Over 30 years ago, a Support Unit for students with a hearing impairment was established at Strathfield South High School. The Support Unit – Hearing was created because parents wanted an Oral/Aural setting for their children to attend when they graduated from primary Oral/Aural Support classes - hearing.

In addition, those students who entered mainstream schools but who found it difficult to achieve without regular support were able to transfer to the Support Unit Hearing and still follow a mainstream curriculum.

The Support Unit Hearing, provides for the special education needs of a student with a hearing impairment, which cannot be met completely in the regular classroom and also promotes self confidence and skills in the students to become contributing members of society in the future. Students have some classes in small group settings with a specialist Teacher of the Deaf and may be integrated into regular classes with note taker support wherever practical and productive in some KLA areas. The school supports a policy of normalisation.

Students travel from a wide area to access our services. The level of hearing disability ranges from a diagnosed moderate to a profound bilateral sensori-neural loss. All students wear hearing aids and several have had cochlear implants.

Students receive tutorial lessons in some subjects: Science in Year 7 and 8 plus some subjects in Year 12. These may be held before/after school or lunchtime, depending on timetable flexibility. The integration program is extensive and encouraged but it must be stressed however, that not every child will reach their full potential in the integrated setting and will benefit from having their individual needs catered for within the smaller classes held in the Support Unit H.

Students sitting for the School and Higher School Certificate are eligible to apply for special examination provisions from the Board of Studies. These provisions may include extra time, support of an oral interpreter, use of a dictionary/thesaurus and separate supervision. Arrangements are made by the Support teachers for the students to practice these provisions during the half-yearly and annual examination periods beginning from Year 7.