Despite being part of the north east of Scotland’s community for 80 years, Camphill School Aberdeen’s work with vulnerable children and young people has sometimes been described as the region’s best kept secret.

Since the late 1930’s, it has offered a safe haven to thousands of young people with a range of complex and challenging needs. This was the start of the Camphill movement, as it now known, and has become one of the largest networks of independent voluntary sector organisations , providing services for people with disabilities around the world, consisting of more than 120 independent charities in 23 countries, which has transformed millions of lives.

What many people don’t know is how a pilot initiative for a handful of youngsters, in a makeshift classroom became the bustling community that it is today. Now in its 80^th year of operation, we take a look back at how it all began.

It was May 1939 when a group of Austrian refugees led by Dr Karl Konig, an Austrian paediatrician, arrived on Scottish shores, with a vision ahead of their time. They wanted to create a safe and inclusive community for young people with disabilities to grow, learn and live full and happy lives. Fleeing from the threat of war and in search of refuge, the newcomers initially settled in an old manse near Insch in Aberdeenshire, which them with a place to live and live of the gardens and land.

At this time, there was an estimated half a million boys and girls with disabilities in Britain and life for them was extremely tough. Many were excluded from education and other dimensions of society and often ended up in institutions against their own will.

However, the Camphill pioneers took a contrasting approach - their vision was to create a shared living community where the individuality and potential of profoundly challenged children was developed. They believed each of us has a destiny to fulfil and challenged the general opinion that people with learning disabilities were somehow lesser than others and should therefore be segregated.

Not long after making their move to Scotland, in 1940 Dr Konig purchased Camphill Estate after an act of philanthropy from the people of Aberdeen. This is still part of Camphill School’s Aberdeen Campus and is where the Camphill name comes from. Here, the hard work began and with an initial 12 children living on site they started building for the future. They officially opened St John’s School as it was known then, in 1951 and within a few years decided to arrange classes based on students ages rather than academic ability. This flew in the face of traditional perceptions of disability at this time. As the reputation of the school grew, so did the numbers of students, and more homes were constructed on campus.Currently there are more than 90 children and young people aged between three and 25 that make up the Camphill School Aberdeen family, using the accredited day and residential services with a range of complex and multiple diagnoses, such as Learning Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Attachment Disorder and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. Many of our young people have struggled to cope in mainstream education, yet thrive here at Camphill School.

The reason for this is our unique approach, where we integrate primary and secondary education, vocational workshops, lifelong learning, expert care and therapies all within a shared living community which creates meaningful experiences.

The open space and woodlands that surround the three campuses in west Aberdeen ensures that each young person has the freedom to develop without physical barriers, whilst accessing the therapeutic benefit of their surroundings. Sustainability is at the core of all services, ranging from growing and eating their own organic meat and vegetables, reducing waste, decreasing carbon emissions and practising the principles of the circular economy.

Despite its growth, the Camphill mantra to value and treat every human being equally holds firm. The young people are empowered, regardless of their challenges and encouraged to recognise personal achievements, grow in confidence and independence and most importantly fulfil their potential.

As we lookback over the years with a sense of pride at all that has been achieved at Camphill School Aberdeen, it’s clear that same philosophy of inclusivity, mutual respect and educational opportunities remains at the heart of this ever-expanding community.

And that’s certainly one legacy that Dr Konig and his team would be incredibly proud to have left behind.