St John’s and St Clement’s Primary School Co Hearing Impaired Unit Review 2026: Deaf Resource Base within a Southwark mainstream primary

FindMySchool does not currently provide comparable performance rankings or standardised performance metrics for this unit, so parents should rely on the host school’s published statutory outcomes and the most recent inspection evidence.

The school’s published 2024 statutory assessment outcomes (described as provisional by the school at the time of publication) indicate strong attainment across key stages:

• Early Years Foundation Stage, 83% achieving the end of foundation stage measure (compared with 67% shown as the England comparator on the school’s page)

• Year 1 phonics, 86% meeting the expected standard (compared with 71% shown as the England comparator)

• Key Stage 2 expected standard:

• Reading 91% (England comparator shown as 73%)

• Writing 82% (71%)

• Maths 81% (71%)

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling 81% (72%)

• Reading, writing and maths combined 77% (60%)

• Key Stage 2 higher standard:

• Reading 37% (England comparator shown as 29%)

• Writing 27% (13%)

• Maths 26% (13%)

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling 37% (30%)

• Reading, writing and maths combined 16% (8%)

What that means in practice is that the mainstream academic picture is ambitious, with a higher standard profile that suggests many pupils are being stretched beyond the basics. For deaf pupils, the key question is less about whether outcomes are strong and more about whether those outcomes are achieved through consistent access, strong language development and well planned classroom adaptations. The resourced base model is designed for exactly that.

The Deaf Resource Base has been part of the school since 1995, and it operates as an additionally resourced mainstream provision. The school describes an oral and aural approach to learning for deaf pupils, supported by a qualified Teacher of the Deaf and a specialist team that also trains and supports class teachers and support staff.

For families, the practical value of this model is that specialist expertise is available without separating pupils from the broader curriculum. Support is not limited to withdrawal or occasional intervention. It includes staff practice, classroom acoustics and communication routines, and the daily use of technology such as radio aids, which help reduce background noise and transmit the teacher’s voice more clearly to hearing devices.

Within the wider school, curriculum information is presented as a coherent whole. Parents looking for a strongly structured school day will like the clarity of published routines, including a soft start and a defined end of day. In a Deaf Resource Base context, predictability matters because it makes listening load more manageable, especially during transitions between lessons, break times and lunch.

For most families, the main transition point is Year 6 to Year 7. Southwark secondary transfer is coordinated through the local authority, and families typically express preferences through the council process.

The school’s SEND information materials describe transition support in practical terms, including liaison between the school’s SEND lead and the receiving school’s SEND team, and the use of transition meetings and information sharing. For deaf pupils, that is a crucial bridge. Hearing technology, communication preferences and classroom strategies need to transfer cleanly to secondary, otherwise the first term can feel like starting again.

Because this unit is embedded in a mainstream primary rather than a stand alone specialist school, destination patterns will vary widely based on family preference, travel and the child’s needs. The most important point is to ask early how the school supports the transition of hearing equipment management, communication access and classroom adaptations at the receiving secondary.

This is a state funded provision, so there are no tuition fees.

Admissions operate on two overlapping tracks, and families should be clear which applies:

1. Mainstream primary places (Reception entry)

Reception entry is coordinated by Southwark Council for Southwark residents. For September 2026 entry, Southwark lists 15 January 2026 (11.59pm) as the deadline for applications, with offers released on 16 April 2026. Families living outside Southwark apply through their home borough, even if they are applying to a Southwark school.

The school’s own admissions page references a 15 January deadline for Reception applications and notes that families seeking a foundation place must also complete a supplementary form by the same date. Parents should treat exact dates on school pages as a guide and prioritise the local authority’s published timetable when dates conflict.

1. Deaf Resource Base access (specialist resourced provision)

Resourced provisions are designed for pupils with identified hearing needs and are typically accessed via SEN processes. Southwark’s local offer lists St John’s and St Clement’s Primary School as a hearing impairment resource base. In practice, families should expect a needs led discussion, and in many cases an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may be involved, depending on the child’s profile and the level of support required.

