Children have easily picked up the language, alongside their fellow pupils who are deaf.

Staff decided National Deaf Week was an ideal time to celebrate the skills as well as raise awareness about the importance of signing and communicating with all.

Teacher Rachel Holmes, who organised the activities with colleague Donna Stainsby, said: "A lot of children here are good signers because we have deaf children in school. They start learning it as soon as they start here.

"We have a good resource provision for deaf children and I think that's why hearing children learn it as well. Everyone is well integrated and learn together.

"They all absolutely love signing. It's a very visual thing and they are using their hands."

During the week's activities, representatives of Hearing Dogs for the Deaf described their work. And key stage one classes were taught how to sing and sign nursery songs, while children in key stage two classes learnt how to sign different objects, animals, the alphabet and colours.

They were also asked to research famous deaf people.

Everything they learned was then presented in a special assembly. Mrs Holmes said it was ideal to learn signing as a child, adding: "Children are like sponges. Even when they are age four they can sign 'Incy Wincy Spider' and pick it up first time."

Some of the dances and drumming work completed by deaf pupils with specialist groups Music and the Deaf and South Asian Arts UK was also presented at the assembly.

Danny Lane, MATD education projects manager, who is profoundly deaf, got children to play a game where he was the conductor and they were the orchestra.

When Mrs Holmes started working at the school she didn't know how to sign to the deaf children in her class, so she decided to learn.

She has now had 'teacher of the deaf' status for four years and is also in charge of the resource provision.

She said: "It's a really important skill. Now British Sign Language is the fourth recognised language in the UK so it is definitely at the forefront now. We are seeing it used more on television now too, including on children's channels.

"When we take the children on school trips and people see them signing they are just mesmerised."

Mrs Holmes wants to spread the 'deaf awareness' message to other schools in the area.

She urged any schools interested to contact her on 01924 326728.