Access Plan Approved by Date approved Date of next review Responsibility Nominated Governor Senior Leader Responsible Related Policies
Full Governing Body 6 May 2014 Summer 2017 Student Support Committee Governor responsible for SEND: Headteacher SEND Inclusion Equality of opportunity Intimate care
Rationale At Dragonfly Education Trust, we believe that all young people have the right to be healthy, happy and safe; to be loved, valued and respected; and to have high aspirations for their future. We embrace inclusion and take necessary steps to ensure that every young person is given equality of opportunity to develop socially, to learn and to enjoy community life. The Equality Act 2010 states that all schools must carry out accessibility planning for disabled pupils.
Purpose
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Increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum Improving the physical environment to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided Improving the availability of accessible information to disabled pupils, parents and carers Improving monitoring, evaluation and review of provision and outcomes
This plan should be read in conjunction with the School Improvement Plan.
Definition of Disability The definition of disability under the law is a wide one. A disabled person is someone who has 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. The definition includes people with a Hearing or Visual Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, mental health issues and incontinence. People with ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Downs Syndrome and Hydrocephalus are included. Medical conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis, severe Asthma, Diabetes, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, Sickle Cell Anaemia and HIV are deemed disabilities. Facial disfigurement, severe Dyslexia, gross obesity and diagnosed eating disorders are all included.
If a person has been disabled in the past (for example, cancer recoverers and people with a history of mental illness) they are still covered by the legislation for the rest of their life.
Current Provision (May 2014) Participation in the curriculum ●
all disabled students have access to the full curriculum
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teachers plan a wide variety of teaching and learning activities to meet the needs of all students
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disabled students who are statemented have dedicated TAs who support them in lessons to remove practical barriers to participation and to ensure resources are adapted to allow full access
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in the small number of cases where an activity cannot be made accessible for practical or health and safety reasons, an alternative activity is provided
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for students with mental health issues, the Support and Guidance Advisors, Head of School (student support) and Behaviour and Inclusion Manager give support to the student, including alternative provision and involvement of external agencies if needed, and offer advice to staff on how to best to meet their needs
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training is provided for staff by the SENCO, HLTAs, Behaviour and Inclusion Manager, Senior Staff and external specialists in meeting the needs of students with disabilities as part of the weekly training sessions and during staff meetings and INSET days
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the school collaborates well with neighbouring special and mainstream schools to gain support, advice and training
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if a student is unable to attend school due to a long term medical condition, and on the advice of external agencies, the school may pay for home tuition through the hospital education service until the student is able to return to school
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all students are encouraged and supported in taking part in extra-curricular activities; some activities are specifically targetted at disabled students, eg inclusion basketball; the school has a minibus with a wheelchair ramp so that disabled students can take part in school visits
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the school works closely with parents/carers in planning for and reviewing provision.
Physical Environment ●
for students who require personal care, there an accessible toilet facility that is large enough to accommodate a toilet and washbasin, bed, hoist and space for child, wheelchair and up to two adults; personal care is provided by dedicated, trained TAs; there are six toilets for the disabled covering all areas of the main school and further toilets in the sixth form and sports areas
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there is a dedicated medical room and dedicated staff receive training to be able meet the needs of disabled students
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all upper floors across the site are accessible to physically disabled pupils using lifts, and ramps avoid the use of stairs;
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the evacuation plan outlines the alternative method of returning the physically disabled students to the ground floor in case of emergency, fire or lift failure; ‘Evac’ type chairs are provided and staff who support physically disabled students are trained to use them
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allocated parking spaces with level access next to the main entrance to the school are provided for parents of disabled pupils; this area is monitored by reception staff and a parking attendant to prevent inappropriate use;
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the size and layout of all corridors, social, dining, and teaching spaces allow access for all students; all areas are well lit
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the SENCO arranges for the purchase of specialist resources and equipment where needed, trains staff in its use and monitors its use and effectiveness in lessons
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tactile buttons are on all doors, corridors and lifts to aid visually impaired students and adults to find their way around the building.
Accessible information ●
all teachers are provided with detailed information about the needs of disabled students through IEPs and provision maps; advice is given on their preferred learning styles and ways to support them in their learning
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when planning lessons, teachers differentiate resources, using a multi-sensory approach, to ensure they are accessible to all students; this includes simplifying language, use of symbols, large print , considering the best page layout, using audio or video files or reading information aloud; TAs are provided with lesson information prior to the lesson so that they can assist with the differentiation for the students they support
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the SENCO and TAs advise teachers on how to adapt resources and activities to meet the needs of particular students; these are outlined in IEPs and provision maps which are accessible to all staff on the staff intranet
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all students have an ipad for use in school and at home and the SENCO and TAs ensure that students make best use of these in relation to their needs to access and record information
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digital technology is used across the school to adapt resources and enable a variety of approaches to meet the needs of all students; students are able to use ipads at home and in school for this purpose and the school’s vle gives 24/7 access
Monitoring & Evaluation ●
the SENCO monitors the academic progress of students in the SEND code of practice and liaises with subject and support and guidance staff to support those students who are not making expected progress
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TAs act as key workers for students who have more complex needs and act as advocates where they have concerns about the provision in place to support them
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IEPs, provision maps and statements are reviewed at least three times a year, giving students and parents the opportunity to feedback on their progress and the impact of support
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the deployment of TAs is monitored during lesson observations and concerns are fed back to the teacher and SENCO
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HLTAs meet with TAs once a term to monitor the effectiveness of their deployment in lessons
https://docs.google.com/a/writhlington.org.uk/document/d/1ECd7ZYgfTny1hNESbXMZ9TRQc V4YB5_GOi6jF0Bv7K0/edit?usp=sharing
