Learning

Special schools and colleges for children with sight loss

Summary: A list of special schools which cater for blind and partially sighted learners.

• Introduction
• Schools especially for blind and partially sighted pupils
• Special schools with facilities for blind and partially sighted pupils
• Further information

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Introduction

This page lists details of schools and colleges which:

• are specifically for blind and partially sighted children
• have facilities for blind and partially sighted pupils and students.

Many blind and partially sighted children are educated in mainstream schools, or in special schools that do not specialise in sight loss. We strongly advise contacting your Local Education Authority's Visual Impairment Teaching Service for information and advice about local provision.

We are always glad to be informed of any alterations or additions to this information. If you have any queries please contact the Information Service via email at children@rnib.org.uk or the RNIB Helpline on 0845 766 9999 / 020 7388 2525 (some callers may find it cheaper to call a landline, so we have detailed both 08 prefixed numbers and landline equivalents where available).

Schools especially for blind and partially sighted pupils

Please also see the list of RNIB Schools and Colleges.

London and South East

RNIB Sunshine House School
33 Dene Road
Northwood
Middlesex
HA6 2DD
Telephone: 01923 82 25 38
Fax: 01923 82 62 27
Email: SHSadmin@rnib.org.uk
Acting Headteacher: Monica Quinn

RNIB school – day placements and up to weekly, weekday, term-time boarding one, two, three or four nights per week; pupils aged two to 11 years with multiple disabilities and visual impairment (MDVI). Family Services available for families of children aged 0-11 years with a visual impairment who do not attend the school.

Joseph Clarke School
Vincent Road
Highams Park
Chingford
E4 9PP
Telephone: 020 8523 4833
Fax: 020 8523 5003
Email: head.teacher@josephclarke.fsnet.co.uk
Headteacher: Mr. P. Falconbridge

Waltham Forest LEA; day; some pupils with additional learning difficulties; plus visiting teacher service; two to 19 years.

Linden Lodge School
61 Princes Way
Wimbledon Park
London
SW19 6JB
Telephone: 020 8788 0107
Fax: 020 8780 2712
Email: info@lindenlodge.wandsworth.sch.uk
Headteacher: Mr Roger Legate

Wandsworth LEA; boarding/day; some pupils with additional learning difficulties four to 16+ years.

South East

Royal London Society for the Blind, Dorton House Nursery
Brian Johnstone Centre, Dorton House
Wilderness Avenue
Seal
Nr. Sevenoaks
Kent
TN15 OAH
Telephone: 01732 59 26 81
Email: maggie.bindon@rlsb.org.uk
Nursery Manager: Maggie Bindon

The nursery provides for blind and partially sighted children aged 2-5 years, some of whom may have additional difficulties. The centre also provides drop in days for parents of blind and partially sighted children during term time on Tuesdays 10 am – 2 pm.

Royal London Society for the Blind, Dorton House School
Wilderness Avenue
Seal
Nr Sevenoaks
Kent
TN15 OAH
Telephone: 01732 59 26 50
Fax: 01732 59 26 70
Email: dortonhouseschool@rlsb.org.uk
Principal: Jude Thompson

Royal London Society for the Blind; boarding/day; some pupils and students with additional learning difficulties; four to 16 years.

South West

West of England School and College for Children with Little or No Sight
Countess Wear
Exeter
Devon
EX2 6HA
Telephone: 01392 45 42 00
Fax: 01392 42 80 48
Email: info@westengland.ac.uk
Principal and Chief Executive: Tracy de Bernhardt Dunkin

Independent, non-maintained Charitable Trust; day/weekly/termly boarding; some pupils with additional learning difficulties; Nursery 0-3 years, school 3 to 19 years and over.

Midlands

Exhall Grange School and Science College
Wheelwright Lane
Coventry
CV7 9HP
Telephone: 024 7636 4200
Fax: 024 764 5055
Email: admin@exhallgrange.warwickshire.sch.uk
Headmaster: Mr John Truman

Warwickshire LEA; day; some pupils with physical difficulties, two to 19 years.

RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home
Wheelwright Lane
Ash Green
Coventry
CV7 9RA
Telephone: 024 7636 9500
Fax: 024 7636 9501
Email: andrew.moran@rnib.org.uk
Head Teacher: Andrew Moran
Registered Manager: Children's Home: Brenda Smith

RNIB; day/boarding; children with a visual impairment and additional difficulties; four to 19 years. 52-week care and assessment service is also available. Link with Exhall Grange School for some lessons and activities.

Priestley Smith School
Perry Common Road
Beeches Road
Great Barr
Birmingham B42 2PY
Telephone: 0121 373 5493
Fax: 0121 382 5471
Email: enquiry@priestly.bham.sch.uk
Headteacher: Mr Chris Lewis

City of Birmingham LEA; day; some pupils with additional learning difficulties; two to 17 years.

New College Worcester
Whittington Road
Worcester
WR5 2JX
Telephone: 01905 76 39 33
Fax: 01905 76 32 77
Email: kcampbell@newcollegeworcester.co.uk
Principal: Mardy Smith

Independent school; day/boarding; school for pupils following a broad academic curriculum leading to Higher and Further Education; 11 to 19 years.

