Co-op Academy Nightingale Primary Accessibility Plan 2023-2024

At Co-op Academy Nightingale Primary our values reflect our commitment to a school where there are high expectations of everyone. Children are provided with high quality learning opportunities so that each child attains and achieves all that they are able to. Everyone in our school is important and included. We promote an ethos of care and trust where every member of our school community feels that they truly belong and are valued. We work hard to ensure there are no invisible children or staff here, recognising everyone’s uniqueness and success. We recognise learning in all its forms and are committed to nurturing lifelong learners. We are a safe school, committed to improving children's confidence and self-esteem. We know that safe and happy children achieve.

This Accessibility Plan is drawn up in compliance with current legislation and requirements as specified in Schedule 10, relating to Disability, of the Equality Act 2010. School Governors are accountable for ensuring the implementation, review and reporting of progress of the Accessibility Plan over a prescribed period.

The Equality Act 2010 replaced all existing equality legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act. The effect of the law is the same as in the past, meaning that “schools cannot unlawfully discriminate against pupils because of sex, race, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation”.

According to the Equality Act 2010 a person has a disability if:

1. They have a physical or mental impairment, and

2. The impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

The Accessibility Plan is structured to complement and support the school’s Equality Objectives, and will similarly be published on the school website. We understand that the Local Authority will monitor the school’s activity under the Equality Act 2010 (and in particular Schedule 10 regarding Accessibility) and will advise upon the compliance with that duty.

Objectives

Co-op Academy Nightingale is committed to providing an environment that enables full curriculum access and that values, and includes, all pupils, staff, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional and

cultural needs. We are committed to taking positive action in the spirit of the Equality Act 2010 with regard to disability and to developing a culture of inclusion, support and awareness within the school.

The school recognises and values parents’ knowledge of their child’s disability and its effect on their ability to carry out everyday activities and respects the parents’ and child’s right to confidentiality.

The Co-op Academy Nightingale Primary Accessibility Plan shows how access is to be improved for disabled pupils, staff and visitors to the school, including those with mental health difficulties in a given timeframe and anticipating the need to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate their needs where practicable.        

The Accessibility Plan contains relevant and timely actions to:-

• Increase access to the curriculum for pupils with a physical disability and/or sensory impairments, expanding the curriculum as necessary to ensure that pupils with a disability are as equally prepared for life as the able-bodied pupils; (If a school fails to do this they are in breach of their duties under the Equalities Act 2010); this covers teaching and learning and the wider curriculum of the school such as participation in after-school clubs, leisure and cultural activities or schools visits – it also covers the provision of specialist or auxiliary aids and equipment, which may assist these pupils in accessing the curriculum within a reasonable timeframe;

• Improve and maintain access to the physical environment of the school, adding specialist facilities as necessary – this covers improvements to the physical environment of the school and physical aids to access education within a reasonable timeframe;

• Improve the delivery of written information to pupils, staff, parents and visitors with disabilities; examples might include hand-outs, timetables, textbooks and information about the school and school events; the information should be made available in various preferred formats within a reasonable timeframe.

The Co-op Academy Nightingale Accessibility Plan relates to the key aspects of physical environment, curriculum and written information.

Whole school training will recognise the need to continue raising awareness for staff and governors on equality issues with reference to the Equality Act 2010.

This Accessibility Plan should be read in conjunction with the following school policies, strategies and documents:

• Behaviour Management Policy
• Curriculum Policies
• Equality objectives
• Emergency Plans
• Health & Safety Policy
• School Improvement Plan
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Inclusion Policy
• Whole school Risk Assessment (Covid-19)

The Accessibility Plan for physical accessibility relates to the Access Audit of the School, which was originally undertaken by governors and disabled people from the community when the building opened. It has been subsequently updated by the school and remains the responsibility of the governing body. It may not be feasible to undertake all of the works during the life of this accessibility plan and therefore some items will roll forward into subsequent plans. An accessibility audit will be completed by the school prior to the end of each period covering this plan in order to inform the development of a new Accessibility Plan for the ongoing period.

Equality Impact Assessments will be undertaken as and when school policies are reviewed. The terms of reference for all governors’ committees will include the need to consider Equality and Diversity issues as required by the Equality Act 2010.

  The Accessibility Plan will be published on the school website.

  The Accessibility Plan will be monitored through the Governor Pupil Committee.

Approved: By the Governors

Date:  September 2022

Review date:  September  2023 - reviewed 9/9/23

Review date: September 2024

Co-op Academy Nightingale Primary Accessibility Audit September 20

An access audit was carried out by the SLT.  The following recommendations were made:

 Action Plan A – Improving Physical Access

Action Plan B – Improving Curriculum Access

 Action Plan C – Improving the Delivery of Written Information