Advice and support for professionals working with deaf children and young people with additional or complex needs.
Origins and background: Burwood Park Foundation was established following the closure of Burwood Park School in 1996. Founded in 1955 by Lady Boyd as a technical school for deaf boys, the school later expanded to include a sixth form and became co-educational, reaching a peak of 57 pupils before numbers declined. It closed with 44 pupils on roll, with students moving to local provision or transferring to Ovingdean Hall School. Afterward, the Charity Commission approved the creation of the Foundation, which, under Lord Boyd and the trustees, used remaining funds to provide small grants supporting the education of deaf pupils. The charity Burwood Park Foundation has now closed, with its work continued within Ewing Foundation.
Continuing the work through Ewing Foundation: In 2006, management of the Burwood Park Foundation transferred to Ewing Foundation, with investment income used to fund specialist support for deaf pupils with additional needs. Malcolm McAlpine became Chair, supported by Pauline Hughes and a wider board of trustees.
Joyce Sewell Rutter became the first facilitator in 2008, retiring in 2022 after 50 years in deaf education. This work is now lead by Carole Wood, Education Advisor, with ongoing valuable support from the wider Ewing team.
Our work today: We continue to provide training and support for professionals working with deaf children and young people who have additional or complex needs. This support includes conferences, webinars, networking opportunities, targeted short sessions, and bespoke training for local sensory teams. Topics covered have included vision impairment, autism, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), sensory processing, integration, and regulation.
As Education Advisors at Ewing Foundation, we help coordinate support across the sector. Where specific needs arise, we work to provide bespoke training or connect professionals with the most appropriate expertise and guidance available across the wider sector.
For information about upcoming events or how we can support you, please do get in touch at info@ewing-foundation.org.uk
Find out more about our recent conference on supporting deaf children with autism.