The new qualification will give pupils with the opportunity to learn how to "effectively communicate" using British Sign Language (BSL).
All secondary school pupils in England will soon be able to do a GCSE in British Sign Language, the Government has confirmed.
The groundbreaking new GCSE will give pupils at schools nationwide - including those right across Leeds - the opportunity to learn how to "effectively communicate" using British Sign Language (BSL).
Set to provide students with what the Government has dubbed "an important life skill", and being introduced with the aim of "advancing inclusivity within education", the news that the new qualification will be available from 2025 comes following a 12-week public consultation, reports The Manc.
The Department for Education (DfE) says it received "overwhelmingly positive support" for introducing the new GCSE from parents, teachers and organisations from the deaf and hearing communities - with their responses from the consultation said to be going towards helping ensure the content of the qualification is "knowledge-rich, diverse in its teaching, and challenging".
The Government is aiming for the BSL GCSE to have exam board syllabuses approved from the start of the academic term in September 2025.
A GCSE in sign language is to be offered as an option at all secondary schools in England / Credit: gov.uk
In line with all other qualifications, the BSL GCSE will be open to all pupils, the Government has confirmed.
It will also be recognised and accepted in all school and college performance tables.
Set to be an internationally recognised qualification, the Government says that pupils who study the new BSL GCSE will get to develop ways of expressing and negotiating meaning through visual spatial language, as well effective communication and visual memory skills that will be an advantage to them for the rest of their lives.
As well as learning how to sign, the GCSE will also give students an understanding of the history of sign language in the UK to provide them with "a solid foundation" for understanding how the language reached its current form.
The new qualification will be available from the start of the academic term in September 2025 / Credit: gov.uk
"Studying British Sign Language can open so many doors for young people," commented Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, as the new qualification was announced this week.
"It will give pupils an understanding of how thousands of people communicate and ultimately even expanding job prospects."
Ms Keegan said the new qualification will "not only break down barriers and give young people valuable new skills", but also "celebrate the history and rich culture of British Sign Language."
A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.
Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.
His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.
Image: Supplied
Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.
Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.
Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...
And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Image: Supplied
The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.
You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.
The tallest building in Yorkshire has just opened in Leeds standing at 440ft tall and 45 storeys high
Clementine Hall
Leeds is now home to the tallest building in Yorkshire.
And you'll never believe what it is...it's student accommodation of course.
Created by Fusion Students, the new 633 bed student accommodation building on Merrion Way stands at 134 metres (440 feet) and 45 storeys high, making it Yorkshire’s tallest building, as well as the world’s tallest student only accommodation building.
Boasting jaw dropping, panoramic views of the city, these aren't just your average student flats.
There's a roof terrace, private dining rooms, games room, gym, you name it - they've got it.
Image: Supplied
Lindsay Hamilton, general manager of Fusion Students Leeds said: “I honestly wish I could go back to being a student just so I could live here. It’s such an incredible space, with so much to offer residents.
“You can see how excited they are when they come for a tour, but what’s been really lovely is seeing how much they actually use and benefit from the space once they move in. It’s much more than just somewhere to live, it’s a space that really supports them.”
Image: Supplied
Speaking about the new opening, Laura Kurt, Managing Director for Fusion Students said: “Whilst we’re thrilled to have the accolades of tallest PBSA building and Yorkshire’s tallest building, what we’re really proud about is the incredible building we’ve been able to create for students coming to study in Leeds.
"This is a very special building, carefully designed to provide everything students need to get the most out of their journey through higher education. From industry leading amenities such as recording and photography studios, to wrap around care and support, to make settling into a new city, making friends and leaving with the best outcomes possible, that’s really what Fusion Students Leeds is all about."
Emily Sergeant -
21st December 2023 
