Moorfield Primary Accessibility Plan 2021-2024

Moorfield Primary School has high ambitions for all its pupils and expects them to participate and achieve in every aspect of school life. Our commitment to equal opportunities is an important aspect of our overall commitment to be a fully inclusive school. 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 three years by the Governing Body.

Definitions of SEND

‘A child or young person has SEN 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)

‘Many children and young people who have SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010- that is’… ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

The definition provides a relatively low threshold and includes more children than many realise: ’long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight and hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEN. Where a disabled child or young person requires special educational provision they will also be covered by the SEND definition.’ (SEND code of Practice 2014)

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)

The Accessibility Plan should be read in conjunction with-

The LA admissions policy.
The School Prospectus.
The Equality Action plan.
The Behaviour Policy.
The Special Educational Needs policy.
The School Offer.

All policies will be checked to ensure that they do not, unintentionally, treat pupils with disabilities less favourably.

The Accessibility Plan

All providers must make reasonable adjustments to procedures, criteria and practices and by the provision of auxiliary aids and services. Most providers must also make reasonable adjustments by making physical alterations. Schools and LA education functions are not covered by this last duty but they must publish accessibility plans’….’setting out how they plan to increase access for disabled pupils to the curriculum, the physical environment and to information.’ (SEND code of Practice 2014)

‘Where a child or young person is covered by SEN and disability legislation, reasonable adjustments and access arrangements should be considered as part of SEN planning and review.’
(SEND code of Practice 2014).

The full range of needs and required support for all pupils identified as SEN Support or with a statement/EHC plan will be considered at least termly. The discussions will involve staff, parents and children plus outside agencies, as necessary.

The action plan below identifies key activities that will take place to ensure that the school becomes increasingly accessible for pupils with disabilities.

Curriculum

Obtaining data on future pupil population to facilitate advanced planning. This includes liaison with the Local Authority (LA) SEN team.
Liaising with external service and agencies regarding individual pupils (physical, sensory, learning, behaviour).
Using specialist teachers to support learning and to give pastoral and inclusion support.
Organising Teaching Assistant (TA) deployment to cover a mix of curriculum and learning needs.
Ensuring that where appropriate, pupils have access to national and internal assessments facilitated by provision of extra time, readers etc.
Provision of a bank of disability specific, specialist resources, available to support individual pupil needs.
Setting clear learning objectives that are appropriately differentiated for individual pupils.
Ensuring that parents/pupils are included in the target setting process.
Using ‘P’ scales where appropriate to measure progress and achievement of individual pupils, and to facilitate the setting of individualised targets with an element of challenge.
Encouraging the use of clear, well-presented visual aids to the support learning of all pupils.
Taking full advantage of the opportunities available outside school to provide educational visits that are accessible to all pupils.
Developing Forest schools ethos with 1 member of staff trained as a forest school practitioner.
Developing areas around school to further enhance and develop learning, chickens, allotments, pond, musical garden etc.
Using a range of teaching methods and styles to facilitate access for all pupils: for example appropriate use of language, questioning techniques, individual, pair and group work, ‘mind-friendly’ learning strategies (visual/auditory/kinaesthetic).
Using ability groups to target additional needs, with skilled TAs to support learning.
Buddy schemes to support vulnerable pupils.
Making every effort to enhance inclusion at all times.
Creating a culture of understanding and tolerance so that all ability groups and all disabilities are accepted as part of our school community.
Development of mutual support and understanding between colleagues when working with pupils with challenging disabilities
Targeted interventions to support emotional well-being – Kaleidoscope and Seasons for Growth.
Close workings with the Virtual Schools team for looked after children.
The Kaleidoscope staff use Makaton signing to support learning, when necessary.
Recent training has taken place in SEND, Restorative approaches, Coaching, ADHD, Team Teach, Motor Skills United, asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy and there are a high number of trained first aiders.

