GREAT WOOD SCHOOL
ACCESSIBILITY PLAN 2014 – 2017
Introduction
The SEN and Disability Act 2001 extended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) to cover education. The Governing
Body has had three key duties towards disabled pupils, under Part 4 of the DDA:

not to treat disabled pupils less favourably for a reason related to their disability;

to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, so that they are not at a substantial disadvantage;

to plan to increase access to education for disabled pupils.
This plan sets out the proposals of the Governing Body of the school to increase access to education for disabled pupils
in the three areas required by the planning duties in the DDA:

increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the school curriculum;

improving the environment of the school to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of
education and associated services;

improving the delivery to disabled pupils of information which is provided in writing for pupils who are not
disabled.
It is a requirement that the school’s accessibility plan is resourced, implemented and reviewed and revised as necessary.
Attached is a set of action plans showing how the school will address the priorities identified in the plan.
DEFINITION
Disability is defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) : A person has a disability 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 carry out normal day to day activities.
KEY OBJECTIVE
 To reduce and eliminate barriers to access to the curriculum and to full participation in the school community for pupils, and
prospective pupils, with a disability.
The school is committed to ensuring equal treatment of all its employees, pupils and any others involved in the school community,
with any form of disability and will ensure that disabled people are not treated less favourably in any procedures, practices and
service delivery.
PRINCIPLES
 Compliance with the DDA is consistent with the school’s aims and equal opportunities policy, and the operation of the
school’s SEN policy.
 The school recognises its duty under the DDA (as amended by the SENDA) :
- Not to discriminate against disabled 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 School will :
- Recognise and value 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
- Provide all pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum, differentiated and adjusted to meet the needs of individual
pupils and their preferred learning styles. This curriculum endorses the key principles in the National Curriculum
2000 framework, which underpin the development of a more inclusive curriculum by ;
 Setting suitable learning challenges
 Responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs
 Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils
ACTIVITIES
Education and Related Activities
The school will continue to seek and follow the advice of the LEA services and outside agencies such as specialist teacher
advisers, SEN consultants, and appropriate health professionals.
Physical Environment
The school will take account of the needs of pupils and visitors with physical difficulties and sensory impairments when planning
andundertaking future improvements and refurbishments of the site and premises, such as improved access, lighting, acoustic
treatment andcolour schemes, and more accessible facilities and fittings.
Provision of Information
The school will make itself aware of local services, including those provided through the LEA, for providing information in alternative
formats when required or requested.
ACTION PLAN
The school will publish an Action Plan outlining short, medium and long term targets to ensure the aims of the Key Objective of the
Accessibility Plan is met. The current Action Plan is attached.
LINKED POLICIES
The Accessibility Plan will contribute to the review and revision of related school policies;
 School Mission and Aims
 School Development Plan
 Asset Management Plan
 Health and Safety Policy
 SEN Policy
 Curriculum Policies
 Anti-bullying
 Educational Visits
The school accessibility plan will, where appropriate be co-ordinated with the local authority accessibility plan, social services and
relevant health agencies. The Governing Body takes responsibility for the school accessibility plan




