In December of 2024 Dryden School became the first school in Gateshead to receive the Vision Friendly School Award.  This means that our school reaches a good standard of provision for pupils who have a visual impairment and provide an inclusive curriculum and environment for our VI pupils.  We work very closely with our specialist colleagues from LINT who provide advice, guidance and support for pupils who have VI needs.  Their website explains in detail what they provide and has lots of useful links for parents (Visual Impairment | Education Gateshead).
As well as the information below explaining an outline of their offer, there is a very useful guide to accessibility on iPads – making iPads user friendly for VI Pupils. This is a link to the PDF: https://educationgateshead.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/iPad-Accessibility-Scheme-of-Work-for-VI-finished.pdf
There are also links to useful external agencies and charities where parents and carers can get additional advice help and opportunities for their young people with specific VI needs.
 
What kind of intervention will the child or young person with vision impairment receive?
Where possible, specialist teachers work with babies, children and young people without the need for statutory assessment.  LINT (VI) provide advice and guidance to schools, settings and their staff in order to provide equal access to the curriculum for children and young people with vision impairment.
The Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI),  is known as an expanded or “additional” curriculum and includes areas of instruction specific to children and young people with vision impairment and is taught by specialist teachers and staff from LINT (VI).  This Framework has been developed to support children and young people with vision impairment to access an appropriate and equitable education.
 
The framework presents outcomes within eleven teaching areas:
•Facilitating an Inclusive World
•Sensory Development
•Communication
•Literacy
•Habilitation: Orientation and Mobility
•Habilitation: Independent Living Skills
•Accessing information
•Technology
•Health: Social, Emotional, Mental and Physical Wellbeing
•Social, Sports and Leisure
•Preparing for Adulthood.
 
LINT (VI) work with other service providers to ensure children and young people have access to mobility training, leisure opportunities, independent living skills training and increase opportunities to develop their social skills outside school.  Close links are maintained between parents/carers, the child or young person’s school or setting and other involved agencies. Please see the Visual Impairment link above for more details or contact school.