The inspirational teacher who tells deaf children, ‘there is no glass ceiling... you can do anything’
SCHOOL HEAD, PRAISED AS ‘OUTSTANDING’ BY OFSTED, TO RETIRE AFTER 30 YEARS
DESCRIBED by Government inspectors as “outstanding” and “inspirational”, a Derby head teacher is retiring after 30 years.
Helen Shepherd has worked at the Royal School for the Deaf Derby since 1991 – becoming head teacher in 2015 when the school was plunged into special measures.
Since she took over, results have improved, wellbeing and counselling services for pupils have been established, firm bridges between staff and the school community have been built and there have been changes in culture, ethos, happiness and safeguarding.
Government inspectors have judged the school “good” in every category, while the residential unit – and Ms Shepherd herself – have been described as “outstanding”.
She said: “A member of staff said to me recently that I may be hearing, but I have a deaf heart and I think that’s really true. I couldn’t have given so much of myself to this school if I didn’t.”
Ms Shepherd originally started her teaching career in the mid1980s at Bemrose School and Mickleover Community School, since renamed Murray Park.
She said: “I was a PE and science teacher, having done a biology degree, and only started learning British Sign Language for interest.
“Tim Silvester happened to be leading the course I’d signed up for and he was the head teacher at the Royal School for the Deaf where there was a vacancy for a PE teacher, so I decided to apply – and I’ve been here ever since.
“I remember when the first computer came into school – we were so excited because we wouldn’t need to use Tippex. And of course, cochlear implants have revolutionised hearing.” Ms Shepherd has always been passionate that children at the school, who come from all over the UK, should leave with a strong deaf identity and a clear sense of belonging. She has been a strong advocate that the studying of deaf culture and history should be a part of the curriculum and has always been keen to employ deaf people as positive role models. Ofsted inspectors wrote that her work “influences children’s lives even when they have left school”.
They also noted that Ms Shepherd works in her own time with charities, organisations and professionals and her work has an impact not just on the children in her care but on others and community thinking.
She said: “We are actually one of the largest employers of deaf people outside London and our staff must make a commitment to learn sign language to at least level two or level three and English to an equivalent level.”
Under Ms Shepherd, a heritage centre was recently unveiled at the Ashbourne Road school, retrieving documents, equipment and photographs from the school’s 128 year history that were previously hidden in the back of a cupboard.
“I shall miss the children every day,” she said, “but I look forward to watching their achievements not just in the deaf world, but in the wider world, because they can do anything. There is no glass ceiling, they can do anything they want.”
A member of staff said to me that I may be hearing, but I have a deaf heart and I think that’s really true. Helen Shepherd