Northumberland Education Accessibility Strategy. Updated February 2018 Our commitment to making schools in Northumberland accessible. Co-produced with In-It-Together 2017-2020
Contents Page
Page
Our inclusion vision
3
Key aims
4
The Northumberland Context
5
Equalities legislation: The Specific Duty
7
Equalities legislation: Reasonable Adjustment Duty
The General Duty
8
Access to the curriculum
9
Access to the environment:
10
Communication and interaction
11
Learning and development
12
Sensory/physical
13
Visual
14
Hearing
15
Admissions. Transport. Evaluation and Review
Graduated Approach, Elective Home Education, Complaints
16
Action Plan 2017-2020
17
Appendix 1: Making printed information accessible
20
Appendix 2: School Accessibility Plan
21
Appendix 3: Useful links
22
Our inclusion vision We are committed to giving all children the best start in life and to supporting them to achieve their full potential. We want vulnerable children and young people to develop their independence and resilience, to become confident adults who live fulfilled and productive lives. To achieve this, we will work in partnership as professionals from teams and organisations, with children, young people and their families to ensure that services and support arrangements for children who have special educational needs and disabilities are of the highest quality and have the maximum impact. Taken from our SEND Strategy, our priorities are: 1. Provide education, health, care services and support systems which give children and young people the best opportunity to engage, achieve, succeed and progress. 2. Agree arrangements and protocols that enable a partnership approach to: Identify need as early as possible Jointly plan and commission services Ensure High Quality provision Ensure effective monitoring Accurately evaluate, analyse and plan ambitious targets for the future 3. Ensure that children, young people and their families have access to timely assessment that enables intervention at the earliest opportunity 4. Establish and maintain coordinated information and advice services that are accessible and support decision making and choice. 5. Co-ordinate services so that transitions are smooth, and support is continuous 6. Provide opportunities for children and young people and their families and carers to contribute to the design, delivery and evaluation of services. 7. Adopt best value principles in directly provided and commissioned services.
Engagement We will realise our vision, priorities and aims by engaging in efficient, appropriate and timely ways with a wide range of groups, agencies and individuals to bring together the best outcomes for children and young people in Northumberland. This engagement will allow us to best match the needs and requirements with available provision and services. Our engagement will be with parents, carers, schools, settings and children and young people across Northumberland. National Context Improving access to education and educational achievement for pupils with disabilities and SEN is essential to ensure equality of opportunity, full participation in society, access to employment opportunities and inclusion within mainstream education. The SEN and Disability Act 2001 amended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 by introducing new duties on local authorities (LA) and schools in relation to pupils with disabilities and prospective pupils. From 1 October 2010, the Equality Act replaced most of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). However, the Disability Equality Duty in the DDA continues to apply. The main duties are not to treat pupils with disabilities less favourably and to take reasonable steps to avoid putting pupils with disabilities at a substantial disadvantage. Additional provision under the Equality Act 2010 was introduced in September 2012, and relates to the requirement for schools to provide Auxiliary Aids for pupils with disabilities subject to the Reasonable Adjustment duty. The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 introduced the duty to promote disability equality from December 2006. This duty applies to schools and LAs, who have a planning duty to prepare and publish access plans and accessibility strategies in order to increase over time the accessibility of buildings, and access to education and information for pupils with disabilities and SEN
.
Our three key aims will be the basis upon which we transform our vision into reality. You will find more detailed information about our commitment to our SEND Strategy online. The aims are:
Key Aims
1. To increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities and Special Educational Needs (SEN) can participate in the curriculum. 2. To improve the physical environment of schools to increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities and Special Educational Needs can take advantage of education. 3. To improve the delivery of information to pupils with disabilities and SEN and their parents/carers through the Northumberland Local Offer which is the name of the place where all of the helpful information and resources can be found.
