LJMU to be the ‘go-to’ university for specialist teacher training

Liverpool John Moores University is expanding its training of specialist teachers for pupils with sensory impairments of sight and hearing.

The university’s School of Education becomes one of only a handful in the UK to offer teaching specialisms in all three areas: visually impaired, hearing impaired and multi-sensory impaired.

The expanded portfolio comes after LJMU announced two significant partnerships, with:

• The Seashell Trust to offer a collaborative programme for the Qualified Teacher of the Multi-sensory Impaired (QTMSI) status.
• Mary Hare School to provide a programme for the Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD) status, as well as an Educational Audiology course, which will enrol students for a September 2025 start.

These partnerships round off our portfolio in the discipline, alongside longstanding partner, St Vincent’s School, for the Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (QTVI).

Unparalleled training opportunities

Dr Ceri Daniels, Director of the School of Education, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Seashell Trust and Mary Hare, who will enable us to provide specialist teachers and educational audiologists with unparalleled training opportunities, ensuring they are well-prepared to support sensory-impaired children and young people. LJMU is committed to being the go-to university for high-quality, practice-based teacher training programmes.

“By partnering with renowned organisations like Seashell Trust and Mary Hare, LJMU ensures that its programmes are grounded in real-world experience and best practices. This approach not only enhances the quality of teacher training but also directly benefits the sensory-impaired students who will be taught by these highly qualified educators.”

The programmes are validated collaborative programmes that are delivered by the partner at their premises, and by their staff. LJMU are providing the qualification framework and award.

The Mandatory Qualification programmes are only open to candidates who are qualified teachers with QTS/QTLS, but the Educational Audiology is open to a wider market of educators working with D/deaf children and young people. There are other organisations offering the Mandatory Qualification programmes, but LJMU is the only one working with close to practice providers (with the exception to the University of Hertfordshire who are Mary Hare’s current partners until the end of this academic year).

DfE Standards

The Department for Education (DfE) mandates that teachers working with pupils who have hearing impairment (HI), vision impairment (VI), or multi-sensory impairment (MSI) must hold a specific mandatory qualification in addition to their qualified teacher status. These qualifications ensure that teachers possess the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively support and educate sensory-impaired students. Providers of these qualifications must be approved by the Secretary of State and adhere to rigorous standards to maintain high-quality education and training.

For more information about these programmes and how to apply, please visit the Seashell Trust and Mary Hare School websites, and visit LJMU School of Education website to find out more about our professional learning and enterprise, spearheaded by Head of Professional Learning and Enterprise, Dr Fran Tracy, and supported by Dr Matt McLain.

Ends

Notes:

About the Seashell Trust Partnership

Seashell Trust, a national charity offers specialist education, care, therapy, and leisure services. Their holistic approach is tailored to meet the individual needs of each student, promoting independence and enhancing quality of life.  The new QTMSI programme developed in collaboration with Seashell Trust will leverage their extensive expertise and facilities to provide hands-on, practical training for teachers. This partnership aims to produce highly skilled educators capable of making a significant impact in the lives of multi-sensory impaired students.

About the Mary Hare Partnership

Mary Hare School, located in Newbury, Berkshire, and the largest school for deaf children and young people in the UK, is dedicated to providing a specialist teaching and learning environment that fosters language development, confidence, and academic achievement. It has more than three decades experience as a provider of the postgraduate diplomas for Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD) and Educational Audiology.  The QToD programme, developed in partnership with Mary Hare School, will focus on equipping teachers with the skills needed to support deaf students effectively. The Educational Audiology programme bridges clinical, school and home hearing technology needs. This collaboration will ensure that teachers receive practical, close-to-practice training, preparing them to meet the unique challenges faced by deaf students.