CONTENTS

  1. Statement of Values.
  2. Overview of school premises.
  3. Priorities in summary
    1. premises
    2. curriculum increasing access
    3. Information.

       4. The Access Plan

  • Information
  • Consultation
  • Availability
  • Duration
  • Review

       6. The Action Plan


1. STATEMENT OF VALUES

Witton Park High School Business and Enterprise College makes all children welcome. The school aims to ensure that every child has access to the premises, curriculum and related resources and will make every effort to provide students with the support they require. The school has a caring ethos and the students with disabilities (and their parents/carers) will feel welcome and valued within the school community and take part in the full range of activities.
 

2. OVERVIEW OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING

Witton Park High School Business and Enterprise College is a large 11-16 high school built on a split site.   Access between buildings can be problematic for students with mobility difficulties.  We have 1,050 students on roll.  The buildings are largely two storeys.

The size and layout of areas including all academic, sporting, play and social facilities; classrooms, the assembly hall, canteen, library, gymnasium and outdoor sporting facilities, playgrounds, and common rