Royal School for the Deaf Derby Nursery Review

Speaking, signing and learning to communicate shape the early years at Royal School for the Deaf Derby. English and British Sign Language (BSL) have equal standing here, giving families a bilingual starting point rather than a choice between the two languages.

The nursery belongs to the school's early-years provision for deaf children. School admissions start at three; in December 2024, the school had provision for children aged two, three and four. A qualified EYFS Teacher of the Deaf teaches the early-years curriculum, with specialist speech and language therapists contributing both individual and group work. Communication support is part of learning itself.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together early number work, literacy, language, social development and discovering how the world works. Here, those areas sit alongside specialist deaf education: learning to express a need or understand a routine also helps a child take part in the rest of the day.

Children have group sessions and individual time with a specialist speech and language therapist. Early-years pupils receive at least 45 minutes of therapy each week, supplemented by targeted individual interventions. That gives communication its own time as well as a place within classroom learning.

Ofsted's December 2024 inspection found that early-years children developed BSL communication skills, learned routines and began making independent choices. Nursery phonics starts with learning signs, linking the beginnings of reading with a language children can use. The same inspection identified a school-wide concern about some activities failing to serve curriculum aims, which could limit learning; this was not identified as a nursery-specific weakness.

An on-site audiology suite provides a physical base for assessing hearing technology. The audiologist also works in classrooms, alongside speech and language therapists, to adjust equipment, make repairs and reassess needs. For a child using hearing devices, support therefore extends beyond a separate appointment.

Individual needs guide provision. The school's SEND information describes how an education, health and care plan identifies needs, intended outcomes and the support required. Its categories include sensory or physical needs, communication, learning and emotional or social needs, recognising that a child's support may extend beyond deafness.

Families can learn alongside their children too. BSL tuition is free for parents and carers of pupils at the school. Lunches offer children a choice and are provided without a charge to parents or carers, reducing one practical task for families.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Discuss the next placement steps with the school's admissions team and the local authority.

For this specialist setting, the admissions team assesses each child's needs, maps them to their education, health and care plan and makes a placement offer to the local authority. Keep that placement process distinct from the child's classroom progress: developing communication and independence does not itself establish an entitlement to a later place.

The deaf, little, loud and proud pre-school group meets on Wednesdays, from 9.30am to 11am. This parent-and-carer opportunity includes meeting Teachers of the Deaf and speech and language therapists; it should be treated separately from a nursery booking pattern.

For enquiries or an informal visit, email admissions@rsdd.org.uk. Families using BSL can also contact the admissions support team through WhatsApp on 07500 878565. The school provides BSL-accessible contact alongside voice and text, making the first conversation possible in the family's preferred communication format.

Uniform items can come from any supplier, and the school encourages families to contact it before buying because it holds new and previously used items. This gives families a practical alternative to purchasing everything afresh.