Amble First School
Accessibility Policy and Plan.
This policy was produced in consultation with the staff and governors of the
school. The document is freely available to the entire school community from
the school office and on the school website. It has also been publicised in
the school newsletter.
Rationale
Amble First school believes that all members of the school community, adult
or child, have the right to easy and equal access to all the school has to
offer.
This policy and plan is drawn up in accordance with the duty laid upon schools
in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended by the SEN and
Disability Act 2001 (SENDA), the Disability and Discrimination Act 2005 and
the Equality Act of 2010.
It draws on the guidance set out in
“Accessible Schools: Planning to increase access to schools for disabled
pupils”, issued by DfES in July 2002.
As a school we recognise the duty laid upon us, that : “from September
2002, it will be unlawful for schools and LEAs to discriminate against
disabled pupils in their admissions and exclusions, education and associated
services.” Schools and LEAs, therefore, must not treat disabled pupils less
favourably and must take reasonable steps to avoid putting disabled pupils at
a substantial disadvantage (the ‘reasonable adjustment’ duty).
Additionally there is a requirement that the Local Authority and school
governors have the duty to publish Accessibility Strategies and Plans.
Our objective in producing this policy and plan is to reduce and eliminate
barriers to access to the curriculum and to full participation in
the school community for all pupils or prospective pupils, with or without a
disability – and to extend this access to all adults who are part of our
community, too.
Aims of the Accessibility Plan:
Amble First School aims to include all pupils, including those with
disabilities, in everything that happens in school. Our means to achieving this
include:
 Having high expectations of all pupils.
 To ensure that the curriculum within the school is delivered in such a way
that all pupils have equal access and opportunity to the full curriculum
including sport, music, and drama.
 Planning out-of-school activities including all school trips and
excursions so that pupils with disabilities are able to participate fully.
 Following admissions policies and criteria which do not discriminate
against pupils with disabilities or treat them unfairly;
 Devising teaching strategies which will remove barriers to learning and
participation for pupils with disabilities.
 Planning the physical environment of the school to cater for the needs
of pupils with disabilities.
 Raising awareness of disability amongst school through a programme
of training for all staff
 Providing written information for pupils with disabilities in a way that
is user friendly.
 Ensuring that our library and reading books provide positive images
of people with disabilities.
Actions to ensure equality for pupils with disabilities:
 Carry out an accessibility audit
 Write an action plan which includes short, medium and long-term
targets.
 Make the policy and targets known to all teaching and support staff,
pupils and parents
 Monitor the success of the plan through annual review by the
headteacher and appropriate governors, reporting back to the full
governing body
We will monitor:
o Admissions, Attainment, Attendance, Punctuality
o Effects of behaviour and care strategies
o Exclusions
o SEN Register
o Extra-curricular activities
o Homework clubs
o Number of pupils participating in enrichment activities and
o summer schools including those for the gifted and talented
o Parents attending consultation meetings
o Parents involvement in the life of the school
The governing body also recognises its responsibilities towards employees with
disabilities and will:

Monitor recruitment procedures to ensure that persons with disabilities
are provided with equal opportunities

Ensure that employees with disabilities are supported with special
provision to ensure that they can carry out their work effectively without
barriers.

Undertake reasonable adjustments to enable staff to access the
workplace.
Definition of Disability
From the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), a definition of disability is
given “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.”
Physical or mental impairments can include sensory impairments (such as those
affecting sight and hearing) and learning difficulties. The definition also covers
certain medical conditions when they have a long-term and substantial effect on
pupils’ everyday lives.
Policy Review July 2013
Further to the Disability Act of 1995, there is the Disability Act of 2005 and
the Equality Act of 2010. The definition of disability given in these is the same
as in the 1995 DDA included above. The Equality Act of 2010 gives the
following further clarification in the meaning of ‘substantial’ and ‘long term’ and
also explains the definition of progressive conditions.
What ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ mean


