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"The whole ethos of the school is based on celebrating individual achievement. This combined with the high degree of focus on individual learning provides a degree of confidence that pupils achieve a much as they can by the time they leave the school". Scottish Government Best Value Review
At Donaldson’s we can provide specialist education from toddlers to teens. Visit the sections below for more detailed information.
Primary Department
 All Primary school children learn in small classes – the maximum size is six – with a teacher and classroom assistant to ensure each child gets individual attention in a fun and stimulating environment. We focus on personal and social development, and the development of language and communication within a BSL/English
bilingual environment.
We follow a specially adapted version of the 5-14 curriculum, which is accessible for all the children. Each child has an individual learning programme which also includes swimming and gym sessions with specialist PE teachers. Children in upper primary are also able to attend ICT (Information & Communication Technology), CDT (Craft, Design & Technology), Cooking and Art classes within the secondary school.
 Children can attend full time (day or boarding), or as part of a shared placement scheme. As well as their class teacher, a team of subject-specialist teachers, speech and language therapists and an educational audiologist help them achieve their full potential.
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"Staff worked closely with parents, teachers, specialists and therapists to ensure children’s additional needs were supported effectively." HMIe, June 2007
Nursery Department
 Our purpose-built nursery classroom is open Monday to Thursday afternoons between 1:20pm and 3:35pm. Children can attend on a full or part time basis.
We work in partnership with parents and carers, who are always welcome to visit the school.
 We believe that this partnership is vital in encouraging the children’s education, well-being and social awareness. We cater for childrens individual needs regarding language and sign and operate within a bilingual environment where BSL and English are equally valued.
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Building Blocks Playgroup
Building Blocks carers’ and toddlers’ group will soon be relaunching in Linlithgow.
The weekly group (each Thursday during term time from 11am to 3pm) is for children up to nursery age and welcomes deaf* and hearing parents/carers, deaf* /hearing children and parents of children with speech and language disorders.
Our new school has a spacious, stimulating, supervised environment for children and an informal, relaxed meeting place for adults. Our playgroup leader is always on hand for both adults and children. You can also consult Donaldson's Speech and Language therapists, our Educational Psychologist and our Educational Audiologist who will make regular visits to the group.
If you would like to be notified when Building Blocks commences in Linlithgow then please click here to email Head Teacher Mary O'Brien with your details and we will keep you informed.
Secondary Department
"The caring staff had very good relationships with children. They knew the children very well and praised their contributions, developing their confidence and self esteem effectively." HMIe, June 2007
 Pupils in the secondary school work in three main groups: the ‘mainstream’ (who are grouped chronologically into Transition and S1-S6 classes), Skillstart and Life Skills – to make sure that everyone achieves their full potential.
The Transition Class is a group who have moved from the Primary to the Secondary School. They follow the normal Secondary curriculum but spend about a third of their time with one teacher.
 Classes have a maximum of six children and are taught in BSL or English/Sign supported English depending on their communication needs. We focus on a specially adapted version of the 5-14 curriculum, and offer:
- English
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- Mathematics
- Sciences
- Modern Studies
- Home Economics
- Craft and Design (CDT)
- Graphic Communications
- Art and Design
- Music
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
- Physical Education
- Social Subjects
- Citizenship
- Religious and Moral Education
- Deaf Studies
- Personal and Social Education
- Drama
Each child has an individual learning programme and we aim to promote independent living skills, as well as educational and social development.
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Transition to Further Education or Employment
We want to make sure our students have the best possible start in their post-school life and so we work with other agencies, Councils, FE colleges, and organisations such as the Careers Service to support them in every way.
Each student leaving Donaldson’s will have a constant link person or key worker, plus additional support workers and mentors to whom they can talk to and from whom they can get help or advice. Current senior pupils also provide a mentoring service.
In partnership with the RNID, Donaldson's provides a nationwide network of support to assist young people aged 15-24 make the transition from school to further education, work experience and/or employment.
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Life Skills
Life Skills is the terms used to describe the group of skills that you need in order to be able to live independently. It covers a wide range of practical knowledge, from personal hygiene, shopping for food, cleaning your home and handling money, as well as more social skills that you pick up from having a wide peer group.
At Donaldson's we teach independence skills for life to students age 16+ who are deaf* or have speech and language difficulties and need a little extra help to make the transition to adult life. The course normally runs for 2 years and we accpet new students onto this course regardless of whether they came to Donaldson's School.Life Skills students can also be residential if required.
