Pupils receive national sign language award

Nine children from Woodside Primary School in Goffs Oak have successfully achieved a national qualification in sign language.

The pupils earned their British Sign Language Level 1 Award from Signature, the leading awarding body and provider of BSL qualifications in the UK. They completed three units, amounting to 90 hours of learning.

This month the eleven-year-olds, who have just started secondary school, returned to Woodside to receive their awards in a special celebration assembly.

Caroline Ginty, Headteacher of Woodside, said: “It was wonderful to see the children again when they returned to school to collect their certificates. They all had a flair for picking up BSL and showed immense enthusiasm and determination for learning the subject.”

Caroline added: “We are incredibly proud of them for this remarkable achievement. This is a full qualification and will stand them in good stead in future.” 

Ivy Learning Trust, which Woodside is part of, offers subsidised BSL lessons to all its primary schools. However, Woodside is the first to enter children into the full Signature BSL Level 1 Award. Last year, the school featured in a BBC documentary about BSL in schools.  

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

“Congratulations to the teachers and staff at Woodside for delivering a successful curriculum, and a thank you for your hard work in making sign language part of your school.”