Brighton school appoints new head

A Brighton school has appointed a former teacher as its new head.

David Couch has been the interim principal of Hamilton Lodge School and College for Deaf Students since the start of the autumn term.

He has now been confirmed as the permanent replacement for Graham Sheppard, who retired at the end of the summer term. Both men worked as teachers at the school earlier in their careers.

Mr Couch is a former commissioner of services at East Sussex County Council where he was head of sensory needs for 11 years. He is a qualified teacher of the deaf.

He is also a qualified audiologist and volunteers for the international charity Sound Seekers. He spent the summer working in Gambia to assess and support deaf children.

Hamilton Lodge said: “David brings with him a passion for high quality education for children with sensory impairments.

David Couch

“He is expert on the new SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) reforms and is a valued expert speaker on the new education, health and care plans which replace the former ‘statementing’ process.”

Mr Couch said: “I am leading this school at a time of change for children with disabilities.

“I am determined that we communicate what we do effectively to commissioners at local authority level and that we are not an ‘extra’ but an integral part of their children’s services for deaf children.

“We need to work at the earliest opportunity with schools, parents and commissioners to ensure that no child gets left behind and hits the buffers.

“The major changes in the system for parents and children mean that they get a say in the planning and delivery of services that affect them.

“They are able to collaborate with commissioners rather than having an adversarial relationship.

“I believe that this is an opportunity for a more positive relationship between parents and their local authorities.

“This is an important point in history for our school which is nearly 70 years old.

“Under my leadership, I am determined that staff will feel supported to use their experience and training to ensure our students reach their potential.”

The chair of governors Charlotte Holtram said: “I am delighted to tell you that the trustees have appointed David Couch as principal.

“David has been interim principal since the beginning of term and we are pleased that he is now going to take on this role permanently.

“The school will benefit from his wide-ranging qualifications and strategic understanding of specialist education.”

Mr Sheppard retired having been the principal since 2007 and deputy principal from 1993. He also taught at Hamilton Lodge from 1981-88.

The school said: “We will cherish many happy memories of his time here and we wish him all the very best for the future.”

Hamilton Lodge, in Walpole Road, Brighton, is a non-maintained special school for the deaf, catering for boarders and day students.

The pupils are aged from 4 to 19 years old and come from more than 20 local authority areas around the country.