Deaf students and teachers at Allestree Woodlands School in Derby are looking forward to a new GCSE in British Sign Language being introduced.
The government announced the long-awaited qualification would be available from September 2025.
It will be too late for 16-year-old student Macie, currently in Year 11, and her four brothers who are all deaf and use BSL. But she is still delighted it will be an option for future students, both deaf and hearing and she is even considering studying to become a BSL teacher herself.
“I’m really pleased there will be a GCSE in BSL because English is not my first language,” signed Macie “BSL is my first language so it is one thing me having to do an English GCSE, but doing a BSL one would mean so much more so it is just fantastic that deaf people will be able to do that now.
Macie, a keen and accomplished footballer, plans to go to college to study sports but would like to also do a teaching qualification in the future so she can teach GCSE BSL to students.
“I just think it would be really good to be able to help more people use BSL and learn about deaf culture,” she said.
Her ambition highlights the next main decision required before the GCSE can be introduced in 18 months – who will teach it and what qualifications will teachers need?
Tom Bate, Deputy SENCo and Head of the Enhanced Resource Base for Deaf learners at Allestree Woodlands School, said: “This qualification has been talked about for more than 10 years so we are really excited to finally know it is happening.
“A lot of the discussion up until now has been around the curriculum and what will be taught, I think now they are having to look at who will teach this.”
Currently, explains Tom, levels of BSL are taught, mainly in evening classes, by Deaf tutors for whom BSL is their first language but who do not necessarily hold teaching qualifications, such as a PGCE.
Katherine, a BSL tutor teaches Signature Levels 1, 2 and 3 to students at Allestree Woodlands, including Macie. Both Tom and Katherine believe BSL should continue to be taught by Deaf tutors who rely on the sign language, rather than speech, to teach.
In Katherine’s classes, speaking is not allowed, and she said it enables students to immerse themselves in the language. But she says a lot still needs to be thought about in teaching it at GCSE.
“I can only teach a class of 10 students at the most because I need to keep eye contact with them all, that will have to be thought about.”
If it is decided tutors need to hold certain teaching qualifications, it could mean quite lengthy training programmes which would need to start quickly.
However, Katerine is hugely excited about the opportunities the new GCSE will bring, for both deaf and hearing children.
“It is fantastic news because hearing children will be able to communicate with deaf children in their class and it will be good for friendship groups,” she said. “When you learn a foreign language at school, it is unlikely you meet someone speaking that language out and about, you are much more likely to meet a deaf person.”
Monty is a Year 7 deaf student at Allestree Woodlands School who uses spoken language to communicate. He will be the first age group able to sit the new GCSE when it comes into being in nearly two years’ time.
He said: “When I found out about the GCSE, I was in the kitchen eating breakfast without my processors so my mum signed to me to tell me about it and showed me the article on her phone.
“I think it’s great. I used to sign more at nursery but then at primary I used it less and forgot some. I have more deaf friends now and so I’m starting to use it more again.”
Mr Bate said the school would continue to contribute to Ofqual and other consultations about how the GCSE will look and be taught, but he is pleased that something which has been mooted for more than 10 years, will finally be happening.
“There is still a lot of discussion to be had about how the GCSE will be offered and who it’s available to and who teaches it, but we can’t take away from the fact this is just brilliant news that a BSL GSCE is finally going to be available.”
This story was written and shared on behalf of Allestree Woodlands School by Kirsty Green. Can we share your news and get you in the headlines too? Find out how we can help by getting in touch.
