St John's Catholic School for the Deaf

St John’s School for the Deaf, based in Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, is a specialist day and boarding school for young people with sensory and communication needs, including hearing impairments, autism and multi sensory impairments.

At St John's spoken language is used across the school, and we understand how to help our students develop a love of learning and achieve their best. We provide an optimum listening environment through small class sizes and soundfield technology in acoustically treated classrooms.

We remove barriers to learning by having specialist teaching staff with additional qualifications in hearing or multi sensory impairments, as well as specialist speech and language therapists who provide 1:1 and group therapy.

We are a Catholic school whose mission is to recognise and develop the entire potential of every person.  Our school welcomes young people and their families of all faiths and of none. We are very proud of the school, the staff and the outcomes that our young people achieve. Our latest Ofsted has found the education to be 'good', and the residential care 'outstanding' in all areas.

Throughout the school different curriculum pathways are planned for individual students. Matching each young person's learning to their needs and interests enables them to aim high and achieve their very best. As well as traditional academic subjects there is a strong focus on creative and practical subjects that develop social communication and other essential skills for future adult life. In the sixth form, students can study a wide range of academic and vocational courses linked to two local colleges, where they are benefit from full time individual support from learning mentors. Linking with mainstream colleges helps students build wider friendship groups and offers new social opportunities.

Preparing young people to navigate a complex and ever-changing world is at the heart of everything we do. As well as meeting students' medical needs, staff work together to promote healthy and active lifestyles, develop good social relationships and help young people manage the online world safely. Our aim is to promote a sense of identity and self-worth in all our young people, empowering them to make positive choices and develop psychological resilience.