Delivering a new qualification can feel daunting at first, but you won’t be alone on the journey. Signature provides a wide range of support to help you every step of the way, from clear guidance on assessment and teaching requirements to training opportunities, resources, and ongoing advice. Whether you’re preparing to deliver lessons, assessing learners, or building confidence with the qualification structure, you can access expert help and practical tools designed to make the process smooth and manageable. With Signature’s support, you can feel assured that you’re fully equipped to deliver the qualification successfully and with confidence.
For children, the benefits go far beyond learning a new skill. Studying sign language in school helps to strengthen communication and teamwork, as pupils learn to listen carefully, pay attention, and support one another. It also encourages empathy and inclusion, helping children to understand and respect the needs of others within their school community. Many schools find that pupils develop greater confidence, resilience, and social awareness, which positively impacts their wellbeing and classroom relationships. By taking part in a qualification like this, children not only gain a valuable skill but also build stronger connections across the whole school environment.
When schools begin to think about offering British Sign Language (BSL) as a qualification, the first step is to understand the purpose and benefits it will bring to pupils. BSL provides not only a valuable language skill but also promotes inclusion, cultural awareness, and communication with the Deaf community. Schools should consider how a future GCSE might fit within their curriculum offer.
It will be important to plan ahead for staffing, as it will require a qualified BSL teacher and to think about how to timetable lessons and assessments alongside other language options.
Building links with the local Deaf community and exploring opportunities for real-life language use will enrich learning and help schools prepare for delivering the subject authentically. By starting this groundwork now, schools can position themselves to be early adopters when the BSL GCSE becomes available.
Signature are on hand to provide all the support and guidance you need if you are planning to introduce BSL into your school. Our dedicated centre relationship lead Abbie (abbie.leask@signature.org.uk) is happy to answer any questions you may have.
Signature provide a range of support for centres to help them understand our BSL qualifications. This helps to ensure that all teachers are delivering our qualifications to the highest standards and that they have the appropriate support to do this confidently.
Qualification Specification Trainings
Signature runs Qualification Specification training for all of our qualifications. These are done in multiple locations and at different times to give everyone who would like to attend the opportunity to do so.
What is covered:
Teacher Training
We run additional teacher training including lesson planning, linguistics, as well as our online teacher training, that gives teachers access to online resources to help them deliver BSL lessons.
CPD
Our CPD courses offer online professional development for those who teach British Sign Language.
We have several topics that are covered:
Learner Resources
Centres can also access Signature learning resources to add to their lesson plans, this includes flashcards, posters, word searches and more.
BSL Homework
BSLHomework is a comprehensive online library of video clips and support materials to help students and teachers to understand the assessments, develop their vocabulary and linguistic skills, and practice their receptive BSL skills from wherever they are.
For schools preparing to introduce BSL into their curriculum, securing the right teacher is a crucial first step, and the BSL Teacher Directory provides a reliable way to do this.
The directory lists fully qualified and accredited BSL tutors, allowing schools to search by location, teaching level, and specialist experience to identify the best fit for their pupils. By recruiting through this trusted route, school leaders can be confident that the teacher has the professional credentials and classroom expertise required to deliver high-quality, authentic BSL teaching. This not only supports strong outcomes for learners but also ensures the subject is embedded with credibility and cultural integrity from the outset.
