Sensory Impairment in Mainstream Schools

Sensory impairment support for children and young people

Many children with a sensory impairment attend mainstream settings, schools or colleges.

The Best Practice Guidance (BPG) for sensory impairment for the early years

• Best Practice Guidance (BPG) for the early years

The Mainstream Core Standards for sensory impairment in mainstream schools

• The Mainstream Core Standards

Colleges’ Core Standards for Students with sensory impairment needs

• Colleges Core Standards for sensory impairment (DOCX, 119.1 KB)

These documents offers settings, schools and colleges strategies to support learners with sensory needs to access the curriculum and make progress.

Hearing impairment support from STLS

The team helping you is made up of 16 Specialist Teachers.

They find services, support and offer training if your learner has:

• moderate or worse hearing in both ears, we will send a Specialist Teacher to visit your setting
• one sided deafness or mild deafness, we will offer support through a phone or email consultation
• bilateral permanent moderate, severe or profound hearing impairment, support will be given using the NatSIP Eligibility Framework

Vision impairment support from STLS

The team helping you is made up of 12 Specialist Teachers.

To support your learner, we will work alongside:

• the family
• the setting, school or college
• early years Vision Impairment (VI) Play Specialists
• one VI Technical Support Specialist.

They find services, support and offer training if your learner has:

• a moderate, severe or profound vision impairment, we will send a Specialist Teacher to visit your setting or school.
• a mild vision impairment or unilateral vision loss, we will offer support through a phone or email consultation.
• bilateral moderate, severe or profound vision impairment, support will be given using the NatSIP Eligibility Framework

Multi-sensory impairment support from STLS

Multi-sensory impairment (MSI) is a term the Department for Education use for those who are deafblind. It's also sometimes called 'dual sensory loss' or 'deafblindness'.

The team helping you is made up of three qualified multi-sensory or deafblindness impairment teachers, who work alongside our other specialist teachers to provide a coordinated approach to the needs of your learner.

MSI can affect a child's ability to communicate and access information. It is important to understand it:

• does not mean a deaf person who cannot see
• does not mean a blind person who cannot hear
• can be present from birth (known as congenital)
• can develop later in life.

To support your learner, we will offer:

• specialist advice on how children and young people can access learning activities
• offer specialist training on MSI and deafblindness
• strategies to help with social inclusion.

To support your learner, we will work together:

• to develop communication and independence
• to coordinate the writing of an annual MSI or deaflbindness report for your learner
• to find ways to support joint planning that encourages inclusive teaching and learning
• to make sure goals and approaches are SMART.

Request support

Referrals can be requested from parents, education or health professionals.

If you feel that your learner needs more support in their education, please discuss this with the child’s parents to gain parental consent to contact one of our Specialist Teachers below. Once we have discussed their needs further you can fill out the referral form.

Email hivimsi@kent.gov.uk or contact one of our Specialist Teachers below.