Beyond Awareness: How to Make British Sign Language a Permanent Part of Your School Culture

March 16th-22nd marks Sign Language Week - a natural time for schools to reflect on inclusion. But while "awareness" is a great starting point, the real goal is integration. With over 54,000 deaf children in the UK, British Sign Language (BSL) is more than just a skill: it’s a gateway to a more empathetic, confident, and inclusive student body.

Enter: The School of Signs' FREE BSL Programme

Created by Signature, The School of Signs is a FREE BSL programme already used by 2,000+ UK schools. It moves BSL out of the "occasional assembly" and directly into the classroom.

What makes the School of Signs different?

The programme is built on expertise from the Royal Association for Deaf People and features Codebreakers—a spy-themed series produced with ITV Signpost that makes learning BSL feel like an adventure. Schools receive:

• Lessons from qualified Deaf BSL teachers.
• Full lesson plans, homework, and a BSL dictionary.
• Staff CPD opportunities.

BSL Posters within Purple Mash

Purple Mash schools can also access BSL vocabulary posters directly within Mash. They are the perfect tool for making signing "normal" in corridors and classrooms before moving into the full curriculum.

Find out more about integrating Sign Language in your school

Join us in a free webinar on 17th March at 4pm to explore the free resources, have a walkthrough of the spy series and see how easy it is to begin signing in your school.