Talented John Thompson, 27, was born 11 weeks prematurely with a severe hearing impairment, leaving him legally deaf in both ears. John’s hearing impairment left him struggling at school and he was even banned from studying music at GCSE – but is now on top of the world after becoming a school teacher. The popular music teacher at St Bonaventure’s School, in Newham, East London, is able to teach classes music thanks to heavy-duty hearing aids and his ability to read lips.