Knayton C of E Primary Academy

Proud to be part of Elevate Multi Academy Trust

Stockton Road, Knayton, Thirsk, YO7 4AN

01845 537291

admin@knaytonacademy.org

Executive Headteacher: Mrs A Clay

Accessibility Statement

 

Knayton C of E Academy Accessibility Plan January 2023

 

At Knayton C of E Academy we work hard to ensure that the culture and ethos are such that, whatever the abilities and needs of members of the school community, everyone is equally valued and people treat one another with respect. Our school provides pupils with the opportunity to experience understand and value diversity.

 

This policy and plan has been devised in accordance with the planning duty in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and as amended by the SEN and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA). It also draws on the guidance set out in “Accessing School: Planning to increase access to schools for disabled pupils” issued by the DFES in July 2002.

 

Definition of Disability

‘A person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This means that in general the person must have an impairment that is either physical or mental; the impairment must have adverse effects which are substantial; the substantial adverse effects must be long-term; and the long-term substantial adverse effects must be effects on normal day-to-day activities.’ (Equality Act 2010)

 

We have a duty to promote equality of opportunity, eliminate unlawful discrimination, eliminate disability related harassment, promote positive attitudes towards disabled people and encourage disabled people to participate in school life.

 

We also have a duty to prepare and publish a disability equality scheme that will outline accessibility to the school premises and its facilities, accessibility to the curriculum, accessibility of educational services, provision of training for school personnel and pupils which result in improved outcomes for disabled pupils, parents/carers and school personnel in all aspects of school life.

 

We are proud of our ethos of support, collaboration and respect for one another. We strive to create a safe and caring environment for all our pupils to experience success, happiness and excellence. All school users will benefit from the school’s disability equality scheme as it will allow them to take full benefit of the opportunities that this school offers.

 

We are committed to providing a fully accessible environment which values and includes all pupils, school personnel, 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.

 

Current Range of known disabilities

 

The school has children with a range of disabilities to include moderate and specific learning disabilities. We have a small number of pupils who have a vision impairment and one pupil with known hearing impairments. At present we have no wheelchair dependent pupils, parents or members of staff.

 

Contextual Information

 

Main Building

The building is a single storey building easily accessible for wheel chairs to be used

 

Corridors and the Central space is wide enough for wheel chairs to be used

 

There is a disabled toilet for adults near the main entrance

 

There is a disabled toilet for children in the outdoor classroom

 

Classrooms

Classrooms are accessible for wheel chairs with clear access to the fire doors.

 

Outside of classrooms

There are no stairs located in any of the buildings

Hall

Main entrances are flat. Access to the fire doors and kitchen servery is clear and suitable for wheel chair bound pupils or staff

Playground

Available for all pupils. Access is available without the need to use steps

 

Field Area

Available for all pupils

 

Entrance Paths

All clear of steps allowing easy access for all pupils and parents

 

Forest School

All clear of steps allowing easy access for all pupils and parents.

There is a path within the Forest School that wheelchair users can use

 

 

 

 

 

Target

Strategies

Time- scale

Responsibility

Success Criteria

Increase confidence of all staff in differentiating the curriculum

Be aware of staff training needs on curriculum access

 

Assign CPD for dyslexia, differentiation and

recording methods

 

Online learning modules if required

On-going and as required

SENDCO

Headteacher

 

Raised staff confidence in strategies for differentiation and     increased pupil participation

Ensure classroom

support staff have specific training on disability issues

Be aware of staff training needs

 

Staff access appropriate CPD

Online learning modules if required

As required

SENDCO

Headteacher

 

Raised

confidence of support staff

Ensure all staff are aware of disabled children’s

curriculum access

Set up a system of individual access plans for disabled pupils when required

 

Information sharing with all agencies involved with child

As required

SENDCO

Headteacher

 

All staff aware of individuals needs

Use ICT software to sup port

learning

Make sure software installed where needed

As required

SENDCO

Headteacher

Computing Lead

 

Wider use of SEN resources in classrooms

All educational visits to be accessible to all

Develop guidance for staff on making trips accessible

 

Ensure each new venue is vetted for appropriateness

As required

SENDCO

Headteacher

Class Teacher

All pupils in school able to access all educational visits and take part in a range of activities

Review PE curriculum to ensure PE accessible to all

 

 

 

 

 

Gather information on accessible PE and disability sports

 

Seek disabled sports people to come into school

As required

 

PE co-ordinator  

                             

 

 

 

All to have access to PE and be able to excel 

 

 

 

 

 Improving access to the physical environment of the school

Provision, in exceptional cases, will be negotiated when a pupil’s specific needs are

known.

 

We have a wide range of equipment and resources available for day to day use. We keep resource provision under constant review. The schools improvement planning process is the vehicle for considering such needs on an annual basis.

