Accessibility Policy and Equalities Plan Date written / last reviewed: October 2015 Date adopted by : Date of next review: September 2017 Related policies: School Values & Aim Equalities Policy Curriculum Policy School Aim, Vision and Values At Nelson our aim is to give each child the best preparation for life in a changing environment, promoting the values for continual learning, tolerance and respect for self and others. This plan has been written to meet the requirements of school to carry out accessibility planning for disabled pupils as stated in the Equality act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice 2014. This plan will be reviewed regularly and will be updated every two years. This plan complements our SEN Information Report, Equalities Policy, Supporting Medical Needs in School and Child Protection policies. Definition of Disability under the Equality Act 2010 states that a person has a disability if: They have a physical or mental impairment that has an adverse, substantial and long term effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities. This includes physical disabilities, sensory impairments and learning disabilities. Duties under the Equalities Act 2010 Legislation requires the governing body to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people who use the school or might wish to; and publish a disability equality scheme and action plan to show how these duties will be met. Purpose of the Plan Nelson Primary School recognises its duty: Not to discriminate against disables pupils in their admissions and exclusions and provision of education and associated services. Not to treat disabled pupils less-favourably. To take reasonable steps to avoid putting disabled pupils at a substantial disadvantage. To publish an accessibility plan. The Governing Body of Nelson Primary School recognises its duty to: Increase the extent to which disable 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. Nelson Primary provides all pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum, differentiated and adjusted to meet the needs of individual pupils. We endorse the key principles 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. Self-Evaluation The school will review its progress and this policy every 2 years. A summary of what we have done already can be found in Appendix 1. What do we do to collect information about our children? We collect information from the Early Years settings, so that we are prepared for children when they arrive in school. We liaise with parents and professionals involved with the children to ensure we provide the right care for their needs. Home visits are undertaken for all children beginning Reception and if any children have additional needs the Local Authority and health advisers are contacted for support and guidance. Transition meetings are held between class teachers each year. Staff are trained in the use of epipens and asthma inhalers Full time support staff hold current first aid qualifications. Members of the welfare team and support staff in the Early Years Unit have current Paediatric First Aid qualifications. Profiles are completed for children on the SEN register Health Care plans are completed for all children with medical needs. School Population We have children with the following disabilities on roll, Diabetes Asthma Eczema Epilepsy 2
Hearing impairment Visual impairment Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Anaphylaxis Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) Dyslexia Dyspraxia Mental illness Physical Impairment Access Audit We take advice on support needed for children with disabilities and work with experts to ensure they have the support necessary to fully include them in the life of the school. The action plan ensures that: The school draws on the expertise of external agencies to provide specialist advice and support. The Manager has an overview of the needs of disabled pupils. In particular Manager, children with Special Educational Needs and Welfare Officer, those with medical needs. There is appropriate deployment and training of learning support staff. Successful practice is shared within the school. The school works with partner schools. Disabled pupils have access to extra-curricular activities. Nelson Primary consists of a one storey building with wide corridors and several access points from outside. On-site car parking for staff and visitors includes one dedicated disabled parking bay. All entrances to the school are either flat or ramped and all have wide doors fitted. The main entrance features a secure lobby and has been fitted with a low reception desk, this being fully accessible to wheelchair users. There are disabled toilet facilities available, one in the South Building corridor near to the main entrance, one in the EYFS wing, one in the North Building Year 1 end part of the school. All these are fitted with a handrail and a pull emergency cord. The school has internal emergency signage and escape routes are clearly marked. All outside areas are fully accessible to wheelchair users. All classrooms are fitted with appropriate lighting and interactive whiteboards, font sizes and colours can be amended to meet individual needs. Other resources are used in classrooms as needed for example, visualisers/magnifiers, Nexus Notebooks, writing slope and seat wedge. All children have opportunities to join age relevant extra-curricular activities beyond and within the school day. All children are included in a range of educational visits which support and stimulate the school curriculum. Staff consider the needs of all pupils when planning these activities and carry out appropriate risk assessments to ensure all children may participate. Advice is sought from other 3
adults involved with children who may have special requirements and from the health and safety officer. School makes additional provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities to access the curriculum through the SEN Framework. The three areas considered in the action plan are: a) Increasing access to the school curriculum In order to increase access for disabled pupils, parents and staff to everything the school offers, whether in lessons, after school clubs and school trips the school will: ensure all staff understand and promote disability equality raise disability awareness and skills of staff through training review school policies in the light of accessibility, diversity and equality of opportunity prioritise accessibility and disability equality in our planning plan provision for pupils through Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Pastoral Support Plans (PSPs), Statements or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), Health Care Plan and CAFs offer appropriate support and access arrangements during assessments and school trips ensure mental health and emotional needs are addressed through weekly meetings of the Team and safeguarding meetings, and staff meetings or through fortnightly phase meetings ensure early identification and assessment of children s needs and expertise sought to support the children in school from parents and practitioners provide staff training on specific learning needs e.g. dyspraxia, autism, ADHD, mental health including behaviour, anxiety and attachment. b) Improving access to the physical environment of the school In order to increase access to the physical environment for all pupils, parents and staff the school will: monitor the condition of the site through a Condition Survey and Suitability Survey seek advice from experts on necessary and desirable adaptations to improve access take account of the needs of pupils and visitors with physical difficulties when planning and undertaking future improvements and refurbishments of site and premises. seek the views of staff and users on priorities for the site commit funding to a programme of adaptations and improvements and consider access issues whenever adaptations or improvements are being made ensure the continued focus on staff training to support children with medical needs continue, budget permitting, to purchase further accessible technology take account of pupils and visitors with physical difficulties needs when planning the outdoor landscaping project providing learning opportunities beyond the classroom remark parking spaces (reinstate the disabled parking bay, following build expansion works) and identify and mark a clear pedestrian walkway to the front main entrance of the school, pedestrian walkway to the playground and to Squirrel s Nursery improve external navigational signage around the school improve the internal fire doors in the main entrance, currently very heavy to open 4
