HIPpO Group
Hearing Impaired Partnership Opportunities Group (HIPpO Group) – ‘Hippo Group’
Due to relocation we are not currently running any HIPpO sessions. We will let families know when it starts up again. If you would like to be added to the list of interested families, please contact the school.
HIPpO group is an outreach group that was established by a partnership of settings for Deaf and Hearing Impaired children in Bristol. HIPpO welcomes any deaf child in the Bristol area and surrounding Local Authorities to join Elmfield pupils. Two HIPpO Groups (Rec/KS1 & KS2) focus on a theme every term and through a mixture of stories, games and activities aims to build a child’s self-confidence and identity as a deaf person and to develop communication skills in both English and British Sign Language.
Rationale:
The Hearing Impaired Partnership Opportunities Group exists to promote continuum of provision for the education of deaf and hearing impaired children in Bristol.
The HIPpO Group works together to provide access for deaf and hearing impaired children to a broader peer group comprising first language English users and first language British Sign Language (BSL) users.
Our rationale is that through access to different languages pupils will establish their own identity in their first language and further their skills in their second language. Through recognising and understanding language differences between themselves, deaf and hearing impaired children will develop their own identity and learn to consider themselves as individuals and as part of a whole group.
Aims:
- To provide a context for oral/ aural deaf and hearing impaired children to gain access to first language BSL users in order to develop their second language
- To provide a context for BSL deaf and hearing impaired children to gain access to first language spoken English users in order to develop their second language
- To provide a larger peer group for deaf and hearing impaired children within which they can develop their sense of identity, resulting in greater self esteem, confidence and community cohesion
- To promote partnership work between schools and specialist settings as part of the broader service
HIPpO Group Flyer 2019-20 available here