Who we are

Dorton College

Dorton College is RSBC’s independent specialist college based in the London Borough of Bromley. We’re the only independent specialist further education provider for vision impaired young people in these areas, and offer day provision for vision impaired 16 to 25-year-olds. Our students come to us from across London and the South East region, and many have additional needs.

About RSBC and the College

RSBC itself has been around since 1838, when it was known as The Royal London Society for Blind People (RLSB). Over the centuries, it’s evolved a great deal.

It merged with the Royal Blind Society, which was established in 1884, and both charities went through various identity changes to eventually become The Royal Society for Blind Children in 2015.

Visit the RSBC History page to learn more about the history of the development of RSBC.

Dorton College has been based in the London Borough of Bromley for over a decade. Our new specialist vision impairment hub is located in central Orpington, close to the town’s amenities and its excellent public transport links.

We have multiple partnerships with General Further Education colleges (GFE’s) across London and the South East. These enable Dorton College to reach a wider range of students and allow us to offer a more diverse range of courses in mainstream and specialist SEN settings, as well as our own bespoke inhouse courses at the college hub.

An experienced team

Our dedicated and highly experienced Dorton College colleagues aim to provide first-class support to our vision impaired students.

The Dorton College ethos is ‘Just Enough Support’, which means that everyone in our team supports students at the right level for their individual needs – never over, or under, supporting. It’s an approach that helps ensure our students can achieve their full potential, enhance their independence skills for life, and reach their individual aspirations, so they can wholeheartedly embrace their education and future to truly live a life without limits.

A medium skinned RSBC employee wears red lipstick, a grey jumper and headphones. She's sitting at a desk looking at a computer screen with a focused expression, and some colleagues are in the background..

Our studies

At Dorton College, our students study a wide range of different subjects, from working towards Entry Level 1 to Level 3 (A-Level equivalent) to vocational courses.

Educational outcomes are individual to each student and their unique goals. Some students will progress to university, while others will secure employment or move to independent or semi-independent living.

Our students come to us from age 16 onwards, and they’re welcome to continue their studies up until they’re 25 and ready to graduate (subject to Local Authority funding and overall progress).

Our partners

Dorton College works closely with a range of partners from both mainstream and specialist educational settings to ensure that our students get the most from their time with us.

We have ‘hybrid’ partnership arrangements with local GFE’s, which further increases the range of opportunities available to our students. If there’s a new area or course that a student wishes to study, we’ll seek to negotiate a partnership for them with the relevant educational provider so that they’re given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

In recent years, we’ve set up new partnerships in Surrey and Berkshire, and we’re always open to looking at new areas.

We also offer bespoke full or part-time hub only curriculum programmes which are delivered via a curriculum that’s unique to each student.

Governance

Dorton College’s highly skilled and specialist Governing Board helps to set the strategic direction of the college. The College Governing board meets four times a year.

Student Voice is represented through our student forum representative and presented to the Governing Board at each meeting. A parents’ survey and questionnaire is also completed prior to these meetings to ensure that parents’ voices are heard, and a staff governor attends each time, too.