RNIB supporting blind and partially sighted people
Effective practice guide
Special schools and colleges in the UK
About this guide
This guide gives details of schools and colleges which are
specifically for blind and partially sighted children and students, or
have facilities for blind and partially sighted children 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 the Local Authority's
Visual Impairment Teaching Service for information and advice
about local provision.
This guide is part of our Complex Needs series. At the end you
will find the full series listed, and details of where to find them.
Contents
1. Schools and colleges specifically for blind and partially sighted
pupils
2. Schools and colleges with facilities for blind and partially sighted
pupils
3. RNIB Schools and colleges
4. Further guides
1. Schools and colleges specifically for blind
and partially sighted pupils
London and South East
Joseph Clarke School
Vincent Road, Highams Park, Chingford, E4 9PP
Telephone: 020 8523 4833
Fax: 020 8523 5003
Email: school@josephclarke.waltham.sch.uk
Registered charity number 226227
Waltham Forest LA; day; some pupils with additional learning
difficulties; plus visiting teacher service; 2 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
Website: www.lindenlodge.wandsworth.sch.uk
Wandsworth LEA; residential / day; some pupils with additional
learning difficulties including profound and multiple learning
difficulties. 3-19 years.
RNIB Sunshine House School and Children's home
33 Dene Road, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2DD
Telephone: 01923 82 25 38
Fax: 01923 82 62 27
Email: SHSadmin@rnib.org.uk
RNIB school - day placements and up to weekly, weekday, termtime 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 011 years with a visual impairment who do not attend the school.
South East
Royal London Society for Blind People
Dorton House, Wildernesse Avenue, Seal, Nr. Sevenoaks
Kent, TN15 0EB
Tel: 01732 592500
Fax: 01732 592506
Email: enquiries@rlsb.org.uk
Website: www.rlsb.org.uk
The Brian Johnstone 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. The school/student campus have
boarding/day, some pupils and students with additional learning
difficulties; 5 - 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
Independent, non-maintained Charitable Trust; day/weekly/termly
boarding; some pupils with additional learning difficulties; school 3
to 19 years and over.
Midlands
New College Worcester
Whittington Road, Worcester, WR5 2JX
Telephone: 01905 76 39 33
Fax: 01905 76 32 77
Email: kcampbell@newcollegeworcester.co.uk
Website: www.newcollegeworcester.co.uk
Non maintained day/residential; national school and college for
students following the national curriculum, GCSE's, BTEC's, A2/ALevels and vocational courses; aged 11-19.
Priestley Smith Specialist School
Perry Beeches Campus, Beeches Road, Great Barr, Birmingham,
B42 2PY
Telephone: 0121 325 3900
Fax: 0121 325 3902
Email: enquiry@priestley.bham.sch.uk
City of Birmingham LA; day; some pupils with additional learning
difficulties; two to 19 years.
RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning (Formerly RNIB
Rushton School and Children's Home).
Wheelwright Lane, Ash Green, Coventry, CV7 9RA
Telephone: 024 7636 9500
Fax: 024 7636 9501
Email: pearscentre@rnib.org.uk
RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning (formerly RNIB Rushton
School and Children's Home) offers individually-tailored education,
care, healthcare and therapies to young people with complex
needs who are blind or partially sighted, up to the age of 19.
RNIB; day/boarding; children with a visual impairment and
additional difficulties; 4 to 19 years; 52-week care and assessment
service is also available; Link with Exhall Grange School for some
lessons and activities.
North West
St Vincent's School
A Specialist School for Sensory Impairment and Other Needs
Yew Tree Lane, West Derby, Liverpool L12 9HN
Telephone: 0151 228 9968
Fax: 0151 230 5070
Email: office@stvin.com
Website: www.stvin.org.uk
Non Maintained school; day / weekly residential; some pupils with
additional learning difficulties; 4 - 19 years.
Royal School for the Blind
Church Road North, Wavertree, Liverpool, L15 6TQ
Telephone: 0151 733 1012
Fax: 0151 733 1703
Email: info@rsblind.co.uk
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
The Royal Blind School provides specialist education, residential
care, therapies and health support for young people aged up to 18
years. Based in Edinburgh, the school is a National Centre of
Excellence in the education and care of young people who are
blind or visually impaired (VI), including those who have complex,
multiple disabilities and visual impairment (MDVI). The school
offers both day placement and residential services and currently
there is availability for pupil placements
Canaan Lane Campus
43-45 Canaan Lane, Edinburgh, EH10 4SG
Telephone: 0131 446 3120
Fax: 0131 447 9266
Email: canaan@royalblindschool.org.uk
The Canaan Lane Campus of the Royal Blind School is a purpose
built educational and residential facility for children and young
people with Multiple Disabilities in addition to their Visual
Impairments - MDVI.
Craigmillar Park Campus
2b Craigmillar Park, Edinburgh, EH16 5NA
Tel: 0131 667 1100
Fax: 0131 662 9700
office@royalblindschool.org.uk
At Craigmillar Park Campus we provide primary and secondary
education including residential accommodation for students with a
visual impairment.
