Islington

A request under the Freedom of Information Act to the Islington Borough Council for a list of mainstream primary and secondary schools in the borough with facilities for the visually impaired drew the following response:

Islington has no mainstream schools with specialist VI units.

Pupils with VI are supported in their local mainstream schools, or may attend specialist settings out of borough if this is agreed and provision cannot be made in borough.

Provision for pupils with visual impairment in Islington’s mainstream schools is made in the following ways

• By a full time specialist Advisory Teacher for Vision who holds the mandatory qualification (Advanced Diploma in Education and Psychology for Special Needs: Disabilities of Sight) provides support to children and their families from birth, advice, support and training to early years settings and schools, and tuition for pupils as appropriate in order to demonstrate teaching techniques to school staff

 Specialist equipment is provided to schools which teach visually impaired children as it is needed. This includes video magnifiers, adapted keyboards, laptops and software

 Schools can access funding to improve signage and decorations

 Additional resources may be allocated to provide support in school and training for support staff is provided

Schools which have benefited from training or equipment are:

Primary
Laycock School
Vittoria School
Duncombe School

Secondary
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Mount Carmel
Highbury Fields

No information is held on independent school’s facilities for pupils with VI, but there is no specialist independent school for pupils with VI in Islington.