The Accessibility plan will be reviewed and revised annually by the SLT and the Governing Body
Success criteria include: completion of planned activities, satisfactory measurement of the effectiveness of activities and
reductions in any complaints about accessibility in the school
The review will use the school provision mapping system, children’s individual access plans, outcome of data set
monitoring, and the priorities in the School Improvement Plan.
The Access plan will be available to all children, staff, and parents to contribute to the review process at any time.
PREVIOUS TARGETS ACHIEVED
The school has made some progress with regard to accessibility since 2010;
 Disabled access to the hall, staff room and two ground floor classrooms
 A disable toilet facility is now available for pupils, staff and visitors
 Plans in place for disabled access to school extension
 Plans in place for further disabled toilet facilities and wet room.
PLAN AVAILABILITY
The school makes its Accessibility Plan available in the following ways;
 A copy is held in the school office
 A copy is posted on the school website
 A copy can be e-mailed or posted on request
 The plan can also be made available in a large print size format upon request – the school office can be contacted for further
details.
Improving access to the physical environment
Short
term
Targets
Actions
1. School is aware of
the access needs of
disabled children.
a) Create access plans for
individual disabled children as
part of IEP process
b) Create PEEP for individual
disabled children
2. Reception is
accessible and
welcoming to disabled
visitors
1. Improve access to
school for wheelchair
users
b) Install graduated surface to
entrance door
a) Clarify in school’s Local
Offer ( on the school’s website)
that the staff car park may be
used by disabled visitors or
parents of disabled children
a) Implement plan to install
gradated surface to all new
classrooms
2. Improve toilet
facilities for disabled
a) Implement plan to install
further disable toilet facilities
3. Ensure ALL parents
are aware that the
school recognises
accessibility issues
Medium
term
a) Implement plan to install
lower counter at reception
Timescal
e
as
required
Responsibility
Outcomes
SENCO
Individual plans in place for
disabled pupils and all staff
aware of all pupils’ access
needs.
Site Supervisor
as
required
All staff aware of emergency
evacuation plans for disabled
pupils.
Visitors can reach the
counter at reception and sign
in independently
By Sept
2014
Headteacher/go
vernors
By Sept
2014
Headteacher
ALL parents are aware that
the staff car park may be used
by disabled visitors
By May
2015
Headteacher
Access improved for
wheelchair users.
By May
2015
Headteacher
Able to meet needs of pupils
and staff with impairments.
Long
term
pupils and visitors,
and provide hygiene
area for pupils with
impairments.
1. Improve acoustics
in the hall
and wet room in extension
a) Seek advice from the
Sensory Needs Service
b) Make alterations e.g. loop
system
When
determine
d it is
needed
SENCO
ALL children’s SEN needs are
met
Headteacher
Improving access to the curriculum
Short
Term
Targets
1.Ensure all children
have access to
Quality First
Teaching
Actions
a) Audit current
differentiation
b) Provide support and
training for staff,
including access to
specialist teacher advice
c) Monitor differentiation for
SEN pupils as part of
observation cycle
Timescale
By July
2015
Responsibilities
SENCO
Teaching and
Learning Leaders
Outcomes
Teacher’s fully confident in
differentiating the
curriculum to meet the
learning needs of a wide
SEN range
2. Introduce Pupil
Passport for all
children with
additional needs.
Medium
Term
1. Review all
curriculum areas to
include disability
issues
a) Establish a Pupil Passport
Format and Guidance for
staff, review with SLT and
share with staff.
b) Arrange meetings
between pupils, parents and
teaching staff
a) Include specific reference
to disability equality in all
curriculum reviews
b) Develop PSHE and
Citizenship curriculum to
address disability equality
issues
c) Assemble resource box of
disability equality for staff
room
By March
2015
SENCO
By July
2015
All staff
By 2015
Headteacher/Subject Gradual introduction of
leaders
disability issues into all
curriculum areas.
PSHE and
Citizenship Coordinator
By 2016
Teacher parents and child
have a shared
understanding of SEN
pupils individual needs and
strategies are in place to
support these needs.
By 2017
PSHE and
Citizenship Coordinator
Improving access to information
Short
Term
Targets
1. Ensure all parents are
aware of changes to the
SEN Code of Practice
Actions
Timescale
a) Include Local offer on By Dec
school website
2014
b) inform parents of the
changes to the SEN
Code of Practice through
the school newsletter
and wesbite
Responsibilities
SENCO/ Website
support
Success criteria
Parents are aware of the
changes to the SEN Code
of Practice
Medium
Term
Long
Term
1. Signpost parents and
a) Identify disability
pupils to national disability resources and
support
organisations hyperlinks
to include in website
1. Develop visual
a) Staff meeting to share
timetabling in all classes
good practice
b) Agree whole school
approach
Last reviewed…. 22/10.14
By Jan 2016 SENCO/ Website
support
By July
2016
SENCO
Parents and pupils have
access through our website
to disability resources and
organisations
All children clear about
timetable and secure about
what is happening.