Association of Educational Psychologists

David Bond (1943 – 2013)

David Bond, former specialist educational psychologist and latterly Principal and Director of the Royal School for Deaf Children Margate died recently at the age of 69 in Dundee where he had retired. He is best known to educational psychologists in this country for his work with Deaf, deaf blind children and those with additional complex needs. He also wrote and lectured extensively, contributing to conferences, seminars, training courses for teachers of the Deaf, and initial and post-qualification courses for educational psychologists.

David was born in Auckland, New Zealand, he attended teacher training college and gained a Master’s degree at Auckland University. He trained as a teacher of the deaf obtaining a Commonwealth Fellowship to train in Educational Audiology at Manchester University. David worked in the education department at the University of Nottingham before returning to NZ where he joined the educational psychology team at Kelston school for the Deaf and worked in Christchurch and Auckland as a specialist Educational Psychologist.

He returned to Durham University and then moved to the Royal School for Deaf Children, Margate as specialist Educational Psychologist. In this role he became well known and well respected for the breadth and depth of his knowledge in his field. Always thoughtful, reflective and courteous in his dealings with children, families and colleagues, David was a scientist-practitioner whose approach typified that of the cautious expert. 

He regularly offered advice to parents, teachers, schools and Local Authorities on how best to support Deaf and deaf blind children to achieve as well as working with staff and children at RSDC Margate.

David was also actively involved in promoting Sense working with deaf blind children and particularly with the Children’s Special Interest Group, and the Sense International professional development course. David was one of the professionals who made the recommendation to Sense International to consider work in the orphanages of post revolution Romania in the early 1990’s. He was a key note speaker at one of the national conferences organised for teachers for special needs in Romania. He travelled widely before and after his retirement visiting the Lebanon, Mongolia, Cyprus, Malta, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Ireland, Cambodia, Malawi and Russia to promote the education of Deaf and Deaf Blind children.