Boarding Provision
Being able to live at the Academy is of real benefit to our students. It enables them to be part of a deaf community, where they can socialise and be included in the same way that hearing children take for granted. It enables students to develop their language and also to develop socially and emotionally. For our students who learn in our partner GFE colleges, it can also be a useful counter-balance to the stress of learning within a hearing environment.
The other big advantage is that it enables students to take part in our independent living skills programme. This covers all the major skills and knowledge students need to live as independently as possible. Subjects include personal hygiene, meal times, money management, care of clothing, time management, social interaction, communication, using public facilities, health care, current affairs, agencies that support you, deaf organisations and emergency organisations.
The Academy has a large residential community, providing residential accommodation for students of all age ranges and abilities. We also have a strong partnership with Signpost Children’s Services who provide highly supportive residential care for those who need more intensive support. The residential accommodation is on the same site as the Academy itself, and has different kinds of residential accommodation with varying degrees of independence. All students have their own room and there are shared social, dining, sports and leisure areas. Care staff have good signing skills and all have achieved, or are working towards, a level 3 NVQ in social care.
Exeter is a small and attractive city, and the Academy is well known within it and valued by its residents. It is therefore an excellent environment for a deaf student to develop their independence as well as excel educationally. The Academy is set in twelve acres of grounds overlooking the River Exe and is ten minutes walk from the city centre and only a few miles from sea and open countryside. The Academy is ten minutes drive from the M5, half an hour’s walk from Exeter St Davids train station and fifteen minutes' drive from Exeter airport.