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Approximately 3% of the school age population will have complex Special Educational Needs (SEN), as reflected in both local and national pupil numbers having EHC Plans. This accounts for approximately 1400 school age children in Northumberland. This does not include a wider group of children who do not have EHC plans, but are identified and recorded as needing additional SEN support. Taken together, this accounts for approximately 16% of the school age population and 7000 thousand children. The most prevalent areas of need identified are speech and language and communication (SLCN), moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH). The proportion of pupils with MLD attending special schools is much lower than average, reflecting that MLD pupils are much more likely to remain integrated in mainstream schools Feedback from the 3 locality based Parent Carer Forums has indicated that the existing Local Offer is not as easily accessible or comprehensive as it could be and information can be difficult to find. A project team is in place, and is responding to feedback. Parents appreciate written as well as on-line resources. The meaning of the term 'Local Offer' is unclear to many, and does not fully describe: 'A Local Authority's publication of all the provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEN or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans'. In-It-Together would like to see the Local Offer web site to be similar to an e-commerce site, with easy to understand routes to accessing a service. All children and young people referred to health teams are seen within 18 weeks. Outcomes for children and young people who attend special schools in Northumberland are at least good and in many cases outstanding. The proportion of pupils receiving SEN Support achieving a good level of development in the early years rose markedly between 2014 and 2016 and is above the national average. The proportion of pupils receiving SEN Support in primary and first schools who achieve the expected standard in phonics (the decoding of words when reading) rose markedly between 2014 and 2016. Historically a low number of learners with SEN Support experience fixed term or permanent exclusions compared to nationally published figures, however, we are concerned about an increasing trend in 2017. A high proportion of secondary/high schools and academies are not good enough. They have been subject to special measures. Pupils with SEND in these secondary schools have not made the progress of which they are capable. The LA needs to continue to work with the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) to challenge and support academies and ensure that the RSC prioritises SEND provision in Northumberland. Consultation At NCC, we recognise and are consulting widely and considering a range of options to help us address some of the issues we have identified, which include: ● A lack of places in specialist schools to meet age ranges and SEND. ● Rapidly increasing demand for provision for learners with high needs Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). ● A different pattern in the service needs of younger age groups ● Specialist provision is difficult to access across the entire county with disparities in the extremities .● Transition pathways need to be better coordinated across education, health and social care. The local authority invests significantly more than most local authorities in services to support schools with children and young people with emerging needs. There is a large infrastructure of SEND specialist support including Portage, Educational Psychology, Hearing/Visual Impairment, Autism and Behaviour Support, Literacy and Communication Support. All nine of our special schools are providing a good or better quality of education for children and young people. There are excellent arrangements to support transitions to adult services for children with complex needs (CQC May 2016).
The Specific Duty In addition to the General Duty, there is a Specific Duty for schools. The main requirement is for schools to prepare and publish an accessibility plan. In effect, the General Duty sets out what schools must do and the Specific Duty gives them an opportunity to say how they will do it, and who they have involved in making the plans. Reasonable Adjustment Duty The Equality Act requires schools and local authorities to make what are called 'reasonable adjustments' to ensure that pupils with disabilities are not at a substantial disadvantage. Reasonable adjustments should mean that children have their opportunities to take part, learn and doing the same things as other children If a child or young person has a disability, health condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, they may need certain facilities, assistive technology or support services to enable them to make the most of their studies or training. This can include alternative exam or assessment arrangements. These are examples of reasonable adjustments. Since September 2012 schools have been required to provide auxiliary aids (and services) for disabled pupils to overcome any disadvantage experienced in schools. Children and young people with medical conditions are entitled to a full education and have the same rights of admission to school as other children. This means that no child with a medical condition should be denied admission or prevented from taking up a place in school because arrangements for their medical condition have not been made. The governing body must ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure that such children can access and enjoy the same opportunities at school as any other child. Governing bodies should ensure schools develop a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff. Although there is no requirement on teaching staff to administer medicines or undertake personal and health care procedures, governing bodies are required to ensure there are arrangements in place, including ensuring sufficient members of support staff are appropriately trained to undertake these roles as part of their core job description
Schools and settings There is a requirement for maintained schools, pupil referral units (PRUs), academies and free schools to produce an Accessibility Plan. There is no requirement for an LA to have an accessibility strategy for early years settings (other than in relation to schools maintained by them), and no requirement on early years settings (other than those constituted as schools) to have a published plan to increase access for young children with disabilities and/or SEN. In Northumberland we promote and support good practice in all early years settings. Northumberland Early Years providers have free access to the Early Years Inclusion Consultants who offer challenge and support, offer CPD, run inclusion campaigns and recommend strategies and interventions to develop quality first education to meet the unique needs of each child. The Early Years Inclusion Consultants also advise on the involvement of further agencies and professionals able to support with accessibility, inclusion and SEND. Equalities legislation The General Duty This duty requires schools, when carrying out their functions, to make sure that they: • Eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010; • Eliminate harassment of pupils with disabilities that is related to their disability; • Promote equality of opportunity between people with disabilities and other people; • Promote positive attitudes towards people with disabilities; • Encourage participation by people with disabilities in public life; • Take steps to take account of the disabilities of people who have disabilities even where that involves treating people with disabilities more favourably than other people. The General Duty applies across schools’ duties, and applies to disabled pupils, staff and parents/ carers, along with other users of the school.
