Accessibility PLAN
John Burns Primary School’s Accessibility Plan has been drawn up in compliance with current legislation and requirements from the Equality Act 2010, specified in schedule 10 which relates to disability.
We are committed to:
- providing a fully accessible environment that values and includes all pupils, staff, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional or cultural needs;
- challenging negative attitudes, including those surrounding disability and accessibility, and to developing a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion;
- developing the physical school environment to make is accessible and able to meet the needs of all pupils, staff and visitors to the school;
- providing ongoing training for staff and governors in the matter of disability discrimination to inform understanding and attitudes on this matter;
- ensuring that subject leaders provide equitable and accessible learning opportunities for all pupils within their subject area;
- ensuring that the allocated governor for Inclusion regularly reviews accessibility to our school provision and curriculum; and
- ensuring that information about our Accessibility Plan is published on the school website and available, by request, as a hard copy from the school office.
Aims of the Accessibility Plan
A person has a disability if they have a cognitive, physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
The Accessibility Plan aims to:
- increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities can participate in the curriculum and everyday school life;
- improve the physical environment of the school to enable pupils with disabilities, and where applicable staff and visitors, to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided; and
- improve the availability of accessible information to pupils with disabilities.
The Governing Body also recognises its responsibilities towards employees with disabilities and will:
- monitor recruitment procedures to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with equal opportunities;
- provide appropriate support and provisions for employees with disabilities to ensure that they can carry out their work effectively without barriers’ and
- undertake reasonable adjustments to enable staff to access the workplace.
The Accessibility Plan will include resources, reviews and will be revised in consultation with:
- Parents and where appropriate pupils
- The Senior Leadership Team (Headteacher and School Business Manager)
- Governors
- External Agencies
The Accessibility Plan is reviewed every 3 years to consider the changing needs of the school and its pupils.
The Accessibility Plan will cover the following 3 areas:
- Access to the Curriculum – the Governing Body will assess the extent to which pupils with disabilities can access the curriculum on an equal basis with their peers.
- Access to the Physical Environment – the Governing Body will assess the extent to which pupils with disabilities can access the physical environment on an equal basis with their peers.
- Access to Information – the Governing Body will assess the extent to which pupils with disabilities can access information on an equal basis with their peers.
The Accessibility Plan will consider all kinds of disabilities, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Ambulatory disabilities – this includes pupils who use a wheelchair or mobility aid
- Dexterity disabilities – this includes those whose everyday manual handling of objects and fixtures may be impaired
- Visual disabilities – this includes those with visual impairments and sensitivities
- Auditory disabilities – this includes those with hearing impairments and sensitivities
- Comprehension – this includes hidden disabilities, such as autism and dyslexia
The Accessibility Plan identifies short, medium and long-term actions to address specific gaps and improve access. All actions will be carried out in a reasonable timeframe, and after taking into account pupils’ disabilities and the preferences of their parents.