News

Blindness charity sells school to focus on community-based support

Governance | Jonathan Last | 10 Aug 2012

The Royal London Society for Blind People has put its 47-acre Dorton House school in Kent up for sale to fund a switch of focus to supporting children within community schools.

Following a consultation in April with residents and stakeholders, RLSB’s trustees decided that selling the Sevenoaks-based property will allow it to offer more tailored aid to blind and partially-sighted young people in a wider area, including London and the south east.

"This decision will enable us to better support young people,” Emma Thompson, head of marketing at RLSB, told civilsociety.co.uk. “The people we help all have unique situations, so it’s important that we can offer a bespoke service.

“This means giving young people the option to be educated out in their communities near their friends and families. Sale of the Dorton House premises would support this drive.”

Thompson would not speculate as to how much the site - which comprises the Dorothy Drive school, a grade 2-listed mansion and college blocks - would sell for when it enters competitive bidding later this year, but it is thought to be worth millions of pounds.

All age groups catered for

Dorton House separates its students into three age groups, each of which will be accounted for in the event of a sale: nursery age, school children and college students.

"We are committed to maintaining a nursery in the Sevenoaks area,” RLSB director of services Sue Sharp explained.

“We will also be expanding our nursery services into local communities to ensure that many more blind and partially sighted babies, toddlers and their parents are able to access specialist support from the earliest opportunity.

"The first of those community nurseries should be up and running in January 2013.”

She said that mobile services of teachers and specialist support staff are planned for schoolchildren in mainstream education, and that others would be supported through the transition to local specialist schools. Residential accommodation will still be provided for those students studying in RLSB's partner colleges.

"Regardless of our location, RLSB will continue to provide education for blind and partially-sighted children,” Sharp said.

Directory: Royal London Society for Blind People