The Royal Blind School provides specialist education, care and learning to children and young people with visual impairment, including those with additional complex needs.
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 offer flexible education and learning options
We offer day, residential and respite places, adapting our provision to what will suit your child best.
Your child can come to the Royal Blind School as a day student or live on campus in one of our homes from homes. We offer part-time and occasional placements for pupils from mainstream schools.
We’re flexible in our approach. Whether preparing for employment, making connections or learning to live as independently as possible, we enable children and young people to make their own goals a reality.
Support to make the right choice for your child
We will support you to make the right decision for your child. We recommend that you visit us before making an application in order to give you and your child or young person the chance to informally look around, ask questions and meet our team.
We’ll help you decide what kind of placement is right for your child.
We work in partnership with local authorities and parents to assess how the school can meet the needs of each child or young person. We build close working links with parents, carers, and local authorities’ education and social work departments before, during and after referral and admission.
“I am so glad that my daughter is loving life again. It seemed like I was the only one in her life who understood her.
"Now she has the full school behind her and she is shining like the brightest star.”
Contact the Royal Blind School
If you're interested in finding out more then we'd love to hear from you.
Call us: 0131 446 3120
Specialist learning
We are specialists in how visual impairment impacts learning and education. Our expert team is experienced in strategies for education, including braille and tactile methods of learning, Canaan Barrie on-body signing and assistive technology.
Beyond the classroom
We believe the school experience is about much more than classroom-based learning. By focusing on experiential learning, multi-sensory lessons and exploration through play, every child and young person can maximise their potential.
Clowndoctors
Watch how Clowndoctors, from Hearts and Minds, support the Royal Blind School pupils' emotional wellbeing through fun and play.
Skills for life
At the Royal Blind School, we offer a range of health and support services to pave the way for our pupils to get the most out of life. Our team work with each pupil to develop an individual programme to grow their confidence and independence.
We can provide the following according to pupils’ individual needs:
- hydrotherapy
- physiotherapy
- occupational therapy
- speech and language therapy
- habilitation: navigation, mobility, orientation and independent living skills training
- music therapy
- mindfulness.
Our facilities
We’re set in the heart of Morningside, a residential Edinburgh neighbourhood, with shops, cafes and community facilities right on our doorstep.
Your child will have access to some of the best facilities in Scotland at our school. Our buildings have been designed purposefully to be an accessible environment for children and young people with sensory impairment and complex needs, including:
- appropriately modified and modern facilities
- wide corridors
- colour contrasts
- handrails to facilitate independent navigation
- fully equipped accessible bathrooms.
Other accessible facilities on offer include:
- a hydrotherapy pool
- multi-sensory lights room
- soft play area
- traverse climbing wall
- enclosed multi-use games area
- sensory gardens
- themed courtyards for learning and play; ‘kitchen garden’, ‘sensory’ and ‘active’
- log cabin and fire pit.
Our people
Our on-site multi-disciplinary teams work together to play a key part in our successful approach to learning, education, care and developing independence for children.
Our team includes:
- specialist teaching staff, many of whom are Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (QTVI)
- nurses
- allied healthcare specialists (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists)
- qualified and SSSC registered care staff
- habilitation and mobility specialists
- support staff
- a key worker for every pupil.
School calendar
School session dates 2025-26
School session dates for the 2025-26 term
School session dates 2024-25
School session dates for the 2024-25 term
Accommodation for children
We provide supported residential care for blind and partially sighted children and young people, including those with additional disabilities and health needs, at our Royal Blind School campus in Edinburgh.
Find out more