In January, kids across the country will be getting ready to go back to school, but hundreds of children and young people that I work with at the Royal School for deaf children in Margate face having nowhere to go next term.

Ours is the only school in the country for deaf children with complex needs. For 220 years this institution has been a lifeline for young people who face difficulties everyday and has enabled them to thrive.

Now the school is being forced to close down because the charitable foundation that funds us is faced with financial and legal difficulties. Hundreds of children and young people have lost their school and I am one of 340 staff members that have just found out we will loose our jobs- just days before christmas.

I have started this petition to ask the Department for Education to intervene and save our school.

I have seen first hand the wonderful work the school is doing with young people to provide them with a better future. Parent’s have moved across the country to bring their children here, and others travel for hours everyday to make sure that their child can go somewhere that understands their needs.

And we aren’t just a school, we are a community. Our lives are being turned upside down and the community we built is being torn apart. We urgently need something to change.

Public pressure has already helped us to get a meeting in Parliament. The government are starting to take notice, if people keep signing, if we keep making noise, we can save our school.

Please sign this petition and ask the Department of Education to ensure funding and support to keep this wonderful environment open to young people.

Testimonials:

"Sasha my 11 year old daughter. She is profoundly deaf and has complex needs. When sasha started at the school 18 months ago she had regressed so much that professionals said that developmental progress would be limited. Sasha has now grown into a lovely young lady and is thriving. We moved our family across the country so that Sasha could attend this school. If the school shuts she will not have a school that will meet her needs. We fear for her future". Kimberley Carrara

"This is Alex. RSDCM changed our lives... and Alex's... for the better. In the space of 2 and a half years our son has gone from having daily meltdowns/violent rages to a (usually) polite and happy young man we are so proud of... who now makes progress.... And enjoys life. The staff of the John Townsend Trust did this. Their hard work and commitment will never be fully recognised and as appreciated as it deserves to be but if RSDCM/JTT closes, the considerable talents and skills of these people will be lost forever to other organisations. And all our children will have lost the main, stabilising and nurturing influence in their lives. We can't let this happen.... We need to fight it. There is nowhere else locally that will suit the specific needs of some of our children. We need this provision to continue" Clare Thomas - parent