Disability Provision
The governing body aims to ensure that pupils with disabilities are not treated less favourably for a reason relating to their disability. We aim to take to take reasonable steps to ensure that pupils with disability are not placed at a disadvantage compared to non-disabled peers. (“reasonable adjustments duty”)
Guidelines
Schools should not wait until disabled pupils apply but take steps in advance
Schools are not required to make expensive adjustments to the physical environment though they will need to consider the needs of disabled pupils when planning new buildings and refurbishments
In the meantime the school should consider the needs of pupils with disabilities in terms of policies, procedures and practices.
All staff should have an awareness of the needs of pupils with disabilities within the school and an understanding of how they can be helped e.g. for hearing, vision impaired children using the advice of the multi-sensory team to adapt texts and teaching strategies. This will avoid any child with a disability being put at substantial disadvantage.
Schools should conduct an audit of provision for pupils with disabilities
The governing body have an accessibility policy which is reviewed regularly. Our new building has been designed to comply with the Disability Act and gives excellent accessibility for pupils with physical disabilities.
Our building has been built on one level with wide doors and corridors. All doors have the correct handles and the school has been decorated to assist the visually impaired. We have a disabled toilet and bathroom. We have hearing loop fitted at the office reception and automatic access for wheelchair users.
We have ensured that written materials are available in alternative formats for our vision impaired children. School policies are reviewed regularly to ensure there are no discriminatory policies, phrases, procedures or practices.