The Deaf Academy

Founded in 1826, the Deaf Academy provides a school and Further Education college for Deaf young people aged 5-25, and currently has 50 students. Young people living at Rolle House may attend education at the Deaf Academy, and the Academy and Children’s Home work together closely to ensure the wellbeing of young people.

The Academy is located in Devon, but its unique provision and specialist expertise mean that students come from across the UK to attend, with many using the residential care facilities.

In September 2020 the Academy opened the doors of its new home in the vibrant seaside town of Exmouth, just a short drive or train journey from Exeter and 20 minutes from junction 30 of the M5.

Designed around the principles of inspiration, visual communication and inclusivity, this truly 21st Century Deaf school and college campus places the Academy at the cutting edge of Deaf education in Europe.

Inspired by US-developed DeafSpace architecture, light and colour permeate the Academy building, clear sightlines and wide corridors enable signers to communicate and acoustics are carefully managed. Meanwhile, large classrooms and modern therapeutic facilities are designed to complement each other and provide state of the art education for Deaf young people whatever their additional needs might be.

The new residential accommodation is modern, well equipped and, above all, provides a true home from home for our young people. The inspiring buildings underpin our objectives to build confidence in our students, show them their value in the world and help them believe they can achieve anything they want to.