Planned closure of school for deaf rocks parents

Helen Husbands moved to Guildford and then Hove for Isabelle's education

A group of parents have voiced their concerns after a historic school for deaf pupils in Sussex announced its closure.

Hamilton Lodge School and College in Brighton has confirmed it plans to close on 31 August 2025 after 80 years due to a decline in the number of pupils.

Helen Husbands, a parent at the school, said its closure would be "catastrophic" for her daughter.

A spokesperson for Hamilton Lodge Trust said trustees had "no option" but to close the school amid a "challenging economic climate".

'Like dismantling a family'

Ms Husbands and her family relocated from Guildford to Hove to be closer to the school so that Isabelle - now 14 - could start when she was seven.

Ms Husbands said the closure left the family "in a really, really difficult position".

She is now weighing up her family's options which could include relocating to Devon or Derbyshire to be closer to a deaf school.

"This is like dismantling a family, a community, because it's so much more than just a school to these children and to their parents," she added.

Ms Husbands said Brighton had a "thriving deaf community".

“As much as we might research, we might have compassion and empathy, we've not been deaf, we've not been born deaf, we don't know how isolating that is."

Neha Mehta’s 12-year-old daughter Udi has only been at the school for one year.

She said: “It is like a second family. It's not just about schooling, it's about having that social environment where they can communicate with each other in a language that they understand.”

Susan Smith's daughter Annabelle is now considering leaving college

Parent Susan Smith, whose daughter Annabelle is in college and boards at the school, is also concerned about her child losing that community.

Ms Smith explained: “Where we live in Hastings, she hasn't got anyone that's in the same situation as her."

She said Annabelle was considering leaving college to find a job following the announcement.

Paul Jackson, whose 16-year-old daughter Niamh goes to the school, said the impact the closure could have on some students was “unrecoverable”.

British Deaf Association CEO Rebecca Mansell said the organisation was “gravely concerned” about the closure.

She explained that the school was one of "very few" in the country that had direct teaching in British Sign Language.

The CEO said: "The nearest school that their child is going to be able to go to is five hours away, so it shows that in that area there's going to be a lot of detrimental outcomes if the school closes."

A spokesperson for Hamilton Lodge Trust said:

"Sadly, the challenging economic climate for the education sector and the decline of our student roll over a number of years has left our trustees with no option but to propose the closure of Hamilton Lodge School and College.

"Our school community is our priority, and we are liaising closely with the local authority to explore alternative arrangements for our students.

"The Trust will continue to do all it can to support our families and future generations of deaf children."