Blind School gets Royal opening of new facility

In a historic day for the Royal Blind School, the re-developed school building in Morningside, Edinburgh was yesterday officially opened by the charity’s Patron, His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester.

Guests attending the event include Scottish Government Minister Dr Alasdair Allan MSP and Rt Hon Donald Wilson, Lord Provost for the City of Edinburgh.

The Royal Opening marks the beginning of a new phase for the Royal Blind School, which has been providing specialist education for children with visual impairment since it was founded in 1835.

In Autumn 2014 the school merged its two campuses, moving pupils from the 179-year-old Craigmillar Park campus to the buildings in Morningside.

The modern, accessible facilities include wide corridors with contrasting colours to enable independent navigation for pupils with low vision, specialist classrooms, a multi-use games area (MUGA) suitable for children and young people with disabilities and a flat for visiting parents and carers.

The school is developing its outreach programme to provide additional tailored support, training and advice to education professionals who teach children with visual impairments in mainstream schools across Scotland.

Richard Hellewell, Chief Executive of Royal Blind said: “We are delighted to welcome His Royal Highness to officially open our new facilities today. This marks another important milestone in the long and proud history of Royal Blind, and the Royal Blind School in particular.

“The school has undergone a very thorough refurbishment over the past year, to ensure it continues to meet the needs of our pupils in a changing landscape.

 “The re-developed school offers the unrivalled knowledge and experience of our teachers in a modern, accessible setting.

“Going forward, Royal Blind is seeking to share our expertise within mainstream education as well as those who attend our own school. We are developing a National Resource Centre for launch next year that will enable us to provide support and training to teachers that work with visually impaired pupils.

”We are grateful for the support provided today by His Royal Highness, as well as the ongoing support of the Scottish Government and Scotland’s education authorities.”

Head Teacher Elaine Brackenridge said: “The pupils have settled very well into their new school and are enjoying the benefits of the inclusive educational environment offered here at the Royal Blind School.   The school ethos is very positive and vibrant and it is our aim to provide all pupils with the necessary experiences to optimise their learning opportunities.”

Minister for Learning Dr Alasdair Allan MSP said: “I am delighted to be able to be here today to join pupils, staff and honoured guests to mark the transformation of the school and witness how practical changes will improve daily life at school for these children.

“The Royal Blind School makes an invaluable contribution to Scotland’s education for children and young people with complex additional support needs, not just for those attending the school itself, but by sharing its expertise with other schools across the country.”