This plan has been updated with reference to Section 4.28 of The Equality Act 2010 and schools document prepared by the DfE (DFE-00296-2013).

Introduction:

This plan identifies how the school meets the needs of disabled pupils in response to the

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice 2014: 0 to 25 years. This will be reviewed every two years by the Governing Body.

Definitions of SEND:

A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or a disability if he or she:

• has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age or
• has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or colleges.

(SEND code of Practice 2014)

The school’s aims:

Our aim is to achieve maximum inclusion of all pupils, including those with SEND, and meet all pupils’ individual needs by removing barriers to participation and learning to enable them to benefit from learning opportunities within the National Curriculum. Part of our ongoing plans for development is to promote inclusive teaching (Quality First Teaching) across all subject areas and gain a greater understanding of students’ individual needs. Appropriate interventions will be implemented to enable students to progress and reach their potential. To meet the individual needs of our learners we:

• Ensure that all learners with SEND have access to a broad and balanced curriculum.
• Provide a differentiated curriculum appropriate to all learners’ needs and abilities.
• Ensure the identification of all learners requiring SEND provision as early as possible in their school career.
• Ensure that SEND learners take as full a part as possible in all school activities including extra-curricular activities and residential visits.
• Ensure that parents of SEND learners are kept informed of their child’s progress and attainment.
• Ensure that SEND learners and their parents are involved and contribute to the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle and where practicable, are fully involved in decisions affecting their future.

• The Equality Act 2010:

The Equality Act 2010 sets out the legal obligations that schools, early years providers, post-16 institutions, local authorities have towards disabled children and young people;

• They must not directly or indirectly discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children and young people.
• They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled children and young people are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers. This duty is anticipatory- it requires thought to be given in advance to what disabled children and young people might require and what adjustments might need to be made to prevent that disadvantage.
• Public bodies, including FE institutions, LA, maintained schools, maintained nursery

schools, academies and free schools are covered by the public sector equality duty

and when carrying out their functions must have regard to the need to eliminate

discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and foster good relations between

disabled and non-disabled children and young people. They must publish information to demonstrate their compliance with this general duty and must prepare and publish objectives to achieve the core aims of the general duty. Objectives must be specific and measureable. (SEND code of Practice 2014)

• The duties cover discrimination in the provision of services and the provision of education, including admissions and exclusions. (SEND code of Practice 2014)

Under the Equality Act 2010 schools should have an Accessibility Plan. The Equality Act 2010 replaced all existing equality legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act. The effect of the law is the same as in the past, meaning that “schools cannot unlawfully discriminate against pupils because of sex, race, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation”. According to the Equality Act 2010 a person has a disability if:

(a) He or she has a physical or mental impairment, and

(b) The impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

The Accessibility Plan :

The Accessibility Plan is listed as a statutory document of the Department for Education’s guidance on statutory policies for schools. The Plan must be reviewed every three years and approved by the Governing Body. The review process can be delegated to a committee of the Governing Body, an individual or the Headteacher. At Hackthorn Church of England Primary School the Plan will be monitored by the Headteacher and evaluated by the relevant Governors’ Finance, Staffing and Premises Committee.

The plan below sets out our current position and 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 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA):

Current position:

How accessible is the school?

We are a tiny village school which operates in an old building. However, the front entrance and all teaching areas are accessible with a wheelchair, as it is all on one level.

Modifications would have to be made to the school’s back entrance and toilet facilities if a child needed wheelchair access on a permanent basis. The school would have to liaise with the appropriate Local Authority Officer to determine how to implement any necessary building modifications.

• Mainstream Teaching Assistants support a range of pupils.
• A full-time First Aider accessible to students at all times of school day.
• There are intervention lessons for literacy and numeracy and in other areas, where necessary, e.g. SALT
• Students who have EAL are well supported.

Gathering Information:

Disabled pupils and staff are identified through self‐declaration and admission forms. Data protection legislation will be observed in sharing this information.

Disabled parents, governors and other school users are identified through self-declaration.

Data protection legislation will be observed in sharing this information.

Identifying Barriers to Access Part A -Physical Access

This section outlines the current provision made and any action that is required to make further provision that is required, or may be required in the future.

Part B – Curriculum Access

This section has been adapted from Accessible Schools: Planning to increase access to schools for disabled pupils DfES 2002.

Part C – Access to Information

This section has been adapted from Accessible Schools: Planning to increase access to schools for disabled pupils DfES 2002.

Hackthorn Church of England Primary School Access Plan

Improving the Physical Environment of Schools

Hackthorn Church of England Primary School Plan

Increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the school curriculum

Hackthorn Church of England Primary School Access Plan

Improving the delivery of information to disabled pupils

Monitoring

The performance of individuals continues to be monitored on a termly basis through progress meetings with the Headteacher and teaching staff. The performance of groups, including those with SEN and/or a disability, takes place on an annual basis with the SENDCO and relevant staff. In certain cases this might be on a termly basis according to need.

Hackthorn Church of England Primary School

USEFUL AND FREE ADDITIONAL SEN/DISABILITY INFORMATION

Websites

Disability Rights Commission (DRC) – www.drc.org.uk

Department for Education (DfE) – www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education

Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) – www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/first-tier-tribunal-special-educational-needs-and-disability

• Senior member of staff responsible for Access Plan: Mr D Gibbons
• Last updated: December 23