Because resourced provision places are limited and must match need, families should plan well ahead. Ask what evidence is required, what assessments are used, and how a child’s current setting contributes to the decision making.

A practical tip, especially in London, is to use FindMySchool’s Map Search to sense check travel time and daily logistics. For deaf pupils, commute fatigue can be a real factor in how well listening and concentration hold up across the week.

Pastoral support in this setting has two layers. The first is the universal primary offer, routines, relationships, behaviour consistency and clear expectations. The second is the specialist layer, which needs to recognise the extra cognitive load that listening and communication can place on deaf pupils, even when they appear to be coping.

The school’s wellbeing and personal development messaging emphasises helping pupils build confidence, empathy and active citizenship. In a Deaf Resource Base setting, the strongest pastoral outcomes usually come when deaf identity, communication preferences and inclusion are handled matter of factly, rather than treated as exceptional or awkward. The school’s visible investment in British Sign Language learning and deaf awareness activity supports that healthier norm.

This is an area where a resourced provision can either feel fully integrated or quietly separate. The evidence available suggests a deliberate push towards integration.

Examples of distinctive enrichment connected to the school’s published communications include:

• British Sign Language learning, positioned as part of the school’s language and communication approach, with structured opportunities for pupils to learn and practise.

• OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), described by the school as a playground approach designed around multiple play types. For families, this matters because play is where many children build friendships fastest, and inclusive play structures reduce the risk that a deaf child is left on the edge of social groups due to communication friction.

• Forest School activity, referenced repeatedly in school communications and diary events. Outdoor learning can be especially positive for pupils who benefit from active, hands on experiences and a change in listening demands from the classroom environment.

• Music and performance opportunities, including choir activity referenced in school communications, alongside wider enrichment such as composition challenges.

The Deaf Resource Base adds its own dimension to extracurricular life. News items describe deaf awareness week activity led by pupils, including assemblies and presentations. That kind of pupil leadership can be a strong indicator of confidence and belonging, not just support.

The school publishes a structured school day, including an 8.45am soft start and a 3.25pm end of day. That level of routine detail is helpful for working families and for pupils who do best with predictable transitions.

Wraparound care appears to be provided through an on site breakfast and after school club, with published hours of 7.40am to 9.00am for breakfast club and 3.00pm to 6.00pm for after school provision during term time. A holiday scheme is also described for school holidays.

For travel, the key practical point is that this is a Southwark location with typical London constraints. Parents should plan for the realities of drop off congestion, the child’s ability to manage travel with hearing equipment, and the extra time needed for smooth handovers when a child uses radio aids or cochlear implant processors that may need daily checks.

• Resourced provision is not the same as a specialist school. The strength is inclusion within mainstream classes, but it requires a child who can manage that environment with support. Families should ask how the school judges readiness and how it responds when listening fatigue builds up.

• Older buildings can be acoustically challenging. The support model includes technology and specialist staff, but parents should still ask directly about classroom acoustics, seating plans and how background noise is managed during group work and playtimes.

• Two admissions pathways can be confusing. Reception admission is council coordinated for mainstream places, while resourced provision access is needs led and may involve SEN processes. Families should make sure they understand which route applies and what evidence is required.

• Check the current staffing picture for specialist support. The presence of a qualified Teacher of the Deaf is central to quality. Ask how often specialist staff work directly with your child, and how they train class staff.

For families seeking a mainstream primary experience with a serious, embedded Deaf Resource Base, this is a compelling model. The school combines strong published statutory outcomes with an inclusion approach that treats deaf access as a whole school responsibility, not a bolt on.

It suits deaf pupils who benefit from specialist support but also want to learn and socialise day to day alongside hearing peers, and families who value both academic ambition and a clear inclusion culture. The key is fit, parents should probe the practical details of access, staffing, and transition planning early.