Acessibility Policy and Plan
Accessibility Policy and Plan 2020-2023
Academy: Co-op Academy Woodlands
Approved by: Adele Clark (Headteacher)
Approved date: 23.10.23
Next Review Date: October 2024
Contents
Appendix 1: Accessibility audit
1. Aims
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
Through our strong belief and promotion of the Co-op values and ways of being, we have a caring, supportive ethos that seeks to provide all individuals with what they need and to treat them fairly and with respect. By ‘all’ we mean anyone involved in the school community including colleagues, pupils, parents, carers and governors.
At Co-op Academy Woodlands, we are ambitious for pupils with disabilities and we aim to reduce and eliminate the barriers to accessing the curriculum fully and will ensure full participation in the school community for pupils, and prospective pupils, with a disability.
We will reduce and eliminate barriers to adults with a disability, be they staff, parents, carers and governors to ensure their full participation in the life of the school.
We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which people feel confident about disclosing their disabilities in the certain knowledge that they will receive a positive and supportive response which facilitates their full participation in the full range of activities offered by our school.
We seek to foster a positive response to disability among all members in our school community and to eliminate bullying, harassment or the less favourable treatment of people with disabilities wherever and whenever it is likely to occur.
The school recognises and values parents’ knowledge of their child’s disability and its effect on his/her ability to carry out normal activities, and respects the parents’ and child’s right to confidentiality
The school provides all pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum, differentiated and adjusted to meet the needs of individual pupils.
The plan will be made available online on the school website, and paper copies are available upon request.
Our school is also committed to ensuring staff are trained in equality issues with reference to the Equality Act 2010, including understanding disability issues.
Our school’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.
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, ‘longterm’ 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.
This policy complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.
3. Current good practice:
We aim to ask about any disability or health condition in early communications with new parents and carers as part of our school admissions procedure.
All entrances to the school are flat and have wide doors.
The main entrance has been adjusted so there is no ‘lip’ which was a trip hazard and barrier for wheelchair users.
The main entrance is fully accessible for wheelchair users.
There are disabled toilet facilities available; 2 fitted with a handrail and a pull emergency cord.
The school has a care suite which is fitted with a transactive manual hoist and a Smirthwaite changing table (changing facilities for older children and adults).
Steps down to the playground have yellow painted handrails and yellow markings on the steps itself for visually impaired pupils.
There is a ramp for wheelchair users down to the KS2 playground
We support pupils with both physical disabilities and learning needs to access areas of the curriculum they find difficult. Where PE is a challenge for physically impaired pupils we seek expert advice for identified individual needs.
We consult with experts when new situations regarding pupils with disabilities are experienced.
4. Action plan
This action plan sets out the aims of our accessibility plan in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
Aim | Current good practice Include established practice and practice under development | Objectives State short, medium and long-term objectives | Actions to be taken | Person responsible | Date to complete actions by | Success criteria |
Increase access to the curriculum for pupils with a disability | Our Academy offers a range of support and scaffolding to ensure that the curriculum is accessible for all pupils. We use resources tailored to the needs of pupils who require support to access the curriculum. Curriculum progress is tracked for all pupils, including those with a disability. This includes the use of more appropriate assessment tools to capture small steps of progress where necessary and appropriate e.g. Progression steps progress through the use of BSquared. Targets are set effectively and are appropriate for pupils with additional needs and these are monitored by the SENCo The curriculum is reviewed to ensure it meets the needs of all | Use RNIB shop to enhance learning experience for visually impaired student e.g. audio books, labels etc. to further support learning. Free audio books from Calibre audio
Ensure all pupils have access to the schools’ full curriculum and no pupils are segregated from class learning other than for appropriate provision.
| Continued training for 1:1 supporting visually impaired student as well as the administrator who help produce braille resources for use in class.
Training of class teacher to support understanding of provision for visually impaired student.
Training for staff on increasing access to the curriculum for all pupils. Individual risk assessments are completed.
| SENCo and 1:1 support and administrator
SENCo and Class teacher
SENCo
| Ongoing
December 2020
Ongoing
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Learning and provision of resources of visually impaired student is in line expectations of VI team (Ellen Maher) Audio books to support the development of a love of reading for visually impaired student
All pupils successfully access the school’s curriculum through a range of support strategies and scaffolds. | ||||||
Pupil Passport to provide information regarding needs like: sensory needs, Lego therapy and speech and language therapy Brailling of short texts and longer text to support ‘reading’ development of visually impaired student Use of prescribe software for visually impaired student to access learning on an IPad | Ensure all out of school activities and after school clubs are planned to ensure reasonable adjustments are made to enable the participation of the whole range of pupils | All third-party providers comply with access for all.
| SENCo, PE leader and class teachers | Half termly in line with after school club arrangements. | Pupils are integrated into daily lessons being taught where possible the same objectives but with adaptations to suit their individual needs. All children’s progress is monitored and high expectation for all. | |
Improve the delivery of information to pupils with a disability
| Explain your school’s approach here. Example: Our school uses a range of communication methods to ensure information is accessible. This includes:
| Ensure all guidance and expectations for visually impaired are in line with expectations and guidance from Leeds VI (Visually Impaired) team. Classroom resources are created and developed in a timely manner to ensure full access to learning in class
Home learning provided by school in case of isolation and/or quarantining are of same quality of work/learning provided in class | SENCo to monitor class practice in relation to provision for visually impaired pupil and provide support and/or training where appropriate SENCo to evaluate provision and quality of resourcing/ support
Ensure the use of wigit to support the learning of children with disabilities and/or special needs is consistent and effective | SENCo
SENCo
SENCo, English, maths and curriculum leads
| Ongoing
Half termly review meetings between VI team, 1:1 support and class teacher
Ongoing | The academy is suitable prepared for the effective and efficient induction of any new pupil regardless of need. All areas remain accessible for all. Children are not excluded from learning opportunities because they cannot access the classroom, resources or equipment. Whole school community awareness of the issues relating to access within school |
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Improve and maintain access to the physical environment | The environment is adapted to the needs of pupils as required. This includes: Double doors into all corridors and cloakrooms. Single floor building with no stairs. Corridor width Disabled parking bays Disabled toilets and changing facilities including hoist. Library shelves at wheelchair accessible height Contrasting coloured chairs, floors and table for pupils with sight disabilities.
| Maintain all specialist equipment and markings in readiness for potential new pupils. Ensure pupils with disabilities can maintain independence and access throughout school Ensure 2 disable paring bays are only used by staff or visitors with a blue disability badge Repainting of disability parking markings | Service and maintenance of hoist and specialist equipment annually Temporary ramping solutions are available for when required. Staff training to support and maintain awareness of flooring, furniture and layout in planning for disabled pupils Take into account the needs of the pupils, staff and visitors with physical difficulties when planning and undertaking future improvements. | Mitie
SENCo and Office manager
SENCo
Head teacher | On-going Dec 2020 On-going On-going July 2023 | The academy are suitable prepared for the swift induction of any new pupil regardless of need. All areas remain accessible for all. Children are not excluded from learning opportunities because they cannot access around the classroom or equipment. Whole school community awareness of the issues relating to access within school |
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 headteacher and governors
5. Links with other policies
This accessibility plan is linked to the following policies and documents:
- 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
The table below contains some examples of features you might assess as part of an audit of the school’s physical environment. It is not an exhaustive list, and should be adapted to suit your own context.
Feature | Description | Actions to be taken | Person responsible | Date for completion of actions |
Corridor access
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Disabled Toilets
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Parking bays
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Care Suite
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Entrances
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Ramps
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Internal signage
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External signage
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Emergent lighting
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Reception area
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