Accessibility Plan Coop Academy Portland 2021_22
Accessibility Plan
Policy details
Date created - 14/07/2022
Date reviewed -
Next review date 14- 07/2025
Date approved -/
Contents
1. Aims 2
2. Legislation and guidance 3
3. Action plan 3
4. Monitoring arrangements 5
5. Links with other policies 5
Appendix 1: Accessibility audit 6
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1. Aims
At Co-op Academy Portland, we are committed to ensuring that we provide an accessible and inclusive environment for pupils and their families, staff and visitors. In order to ensure that there is a strategy in place to allow us to deliver this commitment, in-line with the Equality Act (2010) we have developed an accessibility plan. The purpose of the plan is to:
- Increase the extent to which individuals with a disability can participate in the curriculum
- Improve the physical environment of the school to enable individuals with a disability to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided
- Improve the availability of accessible information to individuals with a disability
Our academy aims to treat all its pupils and their families, staff, and visitors fairly and with respect. This involves providing access and opportunities for all without discrimination of any kind.
We are committed to providing an environment that enables full curriculum access that values and includes all pupils and their families, staff and visitors regardless of their educational and individual needs. We are committed to taking positive action in the spirit of the Equality Act 2010 with regard to disability and to developing a culture of inclusion, support and awareness within the school.
The plan will be made available online on the school website, and paper copies are available upon request.
Our academy is also committed to ensuring staff are trained in equality issues with reference to the Equality Act (2010), including understanding disability issues.
The school supports any available partnerships to develop and implement the plan.
Our academy’s complaints procedure covers the accessibility plan. If you have any concerns relating to accessibility in school, this procedure sets out the process for raising these concerns. https://www.coopacademies.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Complaints-Policy-July-2021.pdf
We have included a range of stakeholders in the development of this accessibility plan, including governors.
2. 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 he or she has a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ adverse effect on his or her 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.
3. Action plan
This action plan sets out the aims of our accessibility plan in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
Aim | Current good practice | Objectives | Actions to be taken | Person responsible | Timescale | Evaluation |
Increase access to the curriculum for pupils with a disability | Our school offers a differentiated curriculum for all pupils. We use resources tailored to the needs of pupils who require support to access the curriculum. Curriculum resources include examples of people with disabilities. Curriculum progress is tracked for all pupils, including those with a disability. Targets are set effectively and are appropriate for pupils with additional needs. The curriculum is reviewed to ensure it meets the needs of all pupils. All teaching staff have received CPD in Rosenshine’s principles of instruction which use strategies that take into account the learning needs of pupils with SEND (E.g. working memory difficulties, slow processing speed etc.) All children now have access to Chrome Books or iPads and pupils with SEND are given access to assistive technology such as voice recognition software. Needs of pupils with SEND are accurately identified through diagnostic assessment. | To be able to support pupils through effective deployment of support staff, providing appropriate scaffolding and tools in order to encourage independent completion of tasks. To allow greater access to text for those pupils with reading difficulties or through the use of technology such as reading pens or text to speech software. | CPD relating to the effective deployment of support staff delivered to teachers. CPD in effective support strategies, promoting metacognition and the use of tools such as Numicon delivered to support staff. Teachers and support staff to provide explicit instruction of how to utilise tools to support certain tasks to pupils with SEND. | SENDCo SENDCo All staff | During academic year 2021/22 Ongoing | |
Improve and maintain access to the physical environment | The environment is adapted to the needs of pupils as required. This includes:
| To be able to ensure that access to school buildings and site can meet diverse pupil needs. To be able to ensure that classrooms are optimally organised for disabled pupils within current restraints. To be able to identify needs and actions for future improvements. Provide accessible environments for pupils with hidden disabilities such as ASC or dyslexia. | Monitor accessibility and clarity of signs around school. Monitor awareness of independent access. Clear identification of room functions. Plan classrooms in accordance with pupil need. Organise resources within classrooms to reflect student need. Incorporate accessibility into any proposed structural alternatives. Ensure that a printed, sans serif script and pastel backgrounds are used on interactive whiteboards. Displays to be in calm, neutral colours. Provide a “sensory space” that pupils can use to self-regulate if necessary. Ensure that playgrounds have accessible spaces and equipment Personal evacuation plans | Governors SLT SENDCo | Ongoing | |
Improve the delivery of information to pupils with a disability | Our school can make available through SEND Services a range of communication methods to ensure information is accessible. Specialist teacher is a dyslexia specialist who can advise on dyslexia friendly fonts etc. | Ensure all written communication is dyslexia friendly. Communicate with pupils in a variety of ways that are appropriate to their needs and ensure that they have understood what is being communicated. | Provide advice and guidance on dyslexia friendly texts. Utilise SEND guides in order to decide on the best way to communicate in order to meet the needs of individual pupils. | SENDCo All staff | Ongoing |
4. Monitoring arrangements
This document will be reviewed every 3 years but may be reviewed and updated more frequently if necessary.
It will be approved by the governing body.
5. Links with other policies
This accessibility plan is linked to the following policies and documents:
- Risk assessment policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Equality Information and Objectives (public sector equality duty) Statement for Publication
- Special Educational Needs (SEN) Information Report
- Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy
Appendix 1: Accessibility audit
Feature | Description | Actions to be taken | Person responsible | Date to complete actions by |
Number of storeys | 2 storeys | Lift and evacuation chair for emergencies | Governors SLT | |
Corridor access | Wide enough for wheelchair access | None required | Governors SLT | |
Parking bays | 2 disabled bays | Used by disabled persons only | Governors SLT | |
Entrances | Wide enough for wheelchair access and level access | None required | Governors SLT | |
Toilets | 2 on ground floor 2 on second floor | Service and maintain | Governors SLT | |
Reception area | Wheelchair bay for signed in | None required | Governors SLT | |
Internal signage | Clearly signed rooms, disabled toilet etc | Review as necessary | Governors SLT | |
Emergency escape routes | Clearly signed fire doors regularly tested | Health and safety audits and site supervisors checks | Governors SLT |