Egham Park School is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment
Egham Park School is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
| Date Created | Date 1st Review Due | Date Reviewed | Version | Next Review Due |
| September 2025 | September 2025 | |||
| September 2025 | 2 | September 2026 | ||
| September 2026 | 3 | September 2027 | ||
Egham Park School is an independent specialist school for young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The school recognises that accessibility is broader than physical access and includes access to learning, the school environment, communication, relationships, routines and participation in school life.
Purpose of this document
This document sits alongside the school’s Accessibility Plan and provides practical evidence of the reasonable adjustments, adaptations and inclusive approaches currently used to remove or reduce barriers to education and participation. It should be reviewed alongside the Accessibility Plan and other relevant school policies.
1.Accessibility of the School Curriculum
Individualised access to learning: Students’ needs are considered individually, with staff adapting the pace, structure, environment and delivery of learning where appropriate. The specialist nature of the school enables staff to respond flexibly to individual barriers to engagement and learning.
Reduced timetables and phased access: Students experiencing severe anxiety or significant barriers to attending school can begin with a reduced timetable. This provides a manageable route into education and can be increased gradually as the student develops confidence, tolerance and engagement.
Access to digital technology: All students have access to Chromebooks. Digital access can reduce barriers associated with handwriting, recording work and processing information and provides students with alternative ways to demonstrate their learning.
Speech-to-text technology: Students can access speech-to-text technology where appropriate. This provides an alternative method of producing written work for students who find handwriting, spelling, written formulation or sustained writing difficult.
Alternative ways of demonstrating learning: Where appropriate, staff can use verbal responses, typed work, supported tasks, practical activities or other suitable methods to enable a student to demonstrate knowledge and understanding without an unnecessary barrier created by the format of the task.
Small-group and low-demand learning: The school’s specialist provision allows learning to take place in smaller groups where required. This can reduce sensory, social and emotional demands and support students who may find large or busy learning environments difficult to access.
Flexible movement and transitions: Staff can consider individual students’ tolerance of movement around the school, transitions between lessons and changes in routine. Where movement creates a barrier, reasonable adjustments can be considered to reduce unnecessary transitions.
SEMH-informed approach: The school’s approach recognises that anxiety, emotional regulation, sensory needs and previous experiences can affect a student’s ability to access education. Staff work to identify barriers and use appropriate adjustments to support engagement, attendance and participation.
2. Accessibility of the Physical Environment
Ground-floor placement for physical accessibility: Where a student has a physical disability that makes stairs or extensive movement difficult, the school considers the most accessible location for their provision. For example, a pupil with Cerebral Palsy has been placed at the school’s smaller site on the ground floor, reducing the need to use stairs.
Reduced movement within the school day: The same pupil is taught in a smaller classroom with fewer pupils. This reduces the amount of movement required within a busy environment and provides a more manageable physical and sensory space.
Low-arousal environment: The school provides a low-arousal environment for students. This includes consideration of noise, visual stimulation, crowding and the overall level of sensory demand. The approach supports students whose disability or SEMH needs can make highly stimulating environments difficult to tolerate.
Sensory adaptations: The school responds to identified sensory needs and, where practicable, adapts learning spaces accordingly. For example, one classroom has had split lighting installed following a request from pupils, allowing different areas of the room to have lighting switched on or off to meet differing sensory preferences and needs.
Consideration of individual environmental needs: Students’ individual needs are considered when allocating classrooms and spaces. Factors such as noise, proximity to busy areas, stairs, room size, movement, lighting and the number of people in an environment can be taken into account when identifying reasonable adjustments.
Accessible use of school facilities: The school considers how students, staff, parents, carers and visitors with disabilities can safely access and use relevant areas of the school, within the physical constraints of the buildings. Where a barrier is identified, reasonable adjustments are considered.
3. Accessibility of Information and Communication
Digital access to information: The provision of Chromebooks gives students an established digital route for accessing and producing information and learning materials.
Speech-to-text and assistive technology: Where appropriate, students can use speech-to-text technology and other available digital accessibility functions to support communication and written work.