Physical Access

The school building is fully accessible for pupils with physical difficulties.
The outside play areas are flat and almost completely accessible to wheelchair users
Kaleidoscope building opened January 2011 and was built to be fully Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant
Wheelchair access to all buildings that are used day-to-day.
2 disabled car park spaces by the ramped entrance to the front door of the School.
4 drop off car-parking spaces.
Disabled toilet facilities available in the Kaleidoscope building, with wheelchair access.
Adapted/specialised furniture provided to meet individual needs.
3 private room spaces to enable confidential meetings to take place with SENDCo, staff, support agency staff and parents.
Space for small group work and individualised work for targeted learners.
Children’s work is shown to be valued by use in displays around the school.
The outdoor learning environment is being developed to enhance pupil’s health and well-being.
Paint colours and flooring in new Kaleidoscope centre DDA compliant.
Access issues take priority in adaptations and improvements of the learning environment.
Some communal spaces are ‘clutter-free’ to facilitate easy movement around the buildings.

Information Access:

Visual timetables and information supported by signs/symbols for targeted pupils.
Home-school books for targeted children to ensure effective communication.
Provision of verbal or large print information for targeted pupils.
Parents section on VLE with access to policies and class activities
Text messaging to parents

The following details specific anticipatory activities aimed to increase accessibility for pupils with SEND to the curriculum, the physical environment and to information.

Objectives	Tasks	Resources	Lead	Monitor
To ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the SEND Code of Practice 2014	Training provided by the SENDCo in INSET and through regular staff meetings. SENCO to attend termly LA SEN network meetings	INSET & Staff meeting time	GS	Evaluations on SDP. Head teacher report to Governors
To ensure all staff are trained to support pupils with ASD, ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.	Training for all new members of staff. Updates and rolling programme of training for all staff	Staff meeting time	SEN team	Evaluations on SDP. Head teacher report to Governors
To ensure staff are trained to support pupils with medical conditions.	Update staff training annually in Asthma Epilepsy Diabetes and as required in other specific conditions. Update Medical Conditions policy annually and ensure annual parents return is gathered.	Staff meetings and INSET for all staff	SMT	Evaluations on SDP. Head teacher report to Governors
To continue to provision map to meet individual needs within each cohort.	SMT to provision map and adjust TA support to meet individual/ group needs	SMT time to look at data	SMT	Head teacher report to Governors

To improve accessibility for VI pupils	‘Connect’ ipads to classroom whiteboard through the app. Join Me – Ipads for targeted children	Class-teachers of VI children – when appropriate	Sensory Support service	GS
	Produce a range of learning materials and reading books in enlarged print and on appropriately tinted paper.	£100	Sensory Support service	GS
To improve accessibility for pupils with dyslexia	Purchase a range of acetate coloured slides, tinted paper and arrange of writing tools.	£100	PA	PA
To ensure that any building improvements support pupils with VI/ Autism/ physical needs	When decorating and carpet colours are chosen the need for clear contrasts will be addressed.	Consideration at time of tendering.	PA/SA	Resources committee
To support reading & writing for pupils with specific learning difficulties – Year 5 & 6	Purchase individual Toe by Toe books	£100 per year	GS/MH	PA
Development of Forest Schools within Moorfield	To further develop Forest Schools within Moorfield (See SDP)	See SDP	GS	Evaluations on SDP.Head teacher report to Governors
Emotional well-being -To support children with Change and loss in their lives	To continue to run Kaleidoscope sessions for the whole school. To continue to support targeted children with Seasons for Growth	New resources workbooks for each new group	AJ AJ	Evaluations on SDP. PA/GS
To ensure that staff are trained to support pupils with emotional needs.	Staff are trained by BSS in ‘TEAM Teach – Care and Control’. All the staff are trained every 3 years in TEAMTeach and new staff attend sessions at other schools.	INSET INSET every 3 years£50 new staff (INSET at another school)	BSS LA trainers	Evaluations on SDP. GS

Monitoring

The performance of individuals continues to be monitored on a termly basis through progress meetings with the Head or Deputy Headteacher. The performance of groups, including those with SEN and/or a disability, takes place on an annual basis with each class teacher.

The Head teacher maintains a ‘Discrimination Record’ which details any reported incidents of discrimination, including disability discrimination, and the subsequent action that has been carried out by the staff. All such incidents will be reported to the LA and will be included in the termly report to governors. The SEN Governor also checks this document annually.