A petition to save a Brighton school from closure has almost 10,000 signatures, with parents now lobbying the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
The petition is headed “Give all deaf children a fair chance” and was started last month in response to a proposal to close Hamilton Lodge, a specialist school for deaf children.
It was started by Helen Husbands, whose daughter Isabelle, 14, attends the school in Walpole Road, Brighton.
She spoke of the joy felt by children at the school just two years ago as they appeared on Strictly Come Dancing when deaf EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis was a contestant. She went on to win the series.
Ms Husbands said: “Staff and pupils were so buoyed by Rose’s success on Strictly. They were full of hope and optimism and it’s heartbreaking that they now face a very uncertain future.”
The family relocated from Surrey to Hove in 2017 so that Isabelle could attend Hamilton Lodge as a day pupil. The specialist school also has boarders.
But Hamilton Lodge Trust, which runs the school, plans to close the school and college next August, citing a decline in pupil numbers.
Ms Husbands said that the shock news was delivered to students when they returned from the summer holidays in September.
She said: “School is a second home for students who now face the prospect of living even further away from home to pursue their education.
“Some will have already experienced school trauma from years spent in the wrong setting at huge cost to their mental health.”
Parents are calling on the Education Secretary to review urgently the declining provision for deaf children who need an education delivered in British sign language and English.
Among the 10,000 people backing the petition is the actress Rachel Shenton who won an Oscar for her film, inspired by British sign language, The Silent Child.
The British Deaf Association said: “We strongly object to the closure of this school.”
The charity said that it was crucial for the government to explore how Hamilton Lodge could continue to serve deaf children.
The association said: “While we recognise the challenges involved, we urge a thorough review of alternatives that would allow this essential institution to continue its vital work.”
The Department for Education said: “We have made it our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.
“The department will be working collaboratively with Hamilton Lodge, local authorities, parents and learners in order to ensure positive outcomes are achieved for their pupils in terms of transferring into suitable alternative provision.”
The petition says: “In many cases, specialist schools for the deaf are filling the gaps left by local authorities failing to cater for the needs of deaf children who use British sign language in their local schools and communities.”
To sign the petition, visit change.org/BSL_matters.