The following are considered good practice: Develop effective classroom partnerships by differentiating the learning objectives and outcomes, ensuring all staff are fully briefed and can adjust the lesson to meet the needs of individual pupils. This partnership should be underpinned by encouraging independence amongst pupils. Develop a whole school approach that increases the capability of all school staff to assist in the teaching of pupils with SEND in mainstream settings. In particular this approach should focus on ensuring school staff can provide care and support for vulnerable pupils, and know how to obtain further support Make SEND a priority by ensuring there is a member of the governing body, or a sub-committee, with specific oversight arrangements for SEN and disability. This should include regular reviews between the headteacher, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO) and the governing body on how resources are being allocated and the impact of this allocation Ensure that local directories and guides to services are accessible to all staff and that schools make the most of all of the support and assistance available to help children to succeed and make progress. Schools can ensure that staff and governors are aware of and undertake the free EHRC/John Moore’s online training Unlocking Opportunities in order to better understand their responsibilities The Local Authority will assist schools, wherever possible, to establish the above good practice and will provide advice, support and specialist provision to ensure all pupils can access the curriculum.
Ensuring access to the curriculum is vital in providing equal opportunities to children and young people with SEND. Considerable progress has been made to improve the accessibility of the curriculum, covering both teaching and learning, as well as Early Years, trips and visits after school activities. All schools are required to have in place their own Accessibility Plan that demonstrates what actions the school is taking to increase access to the curriculum, particularly for those pupils with SEND.
Access to the Curriculum
Reasonable adjustments may be needed to ensure equal access to the environment, including the creation of safe spaces, calming areas, and individual workstations. Since September 2012 there has also been a requirement for educational settings to provide auxiliary aids for pupils with disabilities subject to the Reasonable Adjustment Duty. Support services from health, social care and education services are available to advise educational settings about suitable and reasonable adaptations to the inside and outside environment to help include pupils with SEND (specifically those with sensory integration needs).
Access to The environment
Areas to consider Issues of physical space and how to reduce distractions. Opportunities to present information visually. Providing organisational strategies to complete activities. Using visual structures to help with organisation, increase clarity and provide instruction. The following sections represent a summary of available LA support for each category of environmental access, and what is expected of the school. Communication and Interaction Available local authority support: Supporting transition arrangements for children as they move between different phases of education. Carrying out specialist assessments and monitoring children’s progress. Provide ongoing advice on how to meet the needs of individual children. Provide specialist services to support schools in meeting the needs of pupils attending a mainstream school Provide intervention delivered by specialist practitioners to support speech, language and communication needs. Provide training (bespoke and accredited) to school staff to develop their capacity to meet speech, language and communication needs Expectations of schools: Support pupils’ understanding of the spoken word by using visual clues, gestures, illustrations, diagrams and the written word. Modify adult language in terms of complexity, vocabulary, utterance, and speed. Repeat instructions, and modify the instruction if required. Teach strategies to pupils that support self-learning and self-help. Identify key vocabulary of the curriculum and teach definitions and cueing sentences. Support the organisation of language through visual imagery. Provide written information in a straightforward style. Ensure that details of homework are given in sufficient time to allow for understanding. Support the development of conversational skills and other aspects of social communication. There are specific responsibilities and support available for pupils with Autistic Spectrum and Communication Disorder. The links our specialists recommend to support schools to find out more include: Autism Education Trust Autism Standards The Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) Autism Toolbox The National Autistic Society
Learning and development (including behaviour, social and emotional needs)
Available local authority support: Assess, monitor and support progress of children when identified as having high needs. Provide telephone advice and guidance for schools and parents Provide specialist services to support schools in meeting the needs of pupils attending a mainstream school. Expectations of schools: Schools will find detailed, graduated guidance in the Northumberland SENCo Handbook. When addressing communication needs, avoid asking pupils to read in public unless they are comfortable to do so, instead find an area of strength for them to demonstrate publicly. Use a multi-sensory approach during lessons to maximise learning channels. Carefully consider presentation of work sheets. Provide pupils with photocopies of key text to allow for highlighting. Regularly place the child in a group where they can contribute knowledge. Ensure the work/materials are appropriately differentiated to match the learner's needs. Learning Support Assistants may be required. Ensure adequate reinforcement/consolidation of reading and writing skills to the level of automaticity. Use colour and visual clues to support reinforcement. Help the pupil organise themselves by developing visual timetables, prompts and structures to support their memory and routines. Use alternative methods for recording content, specifically methods that support revision. Use positive feedback when marking work, and focus on marking content rather than accuracy, neatness or quantity.
