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Falkirk deaf teacher nominated for national award

A leading Falkirk teacher of the deaf has been nominated for a national award after changing the way deaf children are integrated in local schools.

Catherine Finestone, who is head of Windsor Park School and Sensory Service in Falkirk, has been revealed as a finalist in the Leadership in Education Award at the national Signature Annual Awards.

Catherine has been in deaf education for over 40 years and in her current role for 17 years promoting sign language and providing support to children and families.

Windsor Park School for the Deaf sits on the same campus as Bantaskin Primary and the nursery is the dedicated nursery for deaf children who use sign language. Windsor Park Secondary Department is situated within Falkirk High School. Pupils have access to all facilities provided in the mainstream schools and integrate with the other students on a regular basis.

The experienced teacher is also head of the Falkirk Peripatetic Service for Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired Children, which supports children from diagnosis to school leaving age. The organisation currently supports 163 hearing impaired and 135 visually impaired children.

Catherine also oversees the delivery of British Sign Language training to children of all abilities, staff, parents and members of the community and across the cluster schools, which includes Windsor Park, Falkirk High and primary schools Easter Carmuirs, Carmuirs, Bainsford, Langlees, Bantaskin, Comley Park, Slammanan and Limerigg.

Catherine said: “It is an honour to be nominated for the award and for the schools and the staff to be recognised for their commitment to the deaf community.

“The inclusion of the deaf students not only builds their confidence, social skills and friendships but it also benefits the mainstream children and teachers, providing deaf awareness and the opportunity to learn a new language.

“We have managed to come such a long way in terms of deaf inclusion and awareness raising and I look forward to continuing this work with my fantastic team.”

Signature is a deaf and deafblind charity and the leading provider of British Sign Language (BSL) and other deaf and deafblind qualifications in the UK. The charity recently launched its search for the country’s most inspirational people involved in the deaf and deafblind community.

The Signature Annual Awards celebrates people across the UK who are involved in providing a positive impact on the lives of some of the 11 million deaf and hard of hearing people living in the country.

Signature executive director Lindsay Foster said: “We are impressed every year by the amazing stories that are uncovered through our awards and it gives us great pleasure in being able to celebrate the great work that is being done to promote and improve deaf communication across the UK.

“This year, the Signature Annual Awards will focus on ‘educators’, including new and experienced teachers of British Sign Language and teachers of the deaf, groups or individuals in the local community who create exciting learning opportunities for deaf and hearing impaired people, and business people who are improving customer service for deaf and deafblind people through staff training.

“Catherine fits this category perfectly thanks to her dedication to supporting the inclusion of deaf children and improving awareness and accessibility of sign language. We wish her and the other nominees the best of luck in their respective categories.”

All nominees received a complimentary ticket to the awards, which will be held in January 2017 at Prospero House in London.

To find out more information on Signature and its annual awards please visit www.signatureannualawards.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Signature .