DEAF children are falling behind at every stage of their schooling due to underinvestment in the special educational needs system, according to a new report.

The charity National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) is urging Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to introduce a bursary to train hundreds of specialist teachers to provide one-to-one support from a child’s diagnosis right through to the end of their education.

This is because just 44 per cent of deaf teenagers achieve two A-levels or equivalent, compared with 63 per cent of hearing pupils, according to the charity’s analysis of last year’s exam results.

On average, deaf children fall a grade behind their hearing classmates at GCSE level and 73 per cent will gain five GCSEs or equivalent by age 19 compared with 88 per cent of hearing children. When English and Maths are included, just 52 per cent of deaf pupils gain five GCSE passes or equivalent compared with 76 per cent of hearing pupils.

NDCS says that deaf children leave primary education and arrive at secondary school having already fallen behind.

Just 43 per cent reach the expected standard for reading, writing and maths between the ages of seven and 11 at key stage 2, compared with 74 per cent of other children.

With the right support, deaf children can achieve the same as their hearing classmates, NDCS chief executive Susan Daniels said.

“For years the deepening crisis in deaf education has been brushed off with the government pretending it didn’t exist.

“However, the government’s own data now shows in black and white how dire the situation is for deaf children.”

Labour shadow minister for children Steve Reed said: “The government must learn the lessons of this report and make Britain’s children their priority rather than tax cuts for the super-rich.”