The Royal Blind School
Co-educational, National Grant Aided Special School
43 Canaan Lane, Edinburgh, EH10 4SG
Founded
1835
Age Range
5 – 19 years
Special Needs
AUT, CP, DEL, EPI, MLD, PhysImp, PMLD, SLD, SPLD, SpeechLD, VIS
The Royal Blind School is Scotland's only residential school specialising in the care and education of children and young people with visual impairments, including those with complex needs.
Run by sight loss charity, Sight Scotland, the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh is regulated by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. We are a grant-aided special school supported by the Scottish Government.
Our personalised approach to learning, care and education supports children and young people to maximise their potential and reach their goals. We enable children and young people, aged five to 23, to thrive and develop skills for life. Through our personalised approach we deliver a skills-based curriculum alongside formal qualifications.
We ensure that pupils have a broad range of opportunities and experiences to enable them to become successful learners, responsible citizens, confident individuals and effective contributors to society. We follow the Scottish Government's curriculum for excellence.
We enrol pupils from P1 to S6 and places are paid for through fees from local authorities or privately. We offer 52-week residential or other flexible respite packages according to the needs of the young person and the family. These could be term-time respite supports, as well as nightly and weekly. Our residential houses are fully accessible and designed to be a home from home.
Each child follows an individualised education programme underpinned by the Curriculum for Excellence and Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC). We deliver a broad general education and offer qualifications and accreditation by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), Junior Awards Scheme Scotland, Personal Achievement Awards and ASDAN in the senior phase.
Our approach is inclusive and pupil-centred, providing many opportunities for experience and achievement. We strive to make learning fun, challenging and self-affirming.
We deliver independent living skills, building self-confidence and self-esteem by providing a greater awareness of the wider environment through mobility and orientation to ensure that all pupils become as independent as possible. A wider team of nurses, therapists and habitation all work alongside education and care staff teams to ensure a holistic approach to support for the young person.
For more information please visit our website sightscotland.org.uk/learning If you have any questions, please email royalblindschool@sightscotland.org.uk or call us on 0131 446 3120.