The Corner House Classroom provides education for the patients of Corner House Ward; the only National Deaf CAMHS inpatient unit for d/Deaf & Hard of Hearing children and adolescents with ongoing mental health needs within the UK.

We are a welcoming team of Teachers of the Deaf and specialist Education and Care Coordinators, who teach a range of subjects to learners in all key stages of education.  Our aim is for all our pupils to learn in an environment which provides full access to education and supports the development of a solid language base.

Language and communication underpin the entire Corner House curriculum as it is essential for effective academic progress and social development.   All staff in the classroom are either native British Sign Language users or hold at least a Level 3 qualification, and we aim to optimise the development of each student’s preferred language as well as their written and spoken English skills.   Literacy and communication are embedded within all aspects of the curriculum, providing many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion.

Students study a broad range of subjects according to their individual need, ability and interests, designed in close communication with their home school.  We understand the challenges of being in hospital and we work hard to remain consistent with the student’s home school curriculum in order to reduce any potential anxiety upon returning to the community.  We ensure our young people make excellent academic progress and, where appropriate, students gain qualifications in accredited subjects, such as GCSEs, Functional Skills, Entry Level Certificates, and BTECs.

We also have a wide enrichment programme, which allows students to develop holistically.  We teach PSHE (personal, social and health education), which encompasses a range of topics such as, healthy minds and emotions, sex and relationships, online safety and healthy living.  Students also participate in a range of lessons such as, British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf Studies, cooking, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and creative arts. In addition, our young people attend Forest School once a week, which allows them to connect to the outside world while learning practical and useful skills.  We think it is important to get the views of our learners and we add vocational lessons and tasters to the curriculum to match our students’ interests. 

The school team plays a vital role in supporting the progress of young people admitted to Corner House ward and we ensure that the work being done by the multidisciplinary team (MDT) on the ward is developed and consolidated in our classroom.