Our pupils are covering the Broad General Education from S1-S3 in a variety of subjects. Our senior pupils are studying subjects from National 4 to Advanced Higher. All pupils receive support across the curriculum and in the Deaf Education Department from our Teachers of the Deaf.
In order to support our deaf pupils, the department works in collaboration with various external agencies such as Audiology, Speech and Language Therapy, Psychological Services, Social Work and Skills Development Scotland. We have positive links with deaf agencies such as NDCS, WSDCS, British Deaf Association (Deaf Roots & Pride) and Action on Hearing Loss.
Pupils are involved in all aspects of school life: taking part in School Shows, the Choral Shield, Dragons’ Den Competition, school excursions such as The Belgium & France trip, Poland trip, the S1 visit to London, Blackpool Trip, Pila Ski trip and visits to Westminster the Scottish Parliament.
Our pupils are also involved in whole school initiatives to promote a positive and inclusive ethos. We have representatives in the year group and whole school Pupil Council Committees and our pupils have been involved in charity events and walks.
Our department and pupils are committed to raising Deaf Awareness within the school. Teachers of the Deaf deliver Deaf Awareness sessions to all S1 pupils and to new staff/supply staff and probationers.
The Christmas Dances are also very popular where pupils from S1-S6 have a wonderful time with their peers as they Ceilidh dance the night away.
We work very closely with the parents and carers of our deaf pupils to ensure that the individual needs of their children are being met. This is achieved through annual review meetings, target reviews each term for their GIRFme Plan, CSPs & Parents’ Evenings. We value the input from parents and carers and continue to work together as a caring community to ensure a holistic approach to our pupils’ education so that they may thrive and flourish in school and beyond.
Deaf pupils at Dalziel are given the opportunity to participate in an annual Deaf Football Tournament and take part in weekly training sessions in preparation for this.
Our Deaf Education Pupil Voice Committee has now been running for several years. From these meetings we voted on renaming the department, introduced a Pupil Passport which details our young peoples’ needs and had our first Deaf Education Day Out in Soar, Braehead.
Our pupils have a wide range of achievements including:
- Murning Trophy Award for Discus, Javelin, Shot Put
- Senior Sports Champion
- William Lyall Memorial Prize for Physics
- Morgan Stanley Employability Award
- Mental Health Ambassador
- NDCS Young Campaigners for BSL National Plan and Deaf Awareness · Lisa Richardson Award at the Annual Prizegiving for overcoming obstacles and achieving success
- Endeavour Award for exceptional contribution in Hospitality
- Achieving a Grade 5 on piano and performing at the Parents’ Social Evening
- In the West District Championships achieved a 1st in shot put, 2nd in javelin and 2nd in discus
- Youth Advisor for NDCS
- Pupils of the Month in Technical
- Creating YouTube videos to raise deaf awareness
- Prefects for their respective Houses · Proxime Accessit Award
Within the school there are many opportunities made available to our pupils to socialise and broaden their horizons. The ethos is to promote a nurturing and stimulating environment for them to learn and grow. As a result, our pupils have gained their Duke of Edinburgh Award, attended the Fire Reach initiative, Link college courses, and careers events that is specifically dedicated to offer a range of information for pupils with Additional Support Needs. STEM Careers Events and talks on Apprenticeships are also popular with our pupils as many wish to seek out careers in these industries.
Our pupils are involved in residential school trips including Lake Garda and the Ski Trip to Italy.
The Deaf Education Department are regularly represented at the Choral Shield.
Over the years, deaf pupils at Dalziel have gone on to a variety of positive destinations such as higher education, further education and employment. Currently some of our former pupils are employed in areas such as journalism, Government statistics, pharmacy, furniture making, Software development, sports & leisure and retail. More recently our leavers secured places at University and College to study Childcare, Aero-Mechanical Engineering and Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering. Last year’s S6 cohort are now studying Informatics at Edinburgh University and Law at Glasgow University.
Our pupils’ voices are central to our department’s ethos. As part of our learning community we seek to give all our pupils a voice so that they are involved in the decisions that affect their wellbeing. We seek their views on learning and teaching methods used in our department and ask them to reflect on the past year and what they have enjoyed.
- “Group discussions are really good because we expand our thinking and ideas.”
- “I find it useful going over class work and it helps me when I’ve missed work. I can go over it in Deaf Ed.”
- “I like the small groups, easy to ask questions and it’s quiet.”
- “We get help with team work.”
- “Help reading book. I feel happy to work writing in my jotter.”
- “I work so well in Deaf Ed because I learn more new things.”
- “It’s fun! Narrative Stance Dance video or pictures.”
- “Deaf Ed has helped me become more responsible for myself.”
- “The help I received in Deaf Ed helped me pass my Higher English”
- “Getting support helped me with the Maths course.”
- “Being able to revise and discuss things I have learned in class helped me to really understand the themes and ideas.”