The Learn to Sign Week 2007 campaign, held last October, was the most successful yet, with over 33,000 school and nursery children taking part.

Schools and nurseries across the country raised in excess of £13,000 for the BDA and in return were given access to an interactive learning exercise relayed on the Sign Community website. Every day a simple phrase was relayed via the website, giving children the skills to hold a basic conversation with their classmates by the end of the week-long campaign. All children that took part were awarded achievement certificates.

One school in particular, Milby Primary School in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, raised a staggering £1,000 and scooped a brand new laptop courtesy of PC World for their efforts.

Head teacher Paul Milner said: "During Learn to Sign Week we held a sponsored silence in each of the classes throughout the school. We also held a sharing assembly where the children sang Old MacDonald Had a Farm with sign language. We wanted to capture the feeling of what it would be like to communicate via our hands and facial expression. All of the children enjoyed the experience and we are absolutely delighted to have won the laptop, which will go to great use in the school."

Upton St Leonard's School in Gloucester raised a respectable £888.80 and received some Key Stage 1 educational software for their school.

Katherine Long from the school commented: "The Learn to Sign Week was such a huge success- it really got the children interested and excited to learn more. I have a child who is deaf in my class this year and her communications tutor managed to visit other classes to teach them more signs as they were so keen to learn! She also talked to them about what it is like to be deaf and how to communicate effectively with someone who is deaf.

"During our sessions throughout the week the deaf child was able to take on a supportive role, showing other children how to do the signs. This gave her confidence such a boost and it was absolutely wonderful to see her being the expert, spontaneously teaching other children a new way to communicate. I felt she could see, and feel, that we value her way of communicating and that we want to learn from her and with her.

"As a school we are looking into ways of developing the huge interest the week raised - possibly by running a club. Many thanks for the week - it was quite honestly the most excited I have seen the children in relation to their learning and this was throughout the whole school- from reception to Year 6."

Youngsters at Ruskins Sports and Language College in Crewe, Cheshire, were given educational software (age 11-18) for raising £582.36.

Linda Croxton, Director of Languages, said: "As a newly designated school with Language specialism we are keen to promote the importance of all forms of language and communication. Learn to Sign Week provided the ideal opportunity to do just that. In fact during our Opening Day as Ruskin Sports and Languages College a lesson in signing was one the many language activities on offer. During Learn to Sign Week all Year 7 pupils took part in signing lessons during their normal language lessons that week. The whole school were made aware of this through the head teacher's assemblies and were asked to show their support by donating the proceeds of the next non uniform day to the BDA."

Also rewarded in their fundraising efforts was Intake Farm Primary School and Nursery, in Mansfield, Notts. They managed to raise £174.30 throughout the week for the BDA and received educational software for ages 3-5.

This year's Learn to Sign Week will take place 6th - 12th October 2008. Fill out the Booking Form now to register your interest.