Signature, the UK’s leading awarding body for deaf communication and language qualifications, has announced the release of five new episodes to its free ‘School of Signs’ programme, now used in more than 2,000 schools across the UK to teach BSL to primary school children.
Following the legal recognition of BSL as a language in 2022 and ongoing discussion surrounding a BSL GCSE, the project lays the foundations for a future generation of confident, inclusive communicators.
The positive impact of The School of Signs has recently been recognised, with ITV News coverage highlighting how children, both deaf and hearing, are engaging with the BSL resources and using it in the classroom and at home with family members. Teachers using the programme report high levels of pupil engagement, with students beginning to use signs to communicate daily.
In hearing classes that include deaf pupils, teachers have observed increased confidence and a stronger sense of inclusion, with BSL enabling children to feel more involved in the classroom. By introducing BSL into everyday classroom life, children gain key communication skills, develop Deaf awareness, and learn to participate in the classroom environment.
Lindsay Foster, Executive Director for Signature said, “The response to the School of Signs has been hugely encouraging, demonstrating real enthusiasm for British Sign Language education in the classroom. With over 2,000 schools already signed up and positive feedback from both teachers and students, it is clear the programme is making a meaningful impact. For Signature, The School of Signs is an opportunity to equip children with tools to communicate confidently and understand one another from an early age.”
The School of Signs offers schools and home educators across the UK, a free, comprehensive BSL curriculum which has been designed with education, accessibility, and excitement in mind. By adding five new episodes to the ten already released, Signature aims to deepen students’ understanding of BSL and equip them with the confidence to use BSL in everyday conversation. With over 54,000 deaf children in the UK, The School of Signs creates a great opportunity to embed inclusive education from an early age.
The programme of study includes:
- Online lessons delivered by qualified Deaf BSL Teachers
- A blended learning model, combining lessons with the interactive Codebreakers series.
- Comprehensive resources, including lesson plans, printouts, homework tasks and a dictionary of signs.
- Teacher support, including Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities.
- Engaging games for every lesson, enabling students to practice their BSL in different ways, keeping learning fun and exciting.
In partnership with ITV Signpost, Signature has created Codebreakers to accompany these lessons — a series of short fictional films designed to bring BSL learning to life. The series follows two spies, Max and Evie, who go undercover in a school to solve mysteries, with BSL seamlessly woven into each storyline. Each episode links directly to topics in the School of Signs study programme, giving pupils a fun and engaging way to practise their skills.
Collaboration with key organisations made the project possible. The Royal Association for Deaf People (RAD) contributed its expertise in teaching BSL to children and supported the design of the lessons to ensure accuracy and inclusivity. ITV Signpost produced the Codebreakers series, bringing high-quality production and creative storytelling to the project. Finally, our partnership with 2Simple simplifies access for schools and parents, embedding resources seamlessly within Purple Mash.
With five new episodes, a range of games and interactive features now available and more than 2,000 schools already engaged, The School of Signs continues to support accessible learning by giving children the skills to use BSL in everyday life. The programme remains free for schools, reflecting Signature’s commitment to inclusive education.
Teachers and Parents sign up: https://theschoolofsigns.org.uk
About Signature: Signature is the leading awarding body for deaf communication qualifications across the United Kingdom. Across 44 years, Signature has supported more than 600,000 people to learn BSL. All Signature qualifications are nationally recognised and accredited by Ofqual (The office of the Qualifications and Examinations regulator). Alongside qualifications in BSL, Signature also deliver deaf awareness courses which provide individuals with the knowledge and skills for enhancing communication with deaf people. To learn more, visit: https://www.signature.org.uk