Camphill (Rudolf Steiner) School
Murtle Estate, Bieldside, Aberdeen AB15 9EP
Telephone: 01224 867935
Fax: 01224 868 420
Email: office@crss.org.uk
Website: www.camphillschools.org.uk
Independent voluntary school; mainly residential, some day
/weekly boarders; some pupils with additional learning difficulties; 3
- 19 years.
Northern Ireland
Jordanstown Schools
85 Jordanstown Road, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT37 OQE
Telephone: 028 9086 3541
Fax: 028 9086 4356
Email: Info@jordanstownschools.co.uk
Voluntary maintained; boarding/day; also caters for pupils with
hearing impairment; 3 to 19+ years.
Further/Higher Education
Condover College Ltd
Longbow House, Harlefcott lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1
3GZ
Telephone: 01743 872250
Email: condover@btconnect.com
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
Royal London Society for the Blind
Dorton house, Wildernesse Avenue, Seal, Nr. Sevenoaks, Kent,
TN15 0EB
Telephone: 01732 59 26 00
Fax: 01732 59 25 06
Email: enquiries@rlsb.org.uk
Royal London Society for the Blind; boarding/day; some students
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/AS-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@heshaws.org.uk
Non-maintained; day/residential; all students have additional needs
such as physical disability, learning difficulties, hearing impairment,
medical conditions (e.g. epilepsy, cerebral palsy). Courses geared
to adult living/independence, pre-vocational and vocational (Art
and craft, retail and admin, horticulture, media, and hospitality),
skills for life (i.e. literacy, numeracy, communication, ICT). Full
range of therapies available on site. 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
Website: http://www.qac.ac.uk
Day/residential; some students with additional learning difficulties,
hearing impairment, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum
disorders; courses include skills for life, BTEC qualifications in a
variety of subjects including Hospitality, Health and Social Care, IT
and more. Learners at QAC are people aged 16 Plus with
disabilities.
Royal National College for the Blind
College Road, Hereford HR1 1EB
Telephone: 01432 376 621
Fax: 01432 376628
Email: info@rncb.ac.uk
Website: www.rncb.ac.uk
Residential college of further education for people who are Blind or
Partially Sighted, 16 years plus. RNCB provides a full range of
academic and vocational qualifications combined with specialist
training designed to prepare people for progression to Further
Education, Higher Education and employment.
RNIB College Loughborough
Radmoor Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3BS
Telephone: 01509 61 10 77
Fax: 01509 23 20 13
Email: enquiries@rnibcollege.ac.uk
Website: http://www.rnibcollege.ac.uk/
RNIB College Loughborough supports people with disabilities aged
16 plus on a day or residential basis to learn the skills to access
education, work and housing. They share a campus with the
mainstream Loughborough College which means the range of
courses they can offer goes from Foundation Learning to A-Levels
or equivalent.
2. Schools and colleges with facilities for blind
and partially sighted pupils
London and South East
Royal School for Deaf Children
Victoria Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 1NB
Telephone: 01843 227561
Fax: 01843 227637
Email: enquiries@royalschoolfordeaf.kent.sch.uk
Website: www.royalschoolfordeaf.kent.sch.uk
Residential / day; children with severe / profound hearing loss and
additional needs; 4 - 16 years with provision for older pupils at
Westgate College.
Whitefield Schools & Centre
MacDonald Road, Walthamstow, London E17 4AZ
Telephone: 020 8531 3426
Fax: 020 8527 3613
Email: sen@whitefield.org.uk
Website: www.whitefield.org.uk
Foundation special school; day; Pupils with autism, speech and
language difficulties, learning difficulties, multisensory impairment
and PMLD; 3 - 19 years.
South East
West Berkshire Sensory Resource, Brookfields School
Sage Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 6SW
Telephone: 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. 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 (or deaf/blind) in conjunction
with significant additional needs. All pupils are class-based. They
are supported individually both in the Resource base and within
class.
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@exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk
Day/weekly boarding; deaf-blind pupils and some with additional
learning difficulties; 5 to 16 years and over.
The Knowle-dge
Leinster Avenue
Knowle
Bristol
BS4 1NN
Telephone: 0117 353 2011
Email: knowle-dge@bristol.gov.uk
Day; some pupils with physical difficulties and complex needs;
moderate learning difficulties; emotional and behavioural
difficulties; 10 to 18 years.
Midlands
Exhall Grange Specialist School and Science College
Easter Way, Coventry, CV7 9HP
Telephone: 024 7636 4200
Fax: 024 7664 5055
Email: admin7000@we-learn.com
Warwickshire LEA; day; some pupils with physical difficulties, two
to 19 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
Day/boarding; children with complex needs, hearing and visual
impairment, physical disabilities, autism and communication
difficulties. 6 to 19 years.
North West
The Seas Shell Trust
Stanley Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6RQ
Telephone: 0161 610 0100
Fax: 0161 610 0101
Email: info@seashelltrust.org.uk
Day/boarding; deaf-blind unit, all pupils have additional severe and
complex learning difficulties; 5 to 21 years.
