School cleaner changes tack to help deaf pupils

Kim Farthing was diagnosed with hearing loss when she was three years old

Kim Farthing grew up as a deaf child in hearing world.

After working as a cleaner at Northgate High School in Ipswich, a state comprehensive, she realised she could use her own experience of struggling in mainstream education to help others.

She is now the school's interventions co-ordinator. Here, in her own words, she describes that journey:

Attitudes have changed a lot

I was born in Ipswich in 1991.

Hearing loss is genetic following my maternal line - my mum is also hearing impaired as is my nine-year-old daughter.

I've had my hearing aids since I was three. I was never given the opportunity to learn [sign language at school] when I was diagnosed.

Anyone with a hearing impairment went to a specialist school, but my parents said "no".

I went through the mainstream system which I found very difficult, as there was no support, so I was left to manage as best as I could.

I passed all my GCSEs and A Levels, but it was really hard.

Kim Farthing (pictured aged six and 15) said she was "put in a class with hearing children and always taught in exactly the same way as them"

I always say I'm deaf, but I was raised in a hearing world.

Looking back now, I think it was a lack of knowledge. I would be put in a class with hearing children and always taught in exactly the same way as them.

Attitudes have changed a lot, I think. Back then it was something they wanted to hide, along with a lot of other SEN [Special Educational Needs] things.

It was something to be put aside and not to think about it.

Cleaner to classroom assistant

I started working at Northgate in 2010, aged 19, on the cleaning team.

During the Covid pandemic I worked on site during the school day.

This was very difficult with everyone wearing masks (life in general was very hard during this time!).

Following Covid I wanted a change, so I took a job as a teaching assistant with the Learning Support team.

I loved this role, and it taught me more about SEN needs, but also allowed me to talk about my needs with the pupils, who were very helpful.

I noticed a gap in staff knowledge surrounding hearing impairment and was given permission to address it.

I've provided training sessions for new and current staff, given talks at department and management meetings, and ran a British Sign Language (BSL) and awareness session at the school's Community Day last year.

I've made posters, displays and leaflets, updated resources for staff, assisted with a BSL group and created assembly packages for students.

I now manage interventions at Northgate, providing support in maths and English as well as running the Accelerated Reader programme.

Hearing impairment work is still very much ongoing.

I am now looking into visiting local primary schools to offer staff training.

I want to use my platform to help provide for others the things that I didn’t have in school.

As told to BBC reporter Jon Wright.