On Bromford Road in Castle Bromwich, Braidwood’s identity is clear before you get into the detail: Deaf young people, British Sign Language (BSL), and a Total Communication approach that runs through teaching, routines and relationships. It is a small setting, with a published capacity of 76, which shapes everything from how quickly staff know students to how personal post-16 planning can be.
Braidwood School for the Deaf is a state special school for boys and girls aged 11 to 19 in Birmingham, West Midlands. It is co-located with Hodge Hill High School, and it includes a sixth form for students who want an extra year or two to consolidate qualifications and prepare for adult life. The most recent Ofsted inspection rated the school Good.
Braidwood describes its core values as Honesty, Respect and Effort, and the tone that comes through is purposeful rather than precious. Expectations are high, but the focus is not on turning students into mini adults overnight. It is on building confident communicators, then giving them the experiences that make confidence useful: presenting ideas, making choices, solving practical problems, and learning how to advocate for themselves.
What stands out is how explicitly the school links Deaf identity with wellbeing. That matters, because for some families the biggest question is not “Will my child be happy?” but “Will my child feel understood?” Braidwood positions itself as a place where Deafness is not a side note to manage. It is part of the culture, the curriculum and the peer group, with friendships and role models that can be harder to find in mainstream settings.
There is also a clear sense of preparation for life beyond school. Students are expected to learn communication skills that travel with them into workplaces and further education. That blend of care and ambition is often what families are looking for in a specialist school: a safe base, but not a sheltered one.
We do not publish results data for special schools. For families, the more meaningful question is how progress is defined, tracked and translated into next steps that actually fit the young person.
At Braidwood, academic and vocational outcomes sit alongside targets that reflect Deaf learners’ real priorities: language development, communication confidence, independence and readiness for the adult world. The school sets out qualifications that can range from entry level pathways through to GCSEs, with the expectation that students move forward from their own starting points rather than being funnelled through a single track.
That approach is also practical. Students who are building BSL and written English side by side need teaching that is carefully sequenced and adapted. The goal is not simply to “cover content”; it is to make sure students can explain what they have learned, ask for clarification, and use language to think.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
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% of students achieving grades 9-7
This is a school where communication is the curriculum, not just the support plan. Braidwood teaches through Total Communication, using a combination of signing, gesture, fingerspelling, listening, lipreading and speech, with the mix tailored to the individual. Many students use hearing aids or cochlear implants, and the school’s approach treats technology as part of access rather than a substitute for language.
BSL is not reserved for a keen minority. The school states that every learner has BSL as part of their timetable, with examinations available at Key Stage 4. For some students, that is an important confidence builder: a language they can own, not only a set of “strategies” for coping in hearing spaces.
Therapy at Braidwood is not presented as a bolt-on clinic. Speech and language support is woven into communication development, delivered by Teachers of the Deaf alongside speech and language therapists and a speech and language assistant. The school also describes “Live English”, designed to help Deaf learners develop strategies for communicating successfully with hearing people, using English, Sign Supported English or BSL depending on need.
Audiology support is treated as a core part of daily readiness. The school works with an educational audiologist, Anna Salo, and emphasises consistent use of amplification alongside developing independence in managing equipment.
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Leadership & Management
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Post-16 and post-18 planning is a major strand here, and it starts earlier than many families expect. Braidwood describes pathways that include further education, training providers and employment-related routes, with increasing attention to options such as traineeships, apprenticeships, supported internships and T Levels.
The sixth form is one option, and it is pitched as a bridge between school and adult life rather than a holding pen. Students can stay for one or two years, with a structure that includes independent study time, careers interviews and a strong focus on employability, enterprise education and life skills. There is also evidence of purposeful external engagement: virtual work experience projects with the NHS and HS2 are part of how the school brings the workplace into view, then helps students step towards it.
Families weighing different options can use the FindMySchool shortlist tools to keep track of provision types and transition routes, especially when decisions involve both education fit and practical travel reality.
Admission follows the specialist route. Families apply through their home local authority in the normal admissions round, and the local authority SEN team consults with the school to determine whether Braidwood can meet need and can be named in a child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). For parents, the key point is that this is not a simple catchment and distance story. It is a needs-led process, and the quality of the evidence in the EHCP and supporting reports matters.
Because Braidwood is a school for Deaf learners, communication approach and language profile are central to fit. The school also notes that some learners have additional needs alongside Deafness. It is worth being explicit, early, about what your child needs day to day: communication method, equipment, mental health support, and what “independence” should mean for them in two years’ time.
The admissions timetable is largely driven by the local authority process, including consultation and placement decisions. Families should keep their own local authority deadlines in view, even if the school is in Birmingham, because the application route is based on where you live.
Wellbeing is not treated as a soft add-on. It is framed as a prerequisite for learning, especially in a context where Deaf young people can face real barriers to accessing mental health support in the wider world. The school highlights positive mental health as a priority, and its wider approach leans towards helping students regulate emotions, build self-belief, and feel secure enough to concentrate.
Support is also positioned as responsive. When students need additional help, the school describes moving quickly to provide emotional support, with the intended outcome being calm, productive behaviour in lessons and around the site. For families, that matters because it suggests the school is not waiting for small worries to become big crises.
Pastoral life also links to identity. Students are part of a Deaf peer group, with structured chances to build friendships and see what is possible for Deaf adults. That sense of belonging can be as important as any intervention programme.
Braidwood is not shy about putting students into real cultural spaces. Students have performed at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, including a BSL performance of The Tempest connected to a Signing Shakespeare project, supported by partners from the Royal Shakespeare Company and the University of Birmingham, with involvement from a professional Deaf actor, Mia Ward. That kind of work is not just “enrichment”; it is language, confidence and collaboration in public.
The wider creative offer appears to include work with external theatre practitioners as well, such as the Vamos theatre project. For some students, performance becomes a powerful way to develop communication presence, which can translate into interviews, college transitions and workplace interactions.
Beyond lessons, the school names structured awards that give students a tangible record of wider achievement, including the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and Arts Award. There is also a clear emphasis on student voice, through School Council and House Teams, which helps students practise decision-making and responsibility in a setting designed to be accessible.
The school day runs Monday to Friday from 8.20am to 3.00pm, with breakfast club from 8.00am. For sixth formers, the school states that students are not expected to wear school uniform, and there is a common room with facilities for study and downtime.
Travel planning matters for specialist provision. The school is in Castle Bromwich, and many families will be considering local authority transport alongside their own arrangements. Students also build independence skills around travel, including activities that use local rail as a reference point. If you are comparing options, FindMySchool’s map tools can help you sense-check journeys and build a practical plan around the school day and any post-16 commitments.
Language environment: Total Communication and BSL are central here, with BSL on the timetable for every learner. That can be a strong match for students who need a language-rich Deaf environment, but families should think carefully about the communication approach their child will use most, and what they need from peers and staff to thrive.
Additional needs alongside Deafness: The school makes clear that some learners have needs beyond Deafness. For families, the practical implication is that support may need to cover learning, communication, emotional wellbeing and physical or sensory needs at the same time, with the EHCP reflecting that full picture.
Depth of pupil voice in learning: A key teaching challenge highlighted for the school is making sure all pupils routinely get enough opportunity to talk or sign at length about what they have learned. For some students, this is the difference between completing tasks and becoming an independent thinker. It is worth asking how departments structure discussion, signing and explanation, especially for younger pupils.
A small setting with limited places: Capacity is 76, and specialist places are precious. The admissions route is needs-led and local authority driven, so families should plan early and keep timelines tight, particularly if a transition at 11 or 16 is likely.
Braidwood School for the Deaf offers a focused, ambitious specialist education built around communication. Total Communication, BSL teaching for every learner, and strong audiology and speech and language support create a setting where Deaf students can build language, confidence and independence together. Best suited to Deaf young people who need a Deaf peer group and a school day designed for accessible communication, alongside clear preparation for further education, training or employment. The challenge is not the offer, it is securing the right placement through the EHCP process and making sure the communication approach is a true fit.
Braidwood is a specialist state school with a Good Ofsted judgement. Families often judge quality here by day-to-day essentials: whether students can communicate confidently, whether behaviour is calm, and whether there is a clear pathway into post-16 and adult life. The school’s focus on BSL, Total Communication, and careers preparation gives it a defined identity for Deaf learners.
Admission is through the specialist route, with the school being consulted by a child’s local authority SEN team and named in an Education, Health and Care Plan. This is different from mainstream applications based on catchment and distance. Families usually need up-to-date professional evidence that sets out need clearly, including communication approach, access requirements and any additional needs.
The school uses Total Communication, combining signing and other communication methods so teaching can be adapted to the individual student. BSL is part of the timetable for every learner, and the school also supports spoken language access where appropriate, including audiology support for hearing aids, cochlear implants and assistive listening equipment.
Yes. Students can stay in the sixth form for one or two years, particularly if they are not ready to move straight into college, training or work at 16. The sixth form offer includes careers guidance, employability and life skills alongside opportunities to improve qualifications, with time set aside for more independent study.
The school day runs from 8.20am to 3.00pm, Monday to Friday. There is also a breakfast club from 8.00am. Because this is a specialist setting serving families across a wider area, transport planning can be a significant part of daily life, and families often consider local authority transport alongside their own arrangements.
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