North West

St Vincent's School for the Blind and Partially Sighted
Yew Tree Lane
West Derby
Liverpool
L12 9HN
Telephone: 0151 228 9968
Fax: 0151 230 5070
Email: office@stvin.com
Headteacher: Mr Stephen Roberts

Independent; day/weekly boarding; some pupils with additional learning difficulties; four to 17 years.

Royal School for the Blind
Church Road North
Wavertree
Liverpool
L15 6TQ
Telephone: 0151 733 1012
Fax: 0151 733 1703
Email: info@rsblind.org.uk
Headteacher: Mr J Byrne

Non-maintained; day/weekly boarding; deaf-blind unit; blind and partially sighted pupils with additional learning difficulties, including multi-sensory impairment; two to 19 years.

Scotland

The Royal Blind School
Craigmillar Park
Edinburgh
EH16 5NA
Telephone: 0131 667 1100
Fax: 0131 662 9700
Email: office@royalblindschool.org.uk

Principal: Ms Elizabeth Horne

The Royal Blind School - Canaan Lane Campus
43-45 Canaan Lane,
Edinburgh
EH10 4SG
Telephone: 0131 446 3120
Fax: 0131 447 9266
Email: enquiries.canaan@royalblind.org
Vice Principal: Mr Iain Prain

Day/boarding; some pupils with additional disabilities public examinations and professional training; three to 19 years.

Northern Ireland

Jordanstown Schools
85 Jordanstown Road
Newtownabbey
Co Antrim
BT37 OQE
Telephone: 028 9086 3541
Fax: 028 9086 4356
Email: information@jordanstownschools.co.uk
Head Teacher: Mrs A. Magee

Voluntary maintained; boarding/day; also caters for pupils with hearing impairment; three to 19+ years.

Further/Higher Education

More details are given about the colleges because each offers a different mix of courses.

Condover College Ltd
Condover House
Condover
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY5 7AA
Tel: 01743 872250
Email: condover@btconnect.com
Chief Executive: Stephen McGill
Head of Education: Pauline Carmichael (until January 2008). Mike Blakemore (Acting) (from January 2008)
Head of Care & Support: Vikki Pryce

Condover College provides education, support and residential care for individuals who are visually impaired with profound and additional complex needs. Education is provided for learners between the ages of 18 and 25 years. Specialist residential accommodation with a strong leisure opportunities programme can be provided post-education for individuals up to the age of 65 years.

Dorton College of Further Education
Seal Drive
Seal
Nr Sevenoaks
Kent
TN15 OAH
Telephone: 01732 59 26 00
Fax: 01732 59 26 01
Email: dcfe@rlsb.org.uk
Principal: Graham Williams

Royal London Society for the Blind; boarding/day; some pupils with additional learning difficulties; 16+ years. Vocational, academic, basic skills and communication courses available. Links with three mainstream colleges so wide range of courses available. A-level, GNVQ, NVQs and entry-level courses. Distance learning available.

Henshaws College
Bogs Lane
Starbeck
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
HG1 4ED
Telephone: 01423 88 64 51
Fax: 01423 88 50 95
Email: admissions@hsbp.co.uk
Principal: Caroline Smale

Non-maintained; day/residential; some students have additional needs such as physical disability, learning difficulties, hearing impairment. Courses geared to adult living/independence, pre-vocational and vocational (woodwork, pottery, sport and recreation, horticulture). All courses carry external accreditation. Other courses available in conjunction with local FE colleges. 16 to 25 years.

Queen Alexandra College
49 Court Oak Road
Harborne
Birmingham
B17 9TG
Telephone: 0121 428 5050
Fax: 0121 428 5048
Email: enquiries@qac.ac.uk
Principal: Alex Mellon

Day/residential; some students with additional learning difficulties, hearing impairment, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders; vocational courses in engineering, cycle mechanics, telephone/reception, information processing, light assembly, links with other Further Education colleges for other courses, rehabilitation, counselling; national certification; 16 to 63 years.

RNIB College Loughborough
Radmoor Road
Loughborough
Leicestershire
LE11 3BS
Telephone: 01509 61 10 77
Fax: 01509 23 20 13
Email: enquiries@rnibvocoll.ac.uk
Principal: Tony Warren

RNIB day/residential college offering a supportive environment for people with disabilities aged 16 to 63 years. Academic, independent living or work-focused programmes available. Partnership with mainstream college offers choice of courses in specialist setting or supported access to mainstream options.

Royal National College for the Blind
College Road
Hereford
HR1 1EB
Telephone: 01432 26 57 25
Fax: 01432 37 66 28
Email: info@rncb.ac.uk
Principal: Christine Steadman

Residential; further education and training, 16+ years; range of full time programmes and short courses designed to prepare people for progression to Further Education, Higher education and employment.

Special schools with facilities for blind and partially sighted pupils

London and South East

Whitefield Schools & Centre
MacDonald Road
Walthamstow
London
E17 4AZ
Telephone: 020 8531 3426
Fax: 020 8527 3613
Email: sen@whitefield.org.uk
Headteacher: Mr N Chapman

Foundation special school; day; pupils with learning difficulties and both vision and other difficulties; two to 19 years.

