Co-op Academy Northwood

Accessibility Plan

Policy details

• Date created - July 2023
• Date reviewed - July 2023
• Date approved - June 2024
• Next review date - June 2026
• Policy owner - L Brandrick

Contents

Aims

Legislation and Guidance

Action Plan

Monitoring Arrangements

Links with other policies

Aims

Schools are required under the Equality Act 2010 to have an accessibility plan. The purpose of the plan is to:

• Increase the extent to which  pupils with disabilities can participate in the curriculum
• Improve the physical environment of the school to enable pupils with disabilities to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided
• Improve the availability of accessible information to pupils with disabilities

Our school aims to treat all its pupils fairly and with respect. This involves providing access and opportunities for all pupils without discrimination of any kind.

We are uncompromising in holding children at the centre of everything we do and it is our ambition to ensure ALL of our children reach their full potential.  

We will constantly challenge ourselves, take risks and innovate to ensure our curriculum is broad, balanced, challenging and linked to our children’s interests.  We have adopted a ‘Disney’ approach to our curriculum.

All staff lead by example, we recognise and value diversity, respecting everyone for who they are. Our staff ensure everyone can take part and everyone has the opportunity to be all they can be.  We do not tolerate any prejudice.

All staff share our commitment to improvement, and we have a commitment to develop all staff through induction, empowerment and supported delegation. Our Appraisal systems challenge and support teachers’ improvement so that teaching is highly effective

Everyone matters and everyone is special within our academy and we welcome both internal and external challenge and feedback because we are committed to using our resources most effectively to achieve the best standards possible.

The plan will be made available online, on the school website.

Our school is also committed to ensuring staff are trained in equality issues with reference to the Equality Act 2010, including understanding disability issues.

The school supports any available partnerships to develop and implement the plan.

Our school’s complaints procedure covers the accessibility plan. If you have any concerns relating to accessibility in school, this procedure sets out the process for raising these concerns.

We have included a range of stakeholders in the development of this accessibility plan, including pupils, parents, staff and governors of the school.

Legislation and guidance

This document meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 and the Department for Education (DfE) guidance for schools on the Equality Act 2010.

The Equality Act 2010 defines an individual as disabled 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 undertake normal day to day activities.

Under the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice, ‘long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’. The definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer.

Schools are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for pupils with disabilities under the Equality Act 2010, to alleviate any substantial disadvantage that a disabled pupil faces in comparison with non-disabled pupils. This can include, for example, the provision of an auxiliary aid or adjustments to premises.

Action Plan

Please click here for our Action Plan 2024-2027

Monitoring arrangements

This document will be reviewed every 3 years, but may be reviewed and updated more frequently if necessary.

It will be approved by the Trustees.

Links with other policies

This accessibility plan is linked to the following policies and documents:

• Health and Safety Policy
• Multi Academy Trust Equality, Diversity & Cohesion Policy & Scheme
• Special educational needs (SEN) information report
• First Aid and Medical Policy
• Positive Behaviour Policy
• Well-being Policy