The Royal Blind School

The Royal Blind School in Edinburgh provides education, care and support to pupils with visual impairment, including those who have additional support needs and complex multiple disabilities. Founded in 1835, we have a wealth of experience in teaching visually impaired children and young people.

The Royal Blind School provides specialist education, term time residential care, therapies and health support for young people aged up to 18 years.

The school offers both full and part time day placement and residential services and currently there is availability for pupil placements. At all times, high priority is given to maintaining the privacy and dignity of pupils. The school offers a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum that enables all pupils to fulfill their potential intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, physically and socially.

The school places a great emphasis on offering a wide range of after school activities, and clubs are available to pupils to suit all ages and preferences.

Our Facilities

The Royal Blind School is based in the Morningside area of Edinburgh and our campus was completely refurbished in Autumn 2015. Our building has been specially designed for visually impaired pupils with:

- All facilities for pupils on the ground floor
- Wide corridors
- Colour contrasts
- Hand rails to facilitate independent navigation
- Hoists
- Fully equipped disabled bathrooms.

Each room has a ‘signifier’ outside on the hand rail – an object that resembles what is inside the room. These include a paint brush for the art room, a telephone for the office and a handbag for the Head Teacher. These signifiers enable our pupils to know where they are within the building.

Our campus has:

- Hydro-therapy pool
- Swings
- Traverse climbing wall
- Soft play
- Enclosed multi-use games area
- Sensory garden
- Parents’ flat for use during times of need, such as illness or initial assessment and transition.

All this specialised equipment helps give visually impaired children the additional support they need during their education.