Sensory/physical Available local authority support: Facilitate peer support for schools and parents to encourage support networks between schools, parents and voluntary agencies. Facilitate multi-agency work including health and social care professionals, early intervention teams, sensory specialists and school staff. Expectations of schools: Fire doors to be suitable and accessible for pupils using wheelchairs Ensure that all pupil coat pegs, drawers and furniture are at appropriate heights. Sinks, taps and play equipment to be at a suitable height and suitable for pupils with poor motor skills. Playground markings to promote appropriate motor planning games and route planning. Handrails to be placed adjacent to steps. Adjustable height furniture in science and technology rooms. Alternative means of access determined to avoid difficult steps. Doorways to be wheelchair accessible Liaise with health authority staff when considering the height of any toilet aids and equipment that may be required. Ensure that any adaptations to toilet areas allow space for a changing bench and suitable storage areas. All uneven surfaces on the premises to be monitored and repaired. Any obstacles, steps or uneven surfaces that cannot be removed to be clearly marked. The tread and riser of steps to be clearly marked with a contrasting colour
Visual Available local authority support: Facilitation of peer support for schools and parents to encourage support networks between schools, parents and voluntary agencies. Facilitation of multi-agency work including health and social care professionals, early intervention teams, specialists and school staff. Northumberland Sensory Support Service Expectations of schools: Improvements can be achieved by increasing the contrast of one object to another, and by ensuring good lighting throughout the school. Ensure clear areas of movement throughout the building, including ensuring doors are kept fully open or shut – not ajar. Lighting should be kept consistent throughout and without shadow, particularly in corridors. All appropriate and uneven surfaces to be supported by handrails. Equipment to be stored consistently in the same location, including the pupils’ coat peg, drawer and/or locker. Hearing Available local authority support: Facilitate peer support for schools and parents to encourage support networks between schools, parents and voluntary agencies. Facilitate multi-agency work including health and social care professionals, early intervention teams, sensory specialists and school staff. Northumberland Sensory Support Service Expectations of schools: Appropriate use of sound boards and soft furnishings, such as curtains, blinds and drapes, can reduce sound reverberation. A quiet area to be provided for pupils. Staff to use a radio aid, ‘boom box’ or micro-link if appropriate. Hearing impaired pupils to sit centrally in order to maximise opportunities for lip reading. Absorptive treatment on walls and ceilings of gyms and classrooms. Admissions Available local authority support: The LA will ensure all admission arrangements comply with the DfE School Admissions Code. The LA will coordinate applications for places at first, primary, middle, high and secondary schools as part of the normal admissions rounds. Provide clear information to both schools and parents/carers in relation to admissions and pupils with SEND.
Expectations of schools: The governing body/academy trust to ensure compliance with admissions law, including determining admission policies and consideration of parental applications. To admit every child who is awarded a place, and make suitable arrangements for that child, regardless of that child’s needs or support requirements. Transport Available local authority support: The LA will provide home to school transport to children who are entitled to it under the law and council policy. The LA will work with schools and parents/carers when conducting assessments, and will inform them of the outcomes. Expectations of schools: To support the LA and parents/carers in the management of pupil behaviour whilst that pupil is on home to school transport. Access to information Northumberland County Council collects information about the numbers of children and young people in the county with different types of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as part of the annual school census. This data is used, along with data held by statutory SEND services, to help with planning, and to study trends and monitor the effectiveness of initiatives and interviews for these children and young people. Evaluation and review School Improvement Partners may notice and record positive outcomes in their reports, and there are likely to be measurable outcomes a school can celebrate, such as: a reduction in the number of exclusions good attendance, including reduction in persistent absentees a reduction in physical restraints a reduction in mid-year mobility ie pupils and parents not seeking to change schools mid-year. no complaints Good inclusive practice where children are being successfully included in local mainstream schools and appropriate differentiation is in place should be shared with other schools to enable best practice and skills sharing through visits and informal mentoring. Ofsted inspectors will discuss with each school how it is meeting statutory requirements and evaluate and report on the impact of the school’s actions. This may include a school’s accessibility plan as part of the evidence – (Inspecting Equalities: briefing for Section 5 inspection, September 2012) This strategy covers the period 2017-20 and will be regularly reviewed by the contributors and revised/ updated as required within this time period. The overall responsibility for this evaluation and review will rest with the Director of Education.