‘substantial’ is more than minor or trivial - eg it takes much longer than it
usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed
‘long-term’ means 12 months or more - eg a breathing condition that develops
as a result of a lung infection
Progressive conditions
A progressive condition is a condition that gets worse over time. Pupils with
progressive conditions can be classed as disabled.
However, a pupil would automatically meet the disability definition under the
Equality Act 2010 from the day they are diagnosed with HIV infection, cancer
or multiple sclerosis.
JA Jenkins
December 2015
Agreed by ………………………………….. on behalf of the Governing Body. Date…………
Reviewed by ………………………………….. on behalf of the Governing Body. Date…………
Reviewed by ………………………………….. on behalf of the Governing Body. Date…………
Reviewed by ………………………………….. on behalf of the Governing Body. Date…………
Appendix A
Improving the physical environment of school for the purpose of
increasing the extent to which individuals with disabilities are able to
take advantage of education and associated services.
For example:
 Aids to improve the physical environment of the school and physical
aids to access education. The physical environment includes things
such as steps, stairways, exterior surfaces and paving, building
entrances and exits (including emergency escape routes), internal and
external doors, gates, toilets and washing facilities, lighting,
ventilation, floor coverings, signs and furniture.
 Aids to physical access include ramps, handrails, widened doorways,
electromagnetic doors, adapted toilets and washing facilities,
adjustable lighting, blinds, induction loops and way-finding
systems.
 Physical aids to access education also cover things such as ICT
equipment, enlarged computer screens and keyboards, concept key
boards, switches, specialist desks and chairs and portable aids for
children with motor coordination and poor hand/eye skills, such as
specialist pens and pencils.
Increasing the extent to which people with disabilities can access
and participate in the school’s curriculum.
For example:
 Improve access to a full, broad and balanced curriculum. This
covers a range of elements to ensure that teaching and learning is
accessible through school and classroom organisation and support,
especially deployment of staff, timetabling and staff information and
training.
 Plans for ongoing improve regarding access to the curriculum for all
disabled pupils. Some adjustments to access will be dependent on
individual needs and may be provided through the SEN framework
 The accessibility strategies and plans will help to ensure that
The school is planning and preparing to respond to the particular
needs of individual pupils.
Improving the delivery of information to people with disabilities.
For example;
 making information normally provided by the school in writing available
to disabled pupils and adults. This will include alternative formats such

as Braille, audio tape and large print and also the provision of
information orally, through lip reading, sign language, through a
recognised symbol system or ICT.
This information should also be made available within a reasonable
time frame and take account of the individuals’ disabilities and pupils’
and parents’ preferred formats.
Appendix B
Accessibility Plan
Target
Action
Outcome
When?
Ensure
compliance with
DDA 2005, the
Equality Act
2010 and new
Code of Practice
Staff and
Governors to be
aware and act
upon policy –
staff mtg, govs
mtg
School complies
with the
requirements of
the Equality Act
2010 and the new
Code of Practice
December 2015
To ensure that
all pupils are
afforded equal
opportunities in
terms of
challenge and
support
MER and
Assertive
Mentoring
ensure rigorous
assessment and
monitoring
All pupils will be
supported and
challenged to
attain their
maximum
potential
Ongoing
Medium Term
To ensure that
the curriculum
within the school
is delivered in
such a way that
all pupils have
equal access and
opportunity
Curriculum
review across
whole school,
reflecting the
changes for the
new Curriculum
to be reviewed
Autumn 2015,
incorporating
creativity and
innovation in all
we do
Teaching and
learning will be
reviewed and new
content included
while meeting
the needs of all
children
June 2016
Long Term
To ensure that
the effective
use of
assessment and
tracking systems
provide equal
access and
opportunity to all
pupils
Implementation
of assessment
without levels
systems, as part
of whole school
development, will
include provision
for pupils with
disabilities and
difficulties
System will
provide staff and
governors with a
good
understanding of
attainment and
progress for all
children and an
awareness of any
remedial actions
required, both
short and long
term.
July 2017
Short term