Reviewed by: Shakera Rahman and Sarah Cokayne, Resources Committee 16th May 2022
Next Review: Summer 2025
Introduction
Schools are required under the Equality Act 2010 to have an accessibility plan. The purpose of the plan is to:
- Increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum
- Improve the physical environment of the school to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided
- Improve the availability of accessible information to disabled pupils
Our school aims to treat all its pupils fairly and with respect. This involves providing access and opportunities for all pupils without discrimination of any kind.
The plan will be made available online on the school website, and paper copies are available upon request.
Legislation and Guidance
This document meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 and the Department for Education (DfE) guidance for schools on the Equality Act 2010.
The Equality Act 2010 defines an individual as disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ adverse effect on their ability to undertake normal day to day activities.
Under the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice, ‘long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’. The definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer.
Schools are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for pupils with disabilities under the Equality Act 2010, to alleviate any substantial disadvantage that a disabled pupil faces in comparison with non-disabled pupils. This can include, for example, the provision of an auxiliary aid or adjustments to premises.
School Aims and Values
We provide all pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum, differentiated and adjusted to meet the needs of individual pupils and their preferred learning styles; and we endorse the key principles in the National Curriculum framework, which underpin the development of a more inclusive curriculum:
- setting suitable learning challenges
- responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs
- overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.
Our school is also committed to ensuring staff are trained in equality issues with reference to the Equality Act 2010, including understanding disability issues.
The school works with the local authority and supports any other available partnerships to develop and implement the plan.
The Accessibility Plan will contain relevant actions to:
a) Improving Education & related activities- Curriculum
The school will continue to seek and follow the advice of LA services, such as specialist teacher advisers and SEN inspectors/advisers, Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and of appropriate health professionals from the local NHS Trusts to continue to support pupils with disabilities. The school will continue to give a positive portrayal of people with disabilities.
b) Improving the Physical environment
The school will take account of the needs of pupils and visitors with physical difficulties and sensory impairments when planning and undertaking future improvements, refurbishments of the site and premises, such as improved access, lighting, acoustics, colour schemes, and more accessible facilities and fittings. Improve and maintain access to the physical environment and emergency evacuation procedures are set up. To continue to improve accessibility to site for disabled service users including barriers to physical access for wheelchair users.
c) Improving the Provision of written information
The school will make itself aware of local services, including those provided through the LA, for providing information in alternative formats when required or requested. Improving the delivery of written information for staff, pupils, parents and visitors with disabilities.
The school will continue to increase awareness of the ways in which parents of disabled children and young people can help support their learning and continue to improve pupil and parent access to written information.
The school will consult with disabled pupils, staff and parents to determine their priorities for the school with regards to disability equality over the next three years.
Monitoring Arrangements
This document will be reviewed every 3 years, but may be reviewed and updated more frequently if necessary. It will be reviewed by the headteacher and resources committee.
It will be approved by the governing body.
Links with other Policies
As stated above, Kelvin Grove Primary School is committed to equal opportunities and inclusion. This Accessibility Plan is not a standalone document but should be considered alongside the following school policy documents:
- Equalities Policy
- Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) Information Report.
- Safeguarding Policy
- Health & Safety Policy
Action Plan 2022 – 2025
Access and participation within the curriculum
| Targets | Actions | Responsibility | Timescales | Monitoring |
| All pupils are enabled to participate in the school curriculum. | • Nursery visits prior to entry • Outside agency, early years advisors’ meetings as needed • Person centred reviews and reviews of EHCPs • Ongoing liaison with health and other outside agencies, OTs and speech and language • Commission services e.g. Autism Outreach, • Links with social services and virtual school | SENCO – KS1/2, Achievement Leads | Ongoing | Headteacher/deputy headteacher, SENCO Monitored through: staff and pupil views EHCP Annual reviews Pupil progress analysis Learning walks |
| Staff are confident at making reasonable adjustment to ensure all children in their class fully access all learning experiences. | • School trip risk assessments • Annual training: • Autism • Epipen • Asthma (updated as required) • Epilepsy (as needed) • Cystic fibrosis (specific child/ren) • Diabetes (specific child/ren) • Heart conditions (specific child/ren) • Hearing Impairment • Vision impairment | SENCo, First Aid Lead | Update annually or as required | Headteacher. Monitored through: training records |
| Promotion of protective behaviours in terms of keeping safe within the school and social settings. | • Risk assessments • e-safety • School values • Bespoke curriculum for ASD children | EVC co-ordinator, ICT lead, SLT, SENCO | Ongoing | Headteacher, deputy headteacher Monitored through: Learning Review |
| Ensure access to a full range of extracurricular opportunities for pupils with disabilities. | • Risk assessments • Addition support in clubs • School values • Provide adult support as needed | EVC co-ordinator, PE lead, SLT, SENCO | Ongoing | Headteacher, deputy headteacher Monitored through: Learning Review |
| Person-centred approach for SEND pupils and pupils with disabilities. | • Pupil individual plans • Teacher class planning • Provide adult support as needed | SENCO – KS1/2 | Ongoing | Headteacher, SENCO – KS1/2 Monitored through: Annual reviews and pupil progress meetings |
Access to the physical environment
| Areas for Improvement | Actions | Responsibility | Timescales | Monitoring |
| Ensure the school and its resource base unit meets the needs of pupils and staff | • Liaise with local authority where areas of the building do not meet the needs of the pupils • Ensure that maintenance issues are dealt with swiftly in the base • Review handrails in the base • Ensure all unnecessary items are removed promptly particularly in the base | SENCO – KS1/2 and Premises Manager, Headteacher | Ongoing | |
| Stimulating and appropriate environment in which all pupils with a disability are able to be involved. | • Sensory boxes/bags • Additional resources for learning difficulties (maths and literacy) • Signage • Displays • Areas e,g. reading areas access etc. | SENCO KS1/2, Class teachers | Ongoing | Headteacher, deputy headteacher Monitored through: Learning Review |
| Disabled parents are not discriminated against and have every opportunity to be involved in school. | • Whole staff training • Equalities Policy review • Discrimination in all its forms challenged | Headteacher | Annually | Resources committee |
| Roads, driveway, paths around school are as safe as possible and there is clear access. | • Continue to keep walking areas clear of trip hazards • Liaise with the local authority to resurface the nursery playground and the year 1 playground | Premises Manager, School Business Manager | Ongoing | Resources committee review of building development |
Communication and information to disabled pupils and parents.
| Areas for Improvement | Actions | Responsibility | Timescales | Monitoring |
| School website | • Fully responsive design, so that sites are correctly displayed across all devices, continue to review and improve • All communication sent via the website so text can be enlarged • Research text to voice plug in for letters and content • Fix issues with Google translate | School Business Manager | Ongoing | Headteacher/Governors |
| Signage and communication around the school | • Review displays to ensure size and representation • Review school signage to ensure not covered by trees or deteriorating | Achievement Leads, Premises Manager | Ongoing | Headteahcer/Governors |