| Date Created | Date 1st Review Date | Date Reviewed | Version | Next Review Date |
| June 2024 | June 2025 |
Statement of intent
Egham Park School is committed to taking all steps to avoid placing anyone at a substantial disadvantage and works closely with pupils with disabilities, their families, and any relevant outside agencies in order to remove any potential barriers to their learning experience.
This policy outlines the principles that the school is committed to following, throughout all accessibility planning activities, to ensure that all disabled pupils can enjoy and access every aspect of educational life in the same way as their peers.
The specific measures the school has taken to ensure the school is accessible are outlined within the Accessibility Plan.
The school is active in promoting an inclusive, positive environment by ensuring that every pupil is given equal opportunity to develop socially, to learn, and to enjoy school life.
The school continually looks for ways to improve accessibility within the school through data collection, parent questionnaires and discussions.
this policy must be adhered to by all staff members, pupils, parents, and visitors.
Legal framework
This policy has due regard to all relevant legislation and statutory guidance including, but not limited to, the following:
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Human Rights Act 1998
• The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014
• Education and Inspections Act 2006
• Equality Act 2010
• The Education Act 1996
• The Children and Families Act 2014
• The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017
• DfE (2014) ‘The Equality Act 2010 and schools’
• DfE (2015) ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ This policy operates in conjunction with the following school policies:
• Equality Information and Objectives Policy
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Policy
• Equal Opportunities and Policy
• Admissions Policy
• Behaviour Policy
• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
• Administering Medication Policy
• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Curriculum Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• School Improvement Plan
• Data Protection Policy
2. Definitions
In line with the Equality Act 2010, “indirect discrimination” is defined as where a provision, criterion or practice is discriminatory in relation to a person’s protected characteristics, where:
• The provision, criterion or practice applies, or would apply, to people without those protected characteristics.
• It puts, or would put, people with those protected characteristics at a disadvantage compared to those without.
• The school cannot show that the provision, criterion or practice is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
The “protected characteristics” are:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex or sexual orientation
- Pregnancy or maternity
- Marriage or civil partnership.
A person is defined as having a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has an adverse, substantial and long-term effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Roles and responsibilities
The Principal will be responsible for:
• Creating an Accessibility Plan with the intention of improving the school’s accessibility, in line with the school’s legal obligations and the principles outlined in this policy.
• Ensuring that staff members are aware of pupils’ disabilities and medical conditions where necessary.
• Establishing whether a new pupil has any disabilities or medical conditions which the school should be aware of.
• Consulting with relevant and reputable experts if challenging situations regarding pupils with disabilities arise.
• Working closely with the Advisory Board, LA and external agencies to effectively create and implement the school’s Accessibility Plan.
Staff members will be responsible for:
• Acting in accordance with this policy and the Accessibility Plan at all times.
• Supporting disabled pupils to access their environment and their education wherever necessary, e.g. by making reasonable adjustments to their practice.
• Ensuring that their actions do not discriminate against any pupil, parent,or colleague.
All staff members will partake in whole-school training on equality issues related to the Equality Act 2010.
Designated staff members will be trained to effectively support pupils with medical conditions, for example, understanding how to administer insulin.
3. Accessibility Plan
Egham Park School’s Accessibility Plan demonstrates how access will be improved for pupils with disabilities, staff, parents, and visitors to the school within a given timeframe. The Accessibility Plan will be structured to complement the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Policy.
The plan has the following key aims:
• To increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities can participate in the curriculum
• To improve and maintain the school’s physical environment to enable pupils with disabilities to take advantage of the facilities and education on offer
• To improve the availability and delivery of written information to pupils, staff, parents, and visitors with disabilities.
4. Equal opportunities
Egham Park School strives to ensure that all existing and potential pupils are given the same opportunities, and is committed to developing a culture of inclusion, support, and awareness. The Accessibility Plan will detail any barriers which are hindering the opportunities for pupils with SEND. The aim of the plan is to take appropriate measures in order to overcome these barriers, allowing all pupils equal opportunities. Staff members will be aware of any pupils who are at a substantial disadvantage and will take the appropriate steps to ensure the pupil is effectively supported. Wherever possible, teaching staff will adapt their lesson plans and the curriculum to allow all pupils to reach their full potential and receive the support they need.
5. Admissions
Egham Park School will act in accordance with its Admissions Policy. The same entry criteria will be applied to all pupils and potential pupils..
6. Curriculum
Egham Park School is committed to providing a healthy environment. The school aims to provide a differentiated curriculum to enable all pupils to feel secure and make progress. The Principal will work together with the staff team to ensure that the pupil’s EHC plan is implemented, and that the teaching of that subject is adjusted for the pupil wherever necessary in line with their EHC plan. Where any amendments to the provisions of the plan need to be amended or adapted to allow the pupil to reach their full potential in a given subject, advice will be sought from outside agencies where necessary. Where areas of the curriculum present challenges for a pupil, these are dealt with on an individual basis. The school, in discussion with the pupil and their parents, will ensure that all adjustments possible, in line with common sense and practical application, will be made for any disability or impairment.
7. Physical environment
Egham Park School is committed to ensuring that all pupils, staff members, parents and visitors have equal access to areas and facilities within the school premises. The first floor of Egham Park School are the only parts of the school to which pupils with disabilities have limited or no access to. However, in general, the school will make its best endeavours to anticipate potential access needs that may be encountered in the future and to ensure that the physical environment is as accessible as possible for all current and prospective pupils. The specific ways in which the school will ensure its physical environment is accessible in full to all members of the school community, irrespective of any protected characteristics, are detailed within the school’s Accessibility Plan.
8. Monitoring and review
This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis or when new legislation or guidance concerning equality and disability is published. The Principal and will review the policy in collaboration with the SLT and Advisory Board.