Adapted communication: Staff can adjust the way instructions and information are communicated according to individual need. This may include breaking information into smaller steps, checking understanding, repeating or rephrasing instructions, and providing
information in a format that is easier for the student to process.
Clear and manageable information: The specialist SEMH setting enables staff to take account of students’ emotional state, attention, processing and anxiety when communicating important information. Staff can avoid unnecessarily complex or overwhelming communication where this would create a barrier.
Parent/carer communication: Where a parent or carer has a disability or communication need, the school will consider reasonable adjustments to the format and method of communication so that they can access important school information and participate in discussions about their child.
4. Supporting Accessibility Through the SEMH Provision
Relationships and trust: The school’s specialist approach places importance on positive relationships between students and staff. Strong relationships can reduce anxiety and help students feel safe enough to engage with learning and the school environment.
Predictability and routine: Staff can provide clear routines, expectations and advance information about changes where appropriate. Predictability can reduce anxiety and support students who find unexpected changes difficult to manage.
Regulation and access to learning: Students may require opportunities to regulate before, during or after learning. Staff can recognise when emotional or sensory regulation is acting as a barrier and respond appropriately so that the student can return to learning when ready.
Individual reasonable adjustments: Adjustments are considered on an individual basis rather than applying a single approach to all students. The school recognises that the same environment or method may create different barriers for different students.
Student voice: The school listens to students when identifying barriers and considering reasonable adjustments. The split-lighting example demonstrates that students’ views can directly inform environmental adaptations.
Multi-disciplinary working: Where appropriate, the school can work with families and relevant professionals to understand a student’s needs and identify appropriate adjustments, support strategies and adaptations.
5. Awareness, Accountability and Continuous Improvement
Staff awareness: Staff are expected to understand that disability and accessibility can present as physical, sensory, communication, cognitive, emotional or environmental barriers. Staff should identify and report barriers and consider reasonable adjustments within their role.
Individual planning: Accessibility needs should be reflected in relevant individual plans, risk assessments, support plans or other appropriate records where required.
Monitoring of adjustments: The effectiveness of reasonable adjustments should be reviewed as students’ needs change. An adjustment should remain proportionate, effective and appropriate to the student’s current circumstances.
Student and parent/carer feedback: Feedback from students, parents and carers can be used to identify barriers that may not otherwise be apparent and to inform future accessibility improvements.
Ongoing improvement: The school recognises that accessibility is an ongoing process. Where a barrier is identified, the school will consider what reasonable steps can be taken to remove or reduce it, taking account of the school’s specialist context and the physical constraints of its buildings.
6. Summary of Current Accessibility Provision
| Area | Current provision / adjustment | Accessibility benefit |
| Physical access | Ground-floor placement at the smaller site for a pupil with Cerebral Palsy. | Reduces use of stairs and unnecessary physical demands. |
| Physical / sensory access | Smaller classroom and smaller pupil group where appropriate. | Reduces movement, crowding and sensory/social demands. |
| Sensory environment | Low-arousal environment across the school. | Reduces overstimulation and supports regulation and engagement. |
| Sensory environment | Split lighting installed in one classroom following pupil request. | Allows different areas to have lighting on/off to meet sensory needs. |
| Curriculum access | Chromebooks available to all pupils. | Provides flexible digital access and alternative ways of completing work. |
| Communication / curriculum | Speech-to-text technology available. | Reduces barriers associated with handwriting and written production. |
| Attendance / curriculum access | Reduced timetables for pupils with severe anxiety when required. | Provides a gradual and manageable route into school and learning. |
| Individual access | Reasonable adjustments considered according to individual need. | Ensures barriers are addressed rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. |
7. Link to the Accessibility Plan
This document provides practical evidence in support of Egham Park School’s Accessibility Plan. It demonstrates how the school works to improve accessibility in the three areas identified within the plan: the school curriculum, the physical environment and information sharing. It should be reviewed alongside the school’s Equality & Diversity Policy, Health & Safety Policy, Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Admissions Policy.
The Accessibility Plan and this supporting document should be monitored and reviewed by the Senior Leadership Team in conjunction with school staff. Specific actions should be updated where new barriers are identified, where student needs change, or where further reasonable adjustments are required.