A NEW sign language club for children is flourishing at a York primary school.

Pupils as young as five have joined the lunch-time club at Hempland Primary, which looks set to grow in strength and numbers in the new year.

Kate Hardy who has been running the groups with support from colleagues, including Janine Taylor, said the club had really taken off.

"It is very popular," she said. "We do it at lunch times, and they have just loved it.

"We are carrying on and are going to turn it into a singing and signing choir in the new year. It will be for Year 1 and 2 to start with, and hopefully expand into key stage two."

Ultimately, said Mrs Hardy, she would like to create a choir for the whole school, which could get involved in events, such as choral festivals.

Hempland Primary in Heworth is home to the Caddell Centre, which opened a year ago and specialises in teaching primary-school aged deaf children.

Deaf children are being taught by a specialist team in mainstream classes where appropriate within the school, and have access to support from teachers of the deaf and specialist teaching assistants.

Staff, pupils and parents are being encouraged to learn British sign language and develop their awareness of communicating with deaf children.

Commissioned by City of York Council, it is run by the York Specialist Teaching Team in collaboration with Hempland.

Mrs Hardy added: "My aim is for some children to stand at the front of assemblies when there's music on as the children file in, and for them to sign it so the deaf children coming in know music is being played and they know what it is."

Seventy club members, from years one and two, performed a Christmas carol concert in sign language to show the rest of the school what they had learnt, with a second rendition for parents, in the final week of last term. Among the favourites were Silent Night, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and We Wish You A Merry Christmas.

Hempland Primary's Joanne Kemp praised Mrs Hardy's efforts and commitment, saying: "Unbelievably, our young performers have had about five weeks' practice. In a very short space of time they have impressed us with just how many signs they have learnt - Mrs Hardy has worked wonders. To take a group of this size and this age and to get so many signs together is amazing."