British Sign Language GCSE one step closer

Students will soon be able to study British Sign Language (BSL) as a GCSE following a consultation into the course content. Good communication is essential both inside and outside the workplace and this new GCSE will give students a vital life skill valued by employers. The introduction of the new GCSE is in part thanks to 17-year-old, Daniel Jillings, who has campaigned for the qualification since the age of 12.  As part of the GCSE, students will be taught around 1,000 signs and how to use them to communicate effectively with other signers for use in work, social and academic settings. The GCSE assumes no prior knowledge of BSL but will be accessible for students who use it as their first language.

The Department for Education are consulting and want to hear from teachers, employers and the deaf and hearing communities before deciding on the exact curriculum. The proposed subject content focuses on knowledge and understanding of British Sign Language, building a core of commonly used vocabulary from the established lexicon, and developing an understanding of grammar and the productive lexicon of BSL. This element will make up 85% of the qualification, to ensure students can undertake a comprehensive study of the language and are consequently able to communicate confidently using BSL. The consultation closes at 5pm on 8th September 2023 and the qualification is hoped to be available for first teaching in September 2025.