At the end of last year, Lindsay Foster and Matthew Ford from Signature met with Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State for Social Security and Disability of the United Kingdom.
During the meeting Signature discussed several important areas including the GCSE in British Sign Language and the continued development of The School of Signs. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to talk about the real impact that accessible, high-quality BSL education can have for young people across the country.
Minister Timms was very supportive of Signature seeking approval from Ofqual to develop and deliver the British Sign Language GCSE, and said he was happy to provide any support that is needed to help Signature gain Ofqual approval.
Signature explained the impact that The School of Signs is already having on young people, with nearly 2,000 schools already signed up. Minister Timms was impressed at the scale of the project and offered his support to help more schools sign up. Minister Timms took time to understand the different elements of the programme of study and to engage with how creating and education pathway could lead to a more inclusive society going forward.
During the meeting we also discussed the ongoing work with NRCPD to increase the number of Deafblind interpreters, work that is planned in for the first half of 2026.
Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms said:
“Accessible, high quality BSL education is hugely beneficial for young people across the country, and it was great to meet with Signature to discuss their work on The School of Signs and the British Sign Language GCSE.
“This Government is committed to supporting Deaf and disabled people in every aspect of life. That’s why we have recently appointed the second cohort of the BSL Advisory Board, who will continue working with the Government to boost opportunities for Deaf and disabled people. We have also created an Independent Disability Advisory Panel that will convene and connect the expertise of Deaf and disabled people into our policy design and delivery.”
Lindsay Foster, Executive Director at Signature said:
“It was great to meet with Minister Timms to discuss the work that Signature is carrying out. We appreciate his time and his offer of support in both the BSL GCSE and the School of Signs. We look forward to a continual relationship that helps to create a more inclusive society.”