The Graduated Approach Where a pupil is identified as having SEND, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This SEN support should take the form of a four-part cycle where earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as the graduated approach. It is summarised as: Assess (Code of Practice 6:45 -6:47) Plan (Code of Practice 6:48 – 5;51) Do (Code of Practice 6:52) Review (Code of Practice 6:53- 6:56 ) It draws on more detailed approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the SEN of children and young people. (Code of Practice 6.44) Elective Home Education Elective home education is the term used by the Department of Education to describe parents’ decisions to provide education for their children at home instead of sending them to school. This is different to home tuition provided by a local authority or education provided by a local authority other than at a school. Nationally, the number of children being educated in this way is on the increase. Councils say that fears of prosecution over low attendance, greater awareness of home education, not getting a preferred school place and bullying are the major reasons for the rise. Parents and carers who plan to home educate children with SEND should be informed and supported to understand the potential problems they might face if they were to try to obtain a school place in the future, as it can be very difficult for teachers to help pupils who have been poorly home educated to catch up after long periods of time away from the curriculum. Complaints Any parent or carer who is unhappy about the accessibility and inclusion provision at their child's school must start the process of complaining by using the school's own complaints procedure.
Aim
Action
Success Criteria
Measure
Monitored by
1
LA will champion access to the curriculum to improve participation and ensure schools provide high quality personalised education where appropriate
Children and pupils with SEND have the same opportunities as others to all aspects of the curriculum
The vast majority of children and families questioned say they have open access to all curriculum areas by 2020
An online survey via the Local Offer web site to establish annually or bi-annually that proogress is being made
2
LA will further develop and maintain the opportunities and the expertise within schools to encourage inclusion.
The vast majority of children questioned say they have open access to all curriculum areas by 2020
Children who attend Special schools, those who are LAC and those in mainstream schools and their parents and carers
LA will support and challenge schools to reduce the number of exclusions for SEND pupils
Reductions in exclusion rates for children and young people with SEND pupils and attendance rates to improve for children and young people with SEND .
Decreased numbers of exclusions for children and young people with SEND reported annually by the Virtual School
Monitored and reported on annually by the Head of Inclusion
Action Plan 2017-2020 The Equality Act 2010 replaces previous discrimination law and provides a single piece of legislation covering all types of discrimination that are unlawful. This plan seeks to address the statutory requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and to further the aims of our vision statement. 1. Increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities and SEN can participate in the curriculum This covers teaching and learning and the wider curriculum of the school such as participation in after school clubs, leisure and cultural activities or school visits. It also covers the provision of specialist or auxiliary aids and equipment which may assist these pupils in accessing the curriculum.
The LA to support and challenge mainstream schools and academies to develop effective and appropriate provision to meet the needs of all children and young people with SEND
An increased percentage of children and young people with SEND are educated in county and secure their first choice of mainstream or appropriate school
Fewer applications for EHCPs if the Graduated Approach ensures that the right level of funding and support is put in place at the right time
SEND Team, School admissions, Inclusion support can all confirm that appropriate adaptations and provision are in place to meet children's needs
LA to support and challenge schools and academies to maximise the use of funding streams to improve accessibility in mainstream settings for children with disabilities and SEN.
Increased percentage of pupils with SEND being educated and receiving appropriate support in mainstream settings
Parents , carers and children with disabilities find schools accessible and state that the adaptations have been timely and appropriate.