  

Target

Strategies

Time-scale

Responsibility

Success criteria

The school is aware of the potential needs of disabled pupils, staff,

governors, parent/carers and visitors

To create access plans for individual disabled pupils as part of the IPM process when required

 

Be aware of staff, governors and parents access needs and meet as appropriate

 

 

Through questions and discussions find out the access needs of parents/carers through newsletter

 

Consider access needs during recruitment process

 

Ensure staff aware of Environment Access Standard

As required

 

 

Induction and on- going if required

 

 

Annually

 

 

Recruitment process

SENDCO

Headteacher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IPMs in place for disabled pupils and all staff aware of pupils needs

 

All staff and governors feel confident their needs are met

 

Parents have full access to all school activities

 

 

Access issues do not influence recruitment and retention issues

Layout of school to allow access for all

pupils to all areas

Consider needs of disabled pupils, parents/carers or visitors when considering any redesign

As required

Headteacher/ Governors/ Site manager/ School Surveyor

Re-designed buildings are usable by all

 

Ensure all disabled pupils can be safely evacuated

Put in place Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) for all pupils with difficulties

 

Develop a system to ensure all staff are aware of their

responsibilities

As required

 

 

 

 

 

SENDCO

Headteacher

 

All disabled pupils and staff working alongside are safe in the event of a fire

Ensure accessibility of access to IT

equipment

Alternative equipment in place to ensure access to all hardware including hall

 

Liaise with VI/HI on information with regard to the visual impaired and hearing impaired pupils

On-going and as required

 

 

Software may be required

 As required

 

SENCO - Teachers

Hardware and software available to meet the needs of children as appropriate

Ensure hearing equipment in classrooms to support hearing impaired

Seek support from NYCC hearing impaired unit on the appropriate

equipment

Ongoing

LA hearing Specialist Teachers

All children

have access to the equipment

All fire escape routes are suitable for all

Make sure all areas of school can have wheelchair access

 

Egress routes visual check

On-going and as required and as appropriate

 

Weekly

Headteacher

 

 

 

 

 

All    disabled staff, pupils and    visitors able to have safe independent access

Ensure seating and other furniture supports the physical needs of pupils

Seek support from Specialist Teachers and Physiotherapy to purchase specialist furniture and access funding.

Yearly for pupils requiring this

SENDCo

 

Headteacher

 

All disabled staff, pupils and    visitors able to have safe independent access

 

Improving the delivery of written information to disabled pupils

This will include planning to make written information that is normally provided by the school to its pupils available to disabled pupils. Examples might include handouts, textbooks and information about school events. The information should take account of pupils’ disabilities and pupils’ and parents’ preferred formats and be made available within a reasonable timeframe.

In planning to make written information available to disabled pupils we again need to establish the current level of need and be able to respond to changes in the

range of need. The school will need to identify agencies and sources of such materials to be able to make the provision when required. The ICT infrastructure will enable us to access a range of materials to support any need.

 

Targets

Strategies

Time- scale

Responsibility

Success Criteria

Review information to parents/carers to ensure it is accessible.

 

 

Provide information and letters in clear print in “simple” English

 

 

School office will support and help parents to access information and complete school forms

 

 

Ensure website and all documents accessible via the school website can be accessed by the visually impaired.

 

During induction

 

 

 

 

On-going

 

 

  

Current

 

 

 

SENCO /Teaching Support

 

 

 

 

Administrators

 

 

 

Administrators

 

 

 

All parents receive information in a form that they can access

 

 

 

 

 

All parents understand what are the headlines of the school information

Improve the delivery of information in writing in an appropriate format

Provide suitably enlarged, clear print for pupils with a visual impairment

As required

 

Administrators

 

Excellent communication

Ensure all staff are aware of guidance on accessible formats

Guidance to staff on dyslexia and accessible information

On-going

SENCO

Staff produce their own information

Annual review information to be as accessible as possible

 

 

 

 

Develop child friendly IPM review formats

 

 

 

 

On-going

 

 

 

SENCO

  

 

 

Staff more aware of pupils preferred method of

Communications

 

Provide information in other languages for pupils or prospective pupils who may have difficulty with hearing or language problems

Access to translators, sign

language interpreters to be considered and offered if possible

As required

 

Currently being provided for parent when necessary

SENCO

Pupils and/or parents feel supported and included

Provide information in simple

language, symbols, large print for prospective pupils or prospective parents/carers who may have difficulty with standard form of printed information

Ensure website is fully compliant with requirement for access by person with visual impairment.

 

 

 

Administrators

Headteacher

All can access information about the school

 

  For further information please contact the school Office on admin@knaytonacademy.org or 01845 537291 who will be able to provide further information.

 

Head teacher: Abi Clay

SENDCO: Rebecca- Niblett-Atkinson