Two schools in Torquay, South West England, will soon lose their specialist hearing impairment units \u2013 a move that has caused significant concern among parents, deaf organisations, and local communities. The decision, made by Torbay Council, has led to public protests and strong criticism from experts. Many fear that deaf children will no longer receive the support they need to thrive in mainstream education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Torbay Council\u2019s overview and scrutiny committee has approved plans to shut down the hearing units at St Margaret\u2019s Primary School<\/strong> and The Spires College<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Councillor Nick Bye<\/strong>, who is responsible for children’s services, explained that the decision was based on numbers. Although the council had provided funding for 16 specialist places through Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), only five children were actually using them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He emphasized that this decision would not reduce support<\/strong> for deaf students. \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely a continuation of support,\u201d said Councillor Bye. \u201cIt\u2019s just the way we\u2019re funded. Money will follow the individual pupil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to him, the closures reflect a different funding model<\/strong>, where support will now be arranged on a case-by-case basis rather than through specific units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not everyone agrees with the council\u2019s explanation. The National Deaf Children\u2019s Society<\/strong> (NDCS) expressed strong disappointment. \u201cWithout this support, deaf children can fall behind in lessons, struggle to build friendships, and suffer from low self-esteem. These hearing units are essential for their wellbeing and development in a mainstream school environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n A petition opposing the closures collected over 1,600 signatures<\/strong>, and protestors gathered in the town centre before the council meeting. Many carried banners, banged drums, and voiced their frustration about the lack of proper consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n St Margaret\u2019s Academy<\/strong> said that the council only considered students with EHCPs<\/strong>, not the many others with hearing difficulties who also rely on the unit’s services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Felicity Morris<\/strong>, secretary of the Parent Teachers Association at St Margaret\u2019s, strongly criticised the decision process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cParents were not consulted. Qualified Teachers of the Deaf were not involved. Even the school leaders were not asked \u2013 they were simply told. This is not just morally wrong but also legally risky.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Morris added that the issue was not about saving money or closing buildings<\/strong>, but about the rights and needs of deaf children<\/strong>. She pleaded with the council:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t close the doors on the only places where deaf children are truly understood.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Councillor Bye insisted that deaf children will still thrive \u2013 even in schools without dedicated hearing support units. He pointed out that many hearing-impaired children already attend other schools in the Torbay area without such units and are doing well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith the strong support tradition at both St Margaret\u2019s and Spires, I\u2019m confident that the children will continue to flourish,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n However, many disagree. They argue that deaf children need more than general support \u2013 they need specialists who understand their language, culture, and communication needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The committee acknowledged that the consultation process could have been better<\/strong>. Communication with parents, staff, and deaf organisations was clearly lacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In response, the National Deaf Children\u2019s Society is now reviewing its next steps<\/strong>. It may continue to challenge the decision and push for more transparency and fairness in future education decisions affecting deaf children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The closure of these hearing support units is more than an administrative change \u2013 it impacts the daily lives, learning experience, and future of deaf children. While the council claims the level of support will remain the same, many parents and experts are skeptical. They fear that without the dedicated spaces and qualified professionals, deaf children may be left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The situation highlights a broader issue: how can local authorities meet the needs of all children with disabilities in an inclusive and respectful way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Deaf children have a right to education \u2013 not just access, but meaningful inclusion. Their needs must not be overlooked in budget decisions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two schools in Torquay, South West England, will soon lose their specialist hearing impairment units \u2013 a move that has caused significant…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9078,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deaf24.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Concerns from Parents and Charities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Martin Thacker<\/strong>, deputy director of local engagement at NDCS, said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
“Morally Wrong” and Poor Consultation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Can Deaf Children “Flourish” Without These Units?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Committee Admits Room for Improvement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion: What This Means for Deaf Children and Families<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tips for Families Affected by the Changes:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n