The skills are taught practically, using projects, e.g. holding a coffee morning to raise money for charity, getting fit and healthy, decorating, going away on a self catering week or planning and preparing a lunch.
Each student is assessed at the beginning of the course and their learning needs drive the course. They have individually tailored learning plans which are regularly checked for achievement and redefined as necessary. We try to cover the 3 important areas of life: Personal, Social and Vocational.
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Educational Specialists
"All staff, including therapists and specialists worked very effectively as a team and this was a major factor in the quality of support offered to the children". HMIE, June 2007
We understand that our pupils need specialist support throughout their education at Donaldson's. In addition to our regular teaching staff we therefore employ a number of educational specialists to ensure every pupil fulfils their true potential.
Deaf Studies
At Donaldson's Deaf Studies plays an integral part in our pupils’ curriculum. The role of Deaf Studies is to manage, develop and deliver British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf Studies curricula to pupils as appropriate. Deaf Studies is given emphasis so that pupils can develop their knowledge about the Deaf community, the language and culture. The Deaf Studies curriculum has five different areas:
- Personal development
- Social development
- Deaf culture
- Deaf history
- Communication.
Donaldson's works very closely with other schools in the local area to increase both the use of British Sign Language and Deaf Awareness amongst other young people in the Linlithgow community.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and Language Therapists work with nursery, primary and secondary pupils to develop their communication and spoken language skills and achieve their full potential.
The team focus on developing individual communication programmes for each pupil with targets for listening, language and communication skills. In the Secondary department pupils also learn how to communicate with people who do not sign.
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Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
 Our aim is to provide an integrated multi-disciplinary approach to education for all pupils. Donaldson's has its own part-time physiotherapist and occupational therapist who provide assessment and intervention for pupils as required.
These professionals are clinical specialists in their field and they have experience of looking holistically at each individual as part of an experienced multi-disciplinary team. This allows for more detailed assessment and intervention to be undertaken, with greater potential for development of each individual pupil.
There are regular opportunities to train teaching and support staff further and to implement daily motor programmes alongside the ongoing communication programmes already in place. In developing the therapy team we will be able to offer more effective support to parents as well as to the pupils themselves.
Audiology
 Our team works to provide the best possible access to spoken English for all our pupils, whether hearing or deaf*.
All pupils need a listening environment that is quiet, with low reverberation, and we monitor this throughout the school. We also use specialist equipment to make sure that the teacher’s voice is always audible – either for the whole class or for individual pupils.
We also monitor each pupil’s unaided hearing levels, middle ear function, access to speech when wearing any type of hearing aid, and auditory development. We work closely with parents and carers as well as all the other specialists within the school, and the NHS.
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Educational Psychology
At Donaldson's we have our own Educational Psychologist who works with children, teachers, and their parents to provide an educational environment where the child can engage with his/her educational curriculum. Children with special needs, such communication delays may need special assistance to interact with their educational programmes.
Our Educational Psychologist, Dr John Schneider, also works with each Local Authority to assist them in their mission to educate the child. Thus, the Educational Psychologist at Donaldson’s tries to facilitate the interactional aspects of a pupil’s placement.
This can be done via:
- direct assessment (with the permission of the parents and the Local Authority)
- by pupil observation and consultation with parents and teachers
- by assisting teachers with classroom dynamics
- taking a leadership role in Annual Review meetings, which review the progress the pupil has made in the current academic year and discuss future needs.
Nursing Services
At Donaldson's, we are able to contact the School Nursing Service, provided by the local Primary Care Trust, for advice and support on a range of medical and health issues. The nursing service provides staff training as required to meet the specific healthcare needs of individual pupils.
The service will also provide staff and pupils with advice, resources, and guidance on a range of issues including nutrition, exercise, smoking, mental health, drugs and sexual health. The nursing team also deliver immunisation programmes to the pupils on site, and assist in the organisation of visual screening clinics.
From August 2008 there will be a part-time school nurse in place in Donaldson's.
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Residential Accommodation
 Donaldson's not only provides daily education for local pupils but also offers residential places for many pupils. Our pupils come from all over Scotland and the north of England and therefore we offer a range of flexible options including full time residential placements from Monday to Friday and part-time respite residential placements.
For more information on our residential services please visit the Residence section in Information for Parents.
*deaf is used to cover Deaf pupils, hard of hearing and deafened
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