Facilities at The Lighthouse
Audiology (Listening Equipment)
All hearing aids, cochlear implant processors and brainstem implant processors are checked daily by members of the Lighthouse teaching team. Staff training is kept up-to-date through in-house training or advisory visits.
We have soundfield systems in the school hall and two classrooms. We hope to extend the use of soundfields in all classrooms with deaf children over the next five years.
A number of deaf children at the school use Inspiro radio aid systems with MLX Roger X receivers giving direct-input to their cochlear implant processors or hearing aids. Radio aid systems are provided in accordance with children’s EHCPs and are introduced to children using cochlear implant processors under advice from their implant centre.
All classrooms have carpets and blinds in order to improve listening conditions for deaf children. The school dining hall and Foundation Stage classrooms have acoustic treatment panels to reduce noise reverberation.
Children with Physical Disabilities/Additional Special Educational Needs
Guildford Grove is equipped with three hoisting systems for wheelchair users in the disabled toilet, the sensory room, and the main school hall. The whole school is wheelchair accessible with ramps and automatic doors to maximise access. We have a fully-equipped disabled toilet with changing bed and showering facilities
We have key staff trained in the use of Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs) who can programme and maintain these devices for our physically disabled children who are unable to communicate fully through sign language or spoken language.
We have long-standing experience of working with deaf children who have English as an additional language, or have additional special needs such as Multi-Sensory Impairment, CHARGE Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, ADHD and deaf children with English as an additional language
Our team has experience of training in:-
- Visual-Impairment
- Multi-Sensory Impairment
- Cochlear implant and hearing aid management
- Specialist SEN ICT packages
- Behaviour Support
- Resuscitation
- Manual Handling
- Cerebral Palsy
Computer Technology
The Lighthouse uses a range of computer equipment to support the children’s learning. Our teaching areas are equipped with interactive whiteboards and touchscreen computers. We have 4 laptops and a set of 8 iPads for use in both the Specialist Centre and mainstream classrooms.
Computer software includes:-
- educational Apps for iPads
- Communicate-in-Print
- BSL signed-graphics
- Clicker 6
Speech and Language Therapy Room
Our purpose-build speech and language therapy room offers a quiet, distraction-free environment for pupils during their therapy sessions. This room is also available at different points in the week for one-to-one activities such as reading or ‘booster’ sessions for learning new curriculum language and concepts.
The Sensory Room
We also have a purpose-built sensory room at the Lighthouse providing a distraction free, calm and welcoming environment to meet the sensory and physical needs of the children.
The sensory room can be adapted to meet specific needs. Sometimes a child may need time to calm down, to rest, or to carry out personal exercise programmes in a safe and comfortable room. The different equipment in the sensory room can be used to meet these needs, or to support the children in developing their interaction and communication with others.
The equipment is wireless and switch operated, allowing for maximum access and flexibility. There is also a hoisting system for more severely disabled children, so that they can move around the room and lie in comfort on the matting or bean bags.
The sensory room equipment includes:
- colour changing wall wash
- bubble tube
- mirror ball and projector
- fibre optic curtain and floor strands
- colour-match panel game
- voice/switch activated fireworks panel
- music and vibration bean bag
- trampoline
- visual and tactile board
- a range of sensory toys
The Lighthouse Kitchen
The fully-equipped kitchen facilities offer an environment for messy play, art activities, and cooking. Weekly cooking sessions offer cross-curricular learning through creating a variety of sweet and savoury dishes linked to our language learning and school topics. In these sessions our youngest children learn how to take turns, to follow instructions, to carry out actions such as cutting and stirring. As they get older, they begin to learn about food and equipment safety, to instruct others, and evaluate what they have made using descriptive language.