Hazelwood School
50 Dumbreck Court, Glasgow, G41 5DG
Telephone: 0141 427 9334
Fax: 0141 427 2859
Email: headteacher@hazelwood.glasgow.sch.uk
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, communication, and medical difficulties. The
pupils are aged from 2 - 18 years.
Wales
Heronsbridge School
Ewenny Road, Bridgend, South Wales, CF31 3HT
Telephone: 01656 65 39 74
Fax: 01656 76 62 70
Email: headteacher.heronsbridge@bridgend.gov.uk
Bridgend County LEA; day / residential school for pupils with
learning difficulties; some autistic pupils; 3 - 19 years.
Further / Higher Education
For further information and guidance on Further and Higher
Education, please visit: www.natspec.org.uk/directory
Natspec is a membership association for independent specialist
colleges that provide further education or training for learners with
learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
3. RNIB schools and colleges
RNIB Sunshine House School and Children's home
33 Dene Road, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2DD
Telephone: 01923 82 25 38
Fax: 01923 82 62 27
Email: SHSadmin@rnib.org.uk
RNIB school - day placements and up to weekly, weekday, termtime 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 011 years with a visual impairment who do not attend the school.
RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning (Formerly RNIB
Rushton School and Children's Home).
Wheelwright Lane, Ash Green, Coventry, CV7 9RA
Telephone: 024 7636 9500
Fax: 024 7636 9501
Email: pearscentre@rnib.org.uk
RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning (formerly RNIB Rushton
School and Children's Home) offers individually-tailored education,
care, healthcare and therapies to young people with complex
needs who are blind or partially sighted, up to the age of 19.
RNIB; day/boarding; children with a visual impairment and
additional difficulties; 4 to 19 years; 52-week care and assessment
service is also available; Link with Exhall Grange School for some
lessons and activities.
RNIB College Loughborough
Radmoor Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3BS
Telephone: 01509 61 10 77
Fax: 01509 23 20 13
Email: enquiries@rnibcolleage.ac.uk
Website: http://www.rnibcollege.ac.uk/
RNIB College Loughborough supports people with disabilities aged
16 plus on a day or residential basis to learn the skills to access
education, work and housing. They share a campus with the
mainstream Loughborough College which means the range of
courses they can offer goes from Foundation Learning to A-Levels
or equivalent.
4. Further guides
The full Complex Needs series of guides includes:
 Special Schools and Colleges in the UK
Assessment
 Functional Hearing Assessment
 Functional Vision Assessment
Communication
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

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Becoming a sensitive communication partner
Promoting communication with children with complex needs
Alternative & Augmentative Communication (AAC)
Using Touch with children with complex needs
Objects of reference
In the classroom
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
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Developing Play
Creative and Musical sessions for children with complex needs
Sensory Stories
Information Communication Technology (ICT) for children with
complex needs
 Multi-sensory Learning Environments
The staff Team
 The role of the Intervenor
 The role of the QTVI and other professionals:
1) Best of Both: Visual impairment and Physiotherapy
2) Best of Both: Visual impairment and Occupational therapy
3) Best of Both: Visual impairment and Speech and language
Therapy
4) Best of Both: Visual impairment and Specific medical needs and
medication
5) Best of Both: Visual impairment and Orthoptics (clinical and
functional vision assessment)
Understanding complex needs
 Attachment, development and children with sensory needs
 Sensory Integration
You may also be interested in the following series of guides, all of
which are relevant to children, young people and families:



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Supporting Early Years Education series
Removing barriers to learning series
Teaching National Curriculum Subjects series
Complex needs series
Further and Higher education series
We also produce a number of stand-alone factsheets, on a range
of topics, which may be of interest, please contact us to find out
what we have available.
All these guides can be found in electronic form at
www.rnib.org.uk/guidanceonteaching . For print, braille, large print
or audio, please contact the RNIB Children, Young people and
Families' (CYPF)Team at cypf@rnib.org.uk
or call on 0121 665 4235.
For further information about RNIB
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), and its associate
charity Action for Blind People, provide a range of services to
support children with visual impairment, their families and the
professionals who work with them.
RNIB Helpline can refer you to specialists for further advice and
guidance relating to your situation. RNIB Helpline can also help
you by providing information and advice on a range of topics, such
as eye health, the latest products, leisure opportunities, benefits
advice and emotional support.
Call the Helpline team on 0303 123 9999 or email
helpline@rnib.org.uk
If you would like regular information to help your work with children
who have sight problems, why not subscribe to "Insight", RNIB's
magazine for all who live or work with children and young people
with sight problems.
Information Disclaimer
Effective Practice Guides provide general information and ideas for
consideration when working with children who have a visual
impairment (and complex needs). All information provided is from
the personal perspective of the author of each guide and as such,
RNIB will not accept liability for any loss or damage or
inconvenience arising as a consequence of the use of or the
inability to use any information within this guide. Readers who use
this guide and rely on any information do so at their own risk. All
activities should be done with the full knowledge of the medical
condition of the child and with guidance from the QTVI and other
professionals involved with the child. RNIB does not represent or
warrant that the information accessible via the website, including
Effective Practice Guidance are accurate, complete or up to date.
Guide updated: March 2012