ACCESSIBILITY POLICY

Rationale

The SEN and Disability Act 2001 extended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) to cover education and subsequently the Equalities Act 2010 identified that schools and Governing Bodies have three key duties towards disabled pupils:

• Not to treat disabled pupils less favourably for a reason related to their disability;

• To make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, so that they are not at a substantial

   disadvantage;

• To plan to increase access to education 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 Equalities Act:

• 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, reviewed and revised as necessary. Attached is a set of action plans showing how the school will address the priorities identified in the plan.

Vision and values

South Wonston Primary has high ambition for its disabled pupils and expects them to participate and achieve in every aspect of school life.

We aim to provide a safe and friendly school community where our children are encouraged to become curious, courageous and resilient learners.

We nurture our children, building an inclusive community based  on respect, ambition and achievement

We inspire our children to discover, develop and celebrate their unique talents and abilities.

 ‘We believe that every child can succeed’

We challenge and support our children to be resilient and to overcome obstacles, equipping them with the attitudes and skills that will enable them to achieve their personal best and prepare them for the future developing world.

Through both ambition and determination our children learn to achieve by respecting the beliefs, religions and cultures of others, celebrating diversity and supporting each other to be the best

that we can be.

The school will

• Set suitable learning challenges

• Respond to pupils diverse needs

• Overcome potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.

The school aims to identify and remove barriers to disabled pupils in every area of school life and make all children feel welcome irrespective of race, colour, creed or impairment.

The school provides all pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum, differentiated and adjusted to meet the needs of individual pupils and their preferred learning styles; and endorses the key principles in the National Curriculum 2014 framework, which underpin the development of a more inclusive curriculum:

• Setting suitable learning challenges
• Responding to pupils’ diverse needs
• Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.

Main priorities:

Increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the school curriculum

• Ensure that teachers and LSA’s have necessary training to teach and support disabled pupils

• Ensure the classrooms are optimally organised for disabled pupils

• Ensure all lessons provide opportunities for all pupils to achieve

• Check that all lessons are responsive to pupil diversity

• Provide lessons that involve work to be done by individuals, pairs, groups and the whole class

• Ensure that all pupils are encouraged to take part in music, drama and physical activities

• Check that staff recognise and allow for the mental effort expended by some disabled pupils i.e. lip

  reading for a deaf child, physical exercise for some disabled children.

• Ensure that all children can access computer technology

• Check that school visits are open to all

• Provide high expectations of all pupils

• Seek to remove all barriers to learning and participation

Improving the physical environment of the school to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of education and the associated services:

• Check the layout of areas allow access for all pupils

• Ensure that wheelchairs can access the whole building

• Check that pathways around the school are logical and well signed

• Ensure emergency and evacuation systems inform all children, alarms being visual and auditory

• Provide décor and signage suitable for all children and not confusing or disorientating to those

   with visual impairment, autism or epilepsy

• Check that all areas are well lit

• Check to reduce background noise for hearing impaired children

• Ensure furniture is selected and located to suit all children

Improving the delivery to disabled pupils of information that is provided in writing for pupils who are not disabled:

• Provide information in simple language, symbols, large print, audio tape or Braille for pupils who

   have difficulty with standard forms of print

• Ensure information is presented in user-friendly ways to disabled pupils when working in groups

• Provide written information in different formats as required

• Ensure staff are familiar with technology and practices to support disabled pupils

• Check preferences expressed by the pupils or their parents

Implementation and action plans In order to ensure that action is taken to meet the Accessibility plan priorities,  South Wonston Primary School will draw up an action plan to make things happen, which outlines how the requirements will be met.

Reviewing and revising This scheme will be reviewed and revised every three years:

Definitions of Disability

A person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that is:

· substantial

· long term and

· has an adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal everyday activities

The definition is broad and includes a wide range of impairments, including learning disabilities, dyslexia, diabetes or epilepsy where the effect of the impairment on the person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities is adverse, substantial and long term.

The definition can include a wide range of impairments such as:

· dyslexia

· autism

· speech and language impairments

 · ADHD An impairment does not in itself mean a person is disabled. It is the effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities that has to be considered.

Activities such as:

· mobility

· manual dexterity

· physical co-ordination

· continence

· ability to lift, carry or otherwise move everyday objects

· speech, hearing and eyesight

· memory or ability to concentrate, learn or understand

· perception of risk of physical danger

Some people are automatically covered by the definition: those with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV infection or a severe disfigurement.

Details of disability can be collected in the following ways:

· Pupils – from SEN register, medical record sheets and entry data sheets (SIMS)

· Parents/carers – from disclosure to the school or from data entry sheets.

· Staff – disclosure to the Headteacher in confidence.

Disability information can be grouped according to type:

Appendix 1