c) Improving the delivery of written information to disabled pupils The school has set the following priorities for the development of information and data: we will actively encourage feedback from parents and pupils about how we communicate, seeking in particular the views of pupils, staff and parents with disabilities. we will use multiple forms of communication including print, email, face-to-face meetings and our website. Teaching and support staff will always need to be sensitive to presenting materials to children in appropriate formats. the school makes its accessibility plan available on the school website and in different formats such as large print upon request. Plan 2014-17 Issue Action (s) Who/Timescale Success Criteria Monitoring Who/How? Curriculum For all teachers to be teachers of children with Special Educational Needs. For children s individual needs to be met through appropriate deployment of learning support staff. (SEN, EAL, PP, Medical, persistent absentees, CIN, CP) Training for teachers and support staff on different aspects of SEN and D (3 x academic year) Audit of staffing needs, Business plan to increase capacity matched to pupil need, Implement plan for staffing changes Manager Initial training Aut and Spring 2014/15 Follow up academic year 2015/16 this will change as pupil needs change AB Manager Aut 2014 (completed) Academic year 2015/16 All staff are trained and confident with issues linked to accessibility and inclusivity with regards to accessing the curriculum. All teachers are able to more fully meet the requirements of disabled children s needs with regards to accessing the curriculum impact analysis demonstrates identified children are making accelerated progress, additional needs are being met observations, data AB Manager /SLT Observations SLT, monitoring, Governor Access to curriculum for those pupils with specific learning difficulties Review the needs of children with specific issues, provide all relevant training and resources. Manager Spring 2016 All children have access to resources and programmes to remove any barriers to learning children make appropriate progress. DHT and Manager 5
Physical Environment Written Information Children with SEN and parents to be included in decisions about support options to ensure provision is child led and outcomes focussed For children s needs to be met through making appropriate adaptions to timetabling and resources For children s needs to be met when planning and carrying out changes to the outdoor spaces For children s needs to be met when decorating internally We will expand the number of school policies and documents which 3 meetings per year to discuss outcomes Movement through the school ensure children with physical disabilities have the opportunities for free movement within the school which may mean teachers allowing them to leave classes a few minutes earlier so they feel safe and secure in corridors, in the dining hall and during assemblies Outdoor learning leader to consider and raise issues during the visioning sessions We will develop a master plan for the school grounds in order to be ready with a project when money becomes available. The plan will include access and disability considerations such as full wheelchair access to all areas of the school grounds. The school will look to address issues raised in the new condition survey as finding allows. Consult stakeholders about policy information, in addition to the Class Teacher and parents 2014/15 (autumn and spring term meetings completed) Manager Outdoor Learning Leader Head Teacher Head Teacher Premises Manager SBM Head Teacher All children have appropriate outcomes set that well support them in closing the gap in their learning with their peers All children feel safe walking through the school, in the dining hall and during assemblies All children are able to access all aspects of the outdoor learning environment All learning environments are conducive to maximising children s learning and allow pupil independence and mobility e.g. classrooms and corridors have been decorated with consideration to colour contrast to help those with visual impairment. Improved awareness and understanding through additional policy documents DHT and Manager DHT Head Teacher SBM Head Teacher Head Teacher 6
are available on our website. We will consider the use of a VLE, potentially Frog, for communication with pupils and governors and parents. statutory information already available, they may find useful and how it could be delivered e.g. braille and communicated Research Frog as a means of communication SBM Improved effectiveness regarding the communication of information, a central web space created To ensure the availability of written material in alternative formats as needed by our parent population. Review all current school publications and promote the availability in different formats for those that require it. Manager/DHT/SBM Summer 2016 The school will be provide written information in different formats/sized when required for individual purposes. To ensure the availability of appropriate sized written material for pupils/parents with a visual impairment. 7
Appendix 1 What the school has already done Curriculum The school draws on the expertise of external partners, as well as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, school nursing service and occupational therapists. Staff are trained and released to meet professionals to work in partnership to meet the needs of individual pupils e.g. SALT and EP We have provided specialised furniture and equipment for named pupils in particular settings. Staff awareness of pupils with physical and medical needs has been raised in bespoke staff training sessions. Pupils with language and communication difficulties are provided for by provision of information in pictorial forms and social stories. The governing body has been kept informed of developments. Provision is made for pupils to be provided with work or materials if they are absent from school because of medical needs. There is a designated person in school to aid communication with other parties, to attend reviews, and to facilitate communication between the pupil and the school. Procedures are in place for ensuring that pupils who are unable to attend school because of medical needs have access to statutory assessments. The progress of individual learners is constantly monitored, and learners who may be difficult to engage, missing out, or feeling isolated are identified as under-achieving and steps are taken to ensure that barriers to learning are overcome. All teaching rooms have blinds to make it easier for pupils to see the whiteboard. Physical Environment Lighting in some areas of the school has been upgraded as part of the build expansion. Colour contrast between walls and flooring is maintained, with doors painted a contrasting colour. Furniture and equipment is purchased to take account of access requirements, e.g. specialist keyboards for the visually impaired, calculators with large keys, special seating for identified pupils. Car parking places have been made available for disabled staff and visitors. The governing body has been kept informed of developments. Evacuation of disabled pupils is included as part of regular fire drills. An adult disabled toilet in a more accessible location is in Block A Lower ceilings have been installed, as part of the classroom renovation, improving acoustics Information A virtual office has been created on our website where newsletters and other letters and information can be located. Hard copies are also available from the school office. 8