South East

West Berkshire Sensory Resource
Brookfields School
Sage Road
Tilehurst
Reading
RG31 6SW
Tel: 01189 41 08 13 (resource base)

01189 42 13 82 (school office)

Email: mail@sensoryresource.org.uk

The West Berkshire Sensory Resource was established in 2002 in partnership with the RNIB. It is based at Brookfields special school, which caters for pupils aged two and a half years to nineteen years, who have complex needs. There are 181 pupils on roll in the school.

The Sensory Resource currently takes 20 pupils. The criteria for placement in the Sensory Resource is that pupils must have severe, profound or degenerative visual / hearing loss in conjunction with significant additional needs. All pupils are class-based. They are supported individually both in the Resource base and within class.

Royal School for Deaf Children
Victoria Road
Margate
Kent
CT9 1NB
Telephone: 01843 22 75 61
Fax: 01843 22 76 37
Email: enquiries@royalschoolfordeaf.kent.sch.uk
Head of School: Wendy Eadsforth

Boarding/day; children with severe / profound hearing loss and additional needs; four to 16 years with provision for older pupils at Westgate College.

South West

Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education
50 Topsham Road
Exeter
EX2 4NF
Telephone: 01392 27 26 92
Fax: 01392 43 11 46
Email: info@rsd-exeter.ac.uk
Head of School: Lee Fullward

Day/weekly boarding; deaf-blind pupils and some with additional learning difficulties; five to 16 years and over.

The Florence Brown Community School
Leinster Avenue
Knowle
Bristol
BS4 1NN
Telephone: 0117 966 8152
Fax: 0117 966 6537
Headteacher: Mr Peter Evans

Day; some pupils with physical difficulties and complex needs; moderate learning difficulties; emotional and behavioural difficulties; five to 16 years.

North East

Northern Counties School
Tankerville Terrace
Jesmond
NE2 3BB
Telephone: 0191 281 5821
Fax: 0191 281 5060
Email: info@northerncounties.newcastle.sch.uk
Headteacher: Judith James

Day/boarding; children with complex needs, hearing and visual impairment, physical disabilities, autism and communication difficulties. Six to 19 years.

Thorn Park School and Service for Deaf Children
Thorn Lane
Bingley Road
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD9 6RY
Telephone: 01274 77 37 70
Fax: 01274 77 03 87
Email: christine.roche@bradford.sch.uk
Acting Head of school and service: Christine Roche

Deaf-blind pupils, some with additional learning difficulties; two to 19 years.

North West

The Royal School for the Deaf and Communication Disorders
Stanley Road
Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle
Cheshire
SK8 6RQ
Telephone: 0161 610 0100
Fax: 0161 610 0101
Email: info@rsdmanchester.org
Principal: Mrs H Ward

Day/boarding; deaf-blind unit, all pupils have additional severe and complex learning difficulties; five to 21 years.

Scotland

Camphill (Rudolf Steiner) School
Murtle Estate
Bieldside
Aberdeen
AB15 9EP
Telephone: 01224 86 79 35
Fax: 01224 86 84 20
Email: office@crss.org.uk
Administrator: Mr V D’Agostino

Mainly boarding, some day/weekly boarders; some pupils with additional learning difficulties; three to 19 years.

Hazelwood School

50 Dumbreck Court
Glasgow
G41 5NG
Tel: 0141 427 9334
Fax: 0141 427 2859
Email: headteacher@hazelwood.glasgow.sch.uk
Head Teacher: Ms Monica McGeever

Hazelwood School opened in August 2007. It replaces both Kelvin and Carnbooth schools. Hazelwood caters for pupils with severe learning difficulties who may have both hearing and visual loss as well as physical disability. The pupils are aged from 2 – 18 years.

Wales

Heronsbridge School
Ewenny Road
Bridgend
Mid-Glamorgan
South Wales
CF31 3HT
Telephone: 01656 65 39 74
Fax: 01656 76 62 70
Email: headteacher.heronsbridge@bridgend.gov.uk
Headteacher: Mr C D Major

Bridgend County LEA; day/boarding available for autistic pupils; VI; SLD and PMLD; some autistic pupils, three to 19 years.

Further/Higher Education

The Manor House
Sense East
72 Church Street
Market Deeping
Peterborough
Cambridgeshire
PE6 8AL
Telephone: 01778 34 49 21
Fax: 01778 38 00 78
Email: enquiries@senseeast.org.uk
Acting Regional Director: Mrs Kate Lockett

Sense; day, residential and respite; deaf-blind and students with additional learning difficulties, 18+ years.

Further information

If you would like information about other RNIB Services or copies of RNIB's factsheets and leaflets, please email children@rnib.org.uk or telephone your nearest Regional Centre.

Alternatively, the RNIB Helpline (telephone 0845 766 9999 / 020 7388 2525 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk) can offer general information, advice and leaflets.

RNIB Schools and Colleges
Education home

Content author: children@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 20/11/2008 11:13