Deaf
What is a Teacher of the Deaf?
A Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD) is a qualified teacher with the skills and knowledge required to provide quality teaching to mainstream learners and with the additional mandatory qualification and expertise in teaching deaf learners.
BATOD 2018
The Role of the Teacher of the Deaf
The mandatory qualification enables QToD to work with children and young people from 0-25. Teachers working with deaf children need an understanding of the complexity of language and its development and how this is affected by hearing loss.
The role of QToD varies depending on the setting in which they are working. A teacher of the deaf working in a mainstream school as part of a specialist provision involves:
- Working in partnership with deaf learners, their parents and a range of other professionals
- Collaborative working between the QToD and mainstream school staff; advising and supporting colleagues to meet the needs of deaf learners in class and the wider school community.
- Undertaking specialist assessments and interpretation of results
- Direct teaching through an enriched language input
- Managing audiology and other specialist equipment
- Working as part of a wider team to support the social and emotional wellbeing of deaf learners
- Continuing Professional Development including keeping abreast of mainstream and specialist developments to inform own practice and that of mainstream colleagues where necessary
Deaf Mentor
Specialist Learning Support Assistants
Who are Specialist Learning Support Assistants and what is their role at Mildmay Primary School?
Our team of specialist learning support assistants (SLSAs) understand the issues in deaf education and are experienced in meeting the communication and learning needs of deaf children in a mainstream environment.
Many of our SLSAs have additional qualifications in British Sign Language and are able to code-switch between English and BSL as needed, to ensure full access to the curriculum for deaf learners.
