Royal Blind School

Not to be confused with Royal School for the Blind, Liverpool or SeeAbility.

Special school in Edinburgh, Scotland

Royal Blind School

Entrance to the Canaan Lane campus

Address

43-45 Canaan Lane

Edinburgh

EH10 4SG

Scotland

Coordinates| 55°55′46″N 3°12′09″W﻿ / ﻿55.9294°N 3.2026°W﻿ / 55.9294; -3.2026
Information
Type| Special school
Established| 1793; 231 years ago (1793)
Oversight| Royal Blind
Head| Julie Shylan
Gender| Co-educational
Age| 3 to 19
Enrolment| Approx. 71[1]
Website| www.royalblind.org/education

Former Craigmillar Park campus

The Royal Blind School is a specialist day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland that was established in 1793 and run by the charity, Royal Blind. The school caters for pupils aged 3 to 19 who are blind or partially sighted, and has facilities for children of nursery, primary and secondary age. Students attending the school come primarily from Scotland, but also from other parts of the United Kingdom.

The school was divided into two campuses, both situated in Edinburgh. These were located in Canaan Lane and Craigmillar Park. The Craigmillar Park campus is for pupils who are blind and partially sighted, while the Canaan Lane campus caters for students with multiple disabilities.[2] In August 2014, the two campuses combined into one and all of the children now attend the Canaan Lane campus.

In March 1997, the school featured in a documentary for ITV as part of its Network First strand.[3] A follow-up programme, Blind School Christmas Special was shown in December of that year.[4]

## History

[edit]

Founded in 1793 the School formed from an amalgam of different Edinburgh institutions.

In 1825 it took on a residential element, caring for 25 blind women at a premises at 1 Hill Place. In 1876 the premises moved to a much larger, custom-built building, designed by Charles Leadbetter,[5] off Craigmillar Park in the south of the city, merging with the 1835 School for Blind Children.[6] In 1929 the school and residential elements split, under the Chairmanship of Rev Dr Thomas Burns, creating a solely residential element, the Thomas Burns Home, on Alfred Place. In 1946 Oswald House was purchased to supplement the residential care provision. In 1979 the home was extended to provide for male residents.[7]

In 1991 a new home was opened on Canaan Lane and this was further supplemented in 1999 by Braeside House on Liberton Brae, aimed at the blind elderly and incorporating a sensory garden.

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* James Clegg, paralympic swimmer[8]
* Libby Clegg, paralympic sprinter[9]
* Stephen Clegg, paralympic swimmer[10]
* Dennis Robertson, Scottish National Party MSP for Aberdeenshire West[11]

## See also

[edit]

* Exhall Grange School
* Jordanstown Schools
* New College Worcester

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Data". www.scotland.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
2. ^ Smith, Claire (5 December 2008). "Royal Blind in Scotland - Behind the Scenes". The Scotsman. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
3. ^ Poole, Steven (26 March 1997). "Last night's television". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
4. ^ Custom byline text: Allan Laing Entertainment Writer (26 November 1997). "ITV gets its men in bid to win back viewers". The Herald. Newsquest. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
5. ^ Buildings of Scotland:Edinburgh, by Gifford McWilliam and Walker
6. ^ "A History of the Royal Blind School". www.royalblind.org.
7. ^ "Care for Older People (1825-present)". www.royalblind.org.
8. ^ "Blind brothers are making a splash as they seek to emulate their sister". The Scotsman. 28 March 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
9. ^ "Former Royal Blind pupil Libby Clegg's Paralympic golds". Edinburgh Evening News. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
10. ^ "Stephen Clegg banished his demons by going back to the pool". 27 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
11. ^ Belgutay, Julia (22 March 2013). "Dennis Robertson". Tes.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Blind School.

* Official website
* History
* Royal Blind School at Scottish Council of Independent Schools

* v
* t
* e

Schools in Edinburgh

Primary schools|

* Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce
* Craiglockhart Primary School
* Sciennes Primary School
* Tollcross Primary School

High schools|

* Balerno Community High School
* Boroughmuir High School
* Broughton High School
* Castlebrae Community High School
* City of Edinburgh Music School
* Craigmount High School
* Craigroyston Community High School
* Currie High School
* Drummond Community High School
* Firrhill High School
* Forrester High School
* Gracemount High School
* Holy Rood High School
* James Gillespie's High School
* Leith Academy
* Liberton High School
* Portobello High School
* Queensferry High School
* Royal High School
* St Augustine's High School
* St Thomas of Aquin's High School
* Trinity Academy, Edinburgh
* Tynecastle High School
* Wester Hailes Education Centre

Special schools|

* Royal Blind School

Independent|

* Cargilfield Preparatory School
* Clifton Hall School
* Edinburgh Academy
* Fettes College
* George Heriot's School
* George Watson's College
* Mannafields Christian School
* The Mary Erskine School
* Merchiston Castle School
* Stewart's Melville College
* St George's School
* St Mary's Music School

Defunct|

* Ainslie Park High School
* Craigmount School
* Cranley School for Girls
* Edinburgh Collegiate School
* James Mundell's School
* John Watson's Institution
* London Street Primary School
* Scotus Academy
* St Margaret's School

* v
* t
* e

Organisations for visually impaired people in the United Kingdom

Charities|

* Action for Blind People
* Blind in Business
* BlindArt
* Blind Veterans UK
* Bradbury Fields
* British Blind Sport
* Cardiff Institute for the Blind
* Fight for Sight
* Galloway's Society for the Blind
* The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
* Henshaws Society for Blind People
* Kent Association for the Blind
* Leeds Society for Deaf and Blind People
* National Library for the Blind
* Royal London Society for Blind People
* RNIB
* SeeAbility
* Sightsavers
* Visionary
* Vista
* Warwickshire Vision Support

Assistive technology|

* Dolphin Computer Access

Leisure|

* Traveleyes

Media|

* RNIB Connect Radio
* Talking Newspaper Association of the UK

Schools and colleges|

* Dorton House
* Exhall Grange School
* Jordanstown Schools
* Joseph Clarke School
* Linden Lodge School
* New College Worcester
* Queen Alexandra College
* RNIB College, Loughborough
* RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning
* Royal Blind School
* Royal National College for the Blind
* Royal School for the Blind (Liverpool)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

This article about a school in Scotland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template