Grange Academy
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Grange Academy is a school in Kilmarnock in Ayrshire in Scotland.
In 2003, part of the current Grange Academy was set fire to and part of the building had to be rebuilt.
Currently, plans are underway for a new school, to incorporate both Annanhill and Park Primary schools. The Building will be completed by 2007, and pupils from all three schools will come together to learn in a cleaner, more friendly, environment.
[edit] Grange Academy Barclays New Futures Appeal
Grange Academy has always been a school that strives for inclusion. Within the school there is a Visually Impaired Unit, and also a Hearing Impaired Unit. All of these children were often excluded from school activities and so the school's quest for inclusion for all began.
The Hearing Impaired unit took some pupils to London to bid for a £20,000 grant from Barclays New Futures Appeal. The group explained that they would use the cash to provide basic sign language for students so people will be more aware of the deaf community and will be more willing to help any deaf person they come across. This money has been used to run many Level 1 and Level 2 British Sign Language (BSL) classes. These classes were not only for the teachers and pupils of the school, but also for members of the wider community; police, firefighters, office workers, even staff from aldi!!
The project has been running since approx. 5 years now and the classes are going from strength to strength. Many of the signing students who sat the Level 1 exam have now gone on to sit the Level 2.
Many of the deaf children found the project a real benefit to them and it has allowed both the hearing and deaf children of the school to widen their circle of friends, and have a much more enjoyable time at school.
