A SOUTH Lanarkshire school which provides the “very best education possible” for deaf children has been praised by inspectors.

The Education Scotland team commended headteacher Lauren Brown for bringing together all staff at Hamilton School for the Deaf “to create a strong sense of community.”

The report added: “She supports them effectively to take forward the school’s priorities for improvement.”

Other key strengths highlighted included the strong relationships between adults and pupils, which help children “to be confident, happy and achieve well” and the “child-centred culture across the school, underpinned by deaf awareness and deaf identity.”

The report noted: “Every child knows they are valued highly.”

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Inspectors also praised the dedication of all staff, including the school’s outreach team which works in the community, to deaf education.

They added: “This supports their clear focus on improving children’s communication and wellbeing.”

Areas for improvement identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from South Lanarkshire Council included a need to “strengthen how teachers plan learning with a greater focus on raising children’s attainment” and a requirement to “develop the curriculum further to support children to have a better understanding of their rights.”

Stewart Nicolson, head of education at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “Hamilton School for the Deaf operates a child-centred and flexible approach to ensure that individual needs are identified and supported, and this encourages each child and young person to achieve academically at the same time as developing independence and contributing positively within their communities.

“This entails a team effort from head teacher Lauren Brown, her teachers and support staff and the families, all working together and at times with other agencies to provide the very best possible education and environment for the pupils, and I am delighted that this dedication has been recognised in the report.”