Audit samples of schools SEND information reports annually to extract examples of good practice and compliance
Individual adaptations to school and academy environments are anticipatory, timely and transfer with the child through the phases to ensure no barriers to accessing the curriculum
Adaptations are appropriate and in place when the child needs them. Schools share information well in advance of transitions
Well prepared settings, with no inconvenience for pupils with SEND as they are required to wait for adaptations which enable them to access the learning environment
Bi-annual survey of families and children with SEND through the Local Offer web site
2. Improve the physical environment of schools to increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities and Special Educational Needs can take advantage of education.. This covers improvements to the physical environment of schools, and physical aids to access education e.g. enhanced fire alarms, for pupils with sensory impairment, disabled and allocated parking spaces
The LA , schools, academies and the NHS will maintain and share links and useful recommendations to help schools to know where best practice can be located when developing alternate formats (see Appendix 1 for examples)
Schools use the local offer to find guidance and support to make printed materials more accessible
All pupils are able to access written information in formats appropriate to their need
Schools' Equalities Coordinator will ensure that the links are regularly updated and checked and that new resources and good practice are added when they become available
The Local Offer is shared visibly and imaginatively to parents from birth and is responsive, visible and useful
The Local Offer becomes the first resource professionals and families consult about best practice
Children with SEND find access to written materials at school more accessible.
Schools, academies and early years settings display, share and use the resources
New technology and innovative ways of accessing written curriculum materials are shared via the Local Offer, Learning Together and social media
Professionals, families and carers are aware of and using a good practice resource . New Technology is deployed promptly when available
Feedback from educational settings to indicate good practice is shared at least termly via the Local Offer, inclusion campaigns, partnership and SENDCO meetings
A growing resource bank of good practice and innovation is an element of the Local Offer supporting families, settings, schools and academies.
3. Improve the delivery of written information to pupils with disabilities and SEN and their parents/carers through the Local Offer and schools and academies. This could include hand-outs, timetables, textbooks, information about the school and school events. This information should be available in various preferred formats within a reasonable time frame and be provided by individual schools. Appendix 1 contains a range of links and resources which schools may find useful in addressing this aspect of their own accessibility plans.
Appendix 1 Making printed information accessible. Some resources and guidance: Accessible Communication Formats (Government guidance) Northumberland County Council Accessible Information Guidance (Includes NCC system for ordering accessible information and preferred suppliers) Producing accessible materials for print or online (Abilitynet) Creating clear print and large print documents (UK Association for Accessible Formats) The Sensory Trust information sheet on clear and large print Am I making myself clear? (Mencap’s guidelines for accessible writing) Dyslexia Style Guide (British Dyslexia Association) Let’s Talk About It What new teachers need to know about children’s communication skills ( Communication Trust) The Communication Trust: The Communication Trust is a coalition of over 50 organisations collaborating to support everyone who works with children and young people in England to develop their speech, language and communication
Appendix 2: School Accessibility Plan This section provides an overview of the statutory duty of schools to develop and publish an Accessibility Plan that outlines how the school will improve access to education for disabled pupils over time. The school’s Governing Body holds responsibility for publishing the Accessibility Plan, and as part of a regular review process, schools will need to have regard to the need of providing adequate resources for implementing this plan, and reviewing this plan. An Accessibility Plan will be deemed satisfactory when: • It is in writing. • It covers the following three strands of increasing access over time: Increased access to the curriculum for disabled pupils; improvements to the physical environment to increase access to education and associated services at the school; and improvements in the provision of information for disabled pupils where it is provided in writing for pupils who are not disabled. In addition, an Accessibility Plan should be: • Adequately resourced; • Implemented; • Reviewed regularly; • Revised as necessary (e.g.: when accommodation improvements or repair and maintenance work are being planned); • Revised, if necessary, during a three year period and ensure information is reported to parents/ carers annually; • A freestanding document or part of the school development plan; and • Published in the context of the Equality Act 2010, which can be interpreted as making the school’s Accessibility Plan widely and easily available. Regarding the final point, it is suggested that the school’s Accessibility Plan is published on the school website, and hard copies can be provided upon request. The school should be prepared to make available versions of the plan in other, accessible formats to meet the needs of those requesting it. The plan might also include the voices of young people and their families. Thanks to Cleaswell Hill School for the examples they shared with us for this strategy
Children and Families Act 2014 Equality Act 2010 Northumberland Local Offer web pages DfE guide for parents of pupils with SEND and Disabilities Reasonable Adjustments for Disabled Pupils Guidance for Schools in England from the EHRC SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years In It Together Northumberland’s parent participation network. 2017-18 SEND Guide to Services Northumberland SEND Self-evaluation Inclusive Northumberland An area-wide approach to SEND Disabled Children and the Equality Act 2010 What Early Years providers need to know and do (Council for Disabled Children). Education Health and Care Plans, examples of good practice (Council for Disabled Children). Next Generation Text Relay Service Information for schools informa
Appendix 3
Useful Links
