Accessibility Plan

Introduction

The Equality Act 2010 replaced previous discrimination law and provides a single piece of legislation covering all the types of discrimination that are unlawful.    Schools have to carry out accessibility planning for disabled pupils.  

Aims of the plan   

We are committed to providing a fully accessible environment which values and includes all pupils, staff, academy councillors, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional and cultural needs. We are committed to challenging negative attitudes about disability and accessibility and to developing a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion.

Coverage of the Accessibility Plan   

Oasis Academy Harpur Mount plans, over time, to increase the accessibility of provision for all pupils, staff and visitors to the school. The Accessibility Plan will contain relevant actions to: 

• Improve access to the physical environment of the school, adding specialist facilities as necessary. This covers improvements to the physical environment of the school and physical aids to education.  
• Increase access to the curriculum for pupils with a disability, expanding the curriculum as necessary to ensure that pupils with a disability are as equally, prepared for life as are the able-bodied pupils. This covers teaching and learning and the wider curriculum of the school such as participation in after-school clubs, leisure and cultural activities or school visits. It also covers the provision of specialist aids and equipment, which may assist these pupils in accessing the curriculum. 
• Improve the delivery of written information to pupils, staff, parents and visitors with disabilities.    

Information gathering

The following information was considered when formulating the plan: 

• The nature of the academy population
• The nature of the academy, including a consideration of the impact of the academy’s existing plans and priorities
• Pupils already in the school and moving through it [1] 
• The nature of future intake
• The level of staff awareness of Equalities legislation
• The presence of disabled pupils and their participation in the life of the academy
• The impact on disabled pupils of the way in which the academy is organised, for example, academy policies and practices around the administration of medicines, time-tabling, anti-bullying policy, school trips and teaching and learning
• The physical environment of the academy
• The curriculum
• The ways in which information is currently provided for disabled pupils
• Outcomes for disabled pupils including end of key stage results and achievements in extracurricular activities 

Action Plans

Attached are Action Plans relating to these key aspects of accessibility. These plans will be reviewed and adjusted on an annual basis. New Plans will be drawn up every three years.    We acknowledge that there is a need for ongoing awareness training for staff and academy councillors in the matter of disability discrimination and the need to inform attitudes on this matter. 

Accessibility Plan links to other documentation:

The Accessibility Plan should be read in conjunction with the following policies, strategies and documents: 

• Equality Policy 
• Health and Safety Policy
• Inclusion Policy
• Behaviour Policy
• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Academy Development Plan

Information about the Accessibility Plan will be published on the academy website.    The Plan will be monitored by the academy Council and OCL through the Strategic Reviews.

Oasis Academy Harpur Mount – Accessibility Plan 2023 - 2024

1. Improving the Physical Access

Due to the recent total refurbishment of the building the physical environment is now fully accessible including push button door releases to entrances, ramps for access and a lift.

2. Improving the Curriculum Access

Objective	Action	Personnel	Outcome	Timescale	Impact
Staff ensure children with SEND have access to the curriculum in line with the SEND Code of Practice	Termly CPD for teachers and teaching assistants around adapting and personalising the curriculum Enhance current offer utilising accessibility features on the Ipads Develop Inclusive Approaches through The Oasis Way SEND training	SENCO Support Staff Teaching Staff External agencies to advise on approaches	Teaching and support staff are more able to fully meet the requirements of disabled children’s needs with regards to accessing the curriculum	Policy updated annually   CPD carried out once termly	Increase in access to the national curriculum
All out-of-school activities are planned to ensure the participation of the whole range of pupils	Out of school provision is reviewed to ensure compliance with legislation and risk assessments in place and to ensure vulnerable groups attend	Academy Leadership Team / Trip co-ordinator/ teachers	All out-of-school activities will be conducted in an inclusive environment with providers that comply with all current and future legislation	Reviewed and updated annually	Increase in access to all school  activities for all pupils with SEND
Classrooms are optimally organised and equipped to promote the participation and independence of all pupils	Inclusive Classrooms Checklist is used to review existing set up and promote an inclusive environment Purchase any specialist equipment required (e.g. adapted chair, pencil grips, writing slopes).  Seek advice from external agencies to recommend reasonable adjustments needed	Academy Leadership Team/SENCO External Agencies:  Occupational Health, Educational Psychology, Visual and Auditory Impairment support	Reasonable adjustments have been made to accommodate the needs of individual pupils    Pupils have access to appropriate equipment	Ongoing and as need arises	Increase in access to national curriculum
Medical needs of children are known and specialist training provided where necessary /EHCPs in place where applicable	Provide training for staff in administration of specific medicines, for example, asthma, epilepsy, ADHD, EPI- Pens	Lead First Aider SENCO School Health Nurse	Staff have required knowledge to support students on medication in school	Already in place and ongoing	Increase in access to the national curriculum Pupils have medical needs met
Raise awareness of disability issues	Training around issues impacting the academy community e.g. Occupational Therapy Training around issues sensory difficulties	Sendco in partnership with external agencies	Awareness will be raised and staff with have knowledge of strategies to support pupils	Annual training from an external agency	Increase in understanding of issues affecting pupils and the community
Develop Communication Friendly approaches across the school	Purchase Traded Salt input to increase external agency support   Early Years Communication Training to be accessed by all staff in EYFS	Sendco in partnership with external agencies Teaching Staff Teaching Support Staff	Staff will implement inclusive approaches to supporting communication needs	Fortnightly Salt Therapist visits   CPD across the year	Pupils’ communication skills will be well supported

 

We are committed to providing a fully accessible environment which values and includes all pupils, staff, academy councillors, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional and cultural needs. We are committed to challenging negative attitudes about disability and accessibility and to developing a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion. 

Oasis Academy Harpur Mount, will over time, increase the accessibility of provision for all pupils, staff and visitors to the school. The Accessibility Plan will contain relevant actions to:

• Improve access to the physical environment of the school, adding specialist facilities as necessary. This covers improvements to the physical environment of the school and physical aids to education.
• Increase access to the curriculum for pupils with a disability, expanding the curriculum as necessary to ensure that pupils with a disability are as equally, prepared for life as are the able-bodied pupils. This covers teaching and learning and the wider curriculum of the school such as participation in after-school clubs, leisure and cultural activities or school visits. It also covers the provision of specialist aids and equipment, which may assist these pupils in accessing the curriculum.
• Improve the delivery of written information to pupils, staff, parents and visitors with disabilities.