Head Teacher's Message

I am delighted to welcome you to Priestley Smith School.  As Headteacher, I feel very proud and tremendously excited to be working in partnership with the children, parents, carers, staff and governors to continue to develop Priestley Smith as an exciting, happy and successful school.

We are a specialist school for students whose primary need is a visual impairment and we educate and care for students aged 2-19.  We offer nursery places as well as a Stay and Play for 0-2 years. We also have Primary and Secondary school provision through to sixth form. We have a strong multi-disciplinary team including occupational therapy, habilitation, specialist repro graphics including Braille and tactile resources, assistive technology, physio, nursing, speech and language, music therapy and other specialisms. All of our staff are highly trained including qualified teachers of the visually impaired, Braille teachers, habilitation and other specialisms. Our facilities have been specifically built to accommodate students with visual impairments.

Our innovative and forward thinking staff are able to continuously build a fun and happy environment, which safeguards the welfare and well-being of all within our school. Our consistent approach and highly trained staff, are able to build long lasting, trusting relationships with our students, through an ethos of respect and dignity.

As an outstanding school (Ofsted 2016, 2019) we pride ourselves in taking the time to get to know what is best for each individual in our care, supporting them through managed and planned transitions to support each and every step of their journey. Our academic curriculum is tailored to the individual needs of each child and also includes the specialist VI curriculum to ensure that all of our students are prepared for the world around them through our Preparation for Adulthood programme which spans from nursery through to our sixth form.
We are here to support and meet the needs of children and young people who live locally and regionally with a visual impairment and other needs in addition to their VI. We are flexible and accept change and think about how best to adapt our strategies and resources for each and every child in our care.

If you feel we can meet your child’s needs please do not hesitate to arrange a visit. We look forward to welcoming you to our specialist provision aimed at securing the best possible outcomes for your child.

Joanna Garvey
Headteacher.