Sound Waves Foundation; Bringing British Sign Language to Primary Schools
In November last year, Sound Waves Foundation embarked on an exciting journey to bring British Sign Language (BSL) to primary school children through an after-school club. With funding from BCBN’s grant initiative, they set out to develop and deliver a high-quality, engaging, and inclusive BSL course aimed at young learners in Brighton and Hove. Here’s a look at how this vision into reality and the impact it has had so far.
The first component of the project was to develop a comprehensive, professional-standard BSL course. The funding allowed them to transform initial ideas into a structured, visually stimulating, and fun series of lessons, complete with:
- 11 weeks of teacher-led digital content: Each term, students engage with interactive lessons designed to be both educational and enjoyable.
- Teacher resources: Teachers equipped with materials to facilitate games and activities, making each lesson dynamic and interactive.
- Student resources: Children received materials to keep for future reference, reinforcing their learning.
By collaborating with BSL teachers, Sound Waves Foundation launches the course across five schools across Brighton and Hove.
As a charity, it is important for our reputation and ongoing work to positively present deafness and we do this by delivering the best quality product that has a high impact. The BCBN grant has enabled us to do this where the children participating in the BSL after school club, the BSL teachers delivering it and the schools hosting it have all had a very positive experience. Thank you BCBN for supporting us to make this happen – Nicola Wyatt, Sound Waves Foundation.
Sound Waves long-term vision is to offer the BSL course nationwide, fostering integrated communities where children of all abilities learn together.
