Secondary school in Wales
Learn about different types of secondary school in Wales and what to consider when making your choice.
With the right support, deaf children can succeed in any type of school. The school which works best for your child will depend on many different things, including:
- their level of deafness
- whether they have any additional needs
- whether you feel your child needs to be with other deaf children
- where you live
- whether you want them to learn Welsh
You’ll also need to think about how your choice of school will work for you and your family.
“Victoria uses British Sign Language, but Alice’s preferred method of communication is speech so we decided the oral route would be best for her.”
Linda-Jane, mum Victoria (16) who is moderately to severely deaf and Alice (13) who has progressive hearing loss. Victoria attends a specialist deaf school while Alice attends a mainstream secondary school.
Types of secondary school
Most schools in Wales fit into one of the following categories. These schools can be private (also known as independent) or state-funded.
“The interventions we’d put in place hadn’t worked. The set-up was effective for some deaf children but it really wasn’t for Siena and they weren’t willing to adapt. It got to the point where I said her happiness and wellbeing are more important to me than her academic achievement."
Jodie is mum to Siena (15) who is profoundly deaf and wears cochlear implants. Siena moved from a school with a deaf unit to a local mainstream school midway through Year 8.
Mainstream schools
Mainstream schools cater for children of all abilities. All children have a right to attend a mainstream school unless placing them there would ‘prevent the efficient education of the other children in the school’ (for example, because of significant behavioural difficulties). In this case, the school would have to prove that it had considered all the reasonable adjustments which might have made it possible to include your child.
Schools in Wales are required to make reasonable adjustments to support disabled children under the Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021 (Welsh government) and the Equality Act 2010 (Welsh Government).
Find out more about reasonable adjustments and your child’s rights in school.
Specialist bases in mainstream schools
Some mainstream schools have specialist bases for deaf children, sometimes called specialist resource bases.
In schools with a specialist resource base, deaf children may take part in mainstream classes, or they may be taught in the base for some or all of their lessons. They may or may not have additional support from an additional learning needs (ALN) assistant or communication support worker (CSW).
Special schools
Special schools teach children with ALN. Most special schools can support children with a range of different needs, including deafness. Some special schools support children with only one type of additional need, such as deafness.
Most deaf children go to a mainstream school. However, if your child has an Individual Development Plan (IDP), you can ask for them to go to a special school or a school with specialist support for deaf learners. Your child will need to meet the school’s admissions criteria to attend, and requesting a placement does not guarantee your child will be able to attend a special school.
Currently, there are no special schools for deaf children in Wales. Find out about special schools for deaf children in other parts of the UK.
Residential schools
Residential schools are where children can stay overnight and, in some schools, over the weekend as well. Some special schools are also residential schools.
Starting your search
- Start your search early.
- Search on the internet – look at each school’s website, order or download the prospectus, and contact the school for more information.
- Read individual school inspection reports (Estyn).
- Ask other parents about schools in your area.
- Ask your child’s Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) about schools in your area.
Keep in mind when searching that even a school with a good report or one that’s been recommended may still not be the right school for your child.
Visiting schools
Most schools will have open days or evenings where parents can look around the school and ask questions. Visiting a school can give you a better picture of what the school is like and how it will suit your child. Keep an open mind and visit as many different types of schools as possible.
Take a checklist with you
Download and print our checklist for choosing a deaf-friendly school and take it with you when visiting a school to collect key information.
- Document
The checklist includes questions to ask while visiting different schools. You will not need to ask all the questions on the checklist – just pick out the questions which are important to you. Make sure to ask the same set of questions at each education setting, to help you compare different schools.
Bring your child
Where possible, try to bring your child with you when visiting school. Ask them what they think about the building, teachers, and the general feeling the school gives them.
Meet with the additional learning needs coordinator (ALNCo)
You may find it helpful to make an appointment to see the school’s ALNCo to discuss your child’s needs and how the school will be able to meet them.
Visit at different times of the day
Try to visit schools more than once and at different times of the day so you can see what the school is like in its normal setting. For example, what is it like at breaktime or when students are moving between classrooms? You can also start to think about the acoustics and what adjustments might need to be made.
Other things to consider
- Location of the school – how far will your child have to travel? Can the local authority provide taxis to help them get there?
- What extra-curricular activities are on offer? Is the school prepared to make adjustments so that your child can participate fully?
- Are there any other deaf children currently studying at the school?
- How will the school meet your child’s social and emotional needs?
- If you want your child to be taught in Welsh, you’ll need to consider a dual language or Welsh-medium school (Welsh government).
- If you’re considering a school with a specialist resource base, check the qualifications of staff in the resource base.
- How will this choice impact your family? For example, if you have older, hearing children at one secondary school, will choosing a different school for your deaf child make the school run more difficult? Will they need to become more independent, learning to travel to and from school by themselves?
Applying for a place
Once you and your child have decided which school is right for them, you’ll need to apply for a place through your local authority.
Each local authority or school will have its own admissions criteria and arrangements for applying. This should explain how you can choose a school, when you need to submit your application, and what to do if your first choice is not available. If you want to apply for a school outside your local authority area, you’ll need to check the admissions policy for the local authority of that school.
If your child has additional learning needs and an IDP, make sure to include this in your school application and describe why your chosen school will be best for your child. Most schools will give priority to children with ALN and an IDP.
Appealing a school placement
If you’re not happy with the school placement your child has been given, you have the right to appeal. The way that you appeal will depend on whether your child has an IDP.
For support with appealing a school placement, contact our Helpline.
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk