We use spoken language as the prime means of communication supported by technology. Children are expected to wear their hearing aids/ cochlear Implants all waking hours at home and at school.

We also encourage children to become independent in the use of their equipment; to remove, clean and fit their hearing aids/ cochlear implants and to report difficulties.

They are expected to take ownership of their radio aid systems and to give and collect the transmitter from teaching staff. Key staff perform daily listening checks to ensure that equipment is working and to be aware of any problems that may arise.

Radio aids are systems that wirelessly send the sound from a microphone transmitter (which the teacher wears) to a receiver worn by the children. The receiver will then send the sound to the child’s hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Classrooms can be noisy places and therefore high-quality access to sound is important. The resource base includes spaces in the school that have been acoustically treated. At the hearing resource base, we currently use Phonak touchscreen radio aids and are able to adapt to technology that benefits each individual child.

In the reception class and year 1 class, we have Soundfields technology. This allows the teacher's voice to be spread clearly and evenly across the room. The teacher wears the microphone and the speaker is mounted on the wall. This benefits all children in the setting as well as the children who are linked to our base.

Before school begins, the Teacher of the Deaf / Specialist Hearing Support Assistant checks all hearing aids visually for breakage, earmolds for splits and tubes for wax buildup.

Checks of radio aid systems are performed and paired with children’s audiological equipment.

When children arrive at school, listening checks are carried out using the Ling sounds. The Ling sounds are six sounds that cover every frequency. They enable Teachers of the Deaf to check that all hearing aids and cochlear implants are functioning effectively.