Accessibility Policy and Plan

Accessibility Policy and Plan

Revision History

Version	Date	Comments	Review Date
9	Spring 2017	Amended, approved and issued	Spring 2019
8	Spring 2015	Amended, approved and issued	Spring 2017
7	Spring 2013	Approved and issued (no amendments)	Spring 2015
6	July 2011	Amended, approved and issued	Spring 2013
5	June 2009	Amended, approved and issued	July 2011
4	July 2008	Amended, approved and issued	January 2010
3	January 2007	Approved and issued	January 2008
2	April 2006	Approved and issued	January 2007
1	September 2005	First draft

Definition of Disability

A person has a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities.

St John’s CE(A) Primary School is committed to the principals of accessibility, that the school should be available to everyone at the same level and on equal terms.
St John’s Primary School already provides for the additional needs of disabled pupils who have Special Educational Needs. Under the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act any discrimination by schools against current or prospective pupils in accessing education will be outlawed. The new duties laid down by the D.D.A. are aimed to build on and complement the best inclusive practices
In accordance with requirements St John’s will make their plans available to the public by including them in the school prospectus and Governors Reports. This will focus on the following areas:

admission arrangements for disabled pupils
arrangements for ensuring disabled pupils are treated equally to all other pupils
facilities to assist access to the school for disabled pupils

This plan sets out the proposals of the Governing Body of the school to increase access to education for disabled pupils in the three areas required by the planning duties in the DDA:

increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the school curriculum
improving the environment of the school to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of education and associated services
improving the delivery to disabled pupils of information which is provided in writing for pupils who are not disabled

It is a requirement that the school’s accessibility plan is resourced, implemented and reviewed and revised as necessary. Attached is a set of action plans showing how the school will address the priorities identified in the plan.

School Role

The school has a key role in planning to increase access to the curriculum for a range of disabled pupils. The building meets all aspects of the DDA as a newbuild.

2.1 All schools have a responsibility to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils, but the curriculum is much broader than just teaching and learning. It also includes after school clubs, sporting and cultural activities and school visits. The National Curriculum provides the starting point for planning for children with specific needs. The statutory inclusion statement on the provision of effective learning opportunities for all outlines how the National Curriculum can be modified to provide relevant and challenging work. The three essential principles for developing a more inclusive curriculum are:

Setting suitable learning challenges
Responding to pupil’s diverse learning needs
Overcoming potential barriers to learning

Planned curriculum development is time intensive, so to be sustainable we aim to focus on a chosen area of the curriculum, co-ordinated with priorities in the school development plan.

Currently at St John’s Church of England (Aided) Primary School all pupils are included in all aspects of school life. However, plans will need to consider physical disabilities regarding:

KS2 swimming to ensure that appropriate transport and staffing are provided
school visits to ensure that appropriate transport, staffing and training are provided
- Pertinent staff training (teaching and non-teaching) will be accessed through school and LA by specialists either on City wide courses or specific to our own needs. It may include training on:

Equality Act awareness/Deaf awareness/DDA awareness/Visual impairment/Mental health awareness/Equality/Behaviour issues/Safeguarding/SEN dependent on current needs.

The school will also be able to share and observe good practice with neighbouring schools. It is vital for pupils and parents who are disabled to access all information in a format which they can easily access if at all possible.

The main priorities in the school’s plan:

to ensure that discussed pupils are able to participate as fully as possible in all aspects of the school
to provide full access to a broad and balanced curriculum
to provide full access to the school environment
to provide full access to information in a variety of formats as needed

Accessibility Plan

Key Issues to ensure that all pupils have full access to aspects of school life.

Targets

Strategies

Timescale

Outcome

Broad and balanced curriculum

Raise staff awareness of barriers to learning

· On-going staff training – whole and individual

· Monitoring of special needs/differentiation provision

· Use of outside agencies SEND Services/Educational Psychologist/referrals to outside agencies if needed

· Use of targeted support/ Pupil Passports followed

· Training in SEN specialism

Termly on-going

2017-20

Ongoing

Termly on-going

Daily

Termly

· Staff awareness and expertise increased

· All pupils making good progress

· Improved access of learning for all

· Lessons appropriately differentiated and pupils supported making best possible progress

· Staff expertise/knowledge increased

To provide full access to the school environment

· SLT/SEN Team to monitor needs of disabled pupils

· Discussion item on Governors H&S Committee

· Link Governor visits

· Check visual alarm/signage for disabled as needed

· Monitoring of provision for SEN/disabled pupils

· To monitor gritted areas to check safely for disabled pupils

Termly on-going

2017-20

Termly

2017-20

Termly

On-going

When needed

· Improved access of learning for all pupils

· Profile of accessibility raised

· Governing Body informed/able to question

· Safety for all increased

· All pupils fully included

· Access for all

To provide access to information in a variety of formats as required

· Provide a discrete facility of reading information for parents/carers with literacy difficulties

· Ensure loop system working effectively in hall and community room if required

2017-20 on-going

Termly

· All parents/carers informed and information easily accessible

· Hearing impaired adults/children included

Accessibility Policy and Plan Version 9 Spring 2017