Children receive national sign language award

Children at Woodside Primary School in Goffs Oak have been given a national award for their British Sign Language skills. 

Sixteen pupils successfully achieved the Signature BSL Level 1 Qualification, after completing 90 hours of guided and individual learning. The qualification is the equivalent of the first year of the new BSL GCSE, yet these children were just 11 years old when they completed the comprehensive course. 

Caroline Ginty, Headteacher at Woodside Primary School, says: “This is a remarkable achievement. The children started learning BSL five years ago and have successfully worked their way through the curriculum to complete the full Level 1. They have shown great aptitude and skill, and we are immensely proud of them.” 

Woodside is part of Ivy Learning Trust, a family of 17 schools in Hertfordshire and Enfield. All Ivy schools teach sign language and the Trust has a BSL Centre providing courses to learners of all ages. Two members of staff at Woodside also successfully completed the qualification and received their certificates alongside the children. 

Caroline adds: “We are privileged that we can offer BSL lessons to our pupils. Not only does this make our school more inclusive and teach the children a language used by more than 150,000 people in the UK, it has broadened their horizons and put them well ahead of the game if they want to study the new BSL GCSE. 

“BSL is amazing to watch. The children are taught by a Deaf instructor, and the lessons are carried out in complete silence. You could hear a pin drop. This is the second year that our children have completed this impressive qualification, and we are proud to be at the national forefront of teaching BSL in primary school.” 

This month, Ofqual released its final consultation feedback on the proposed new GCSE qualification. It is now available to be developed by any GCSE approved awarding body. This follows years of campaigning by charities and the Deaf community along with a development process between Ofqual and subject experts including Signature, the UK’s leading awarding body for BSL qualifications. 

Matthew Ford, Marketing and Development Director at Signature, said: “Congratulations to all the pupils at Woodside Primary School on their incredible achievement. The trust are taking great strides towards inclusivity and it is excellent to see young people wanting to learn sign language. By learning sign language they are gaining a valuable life skill that will help them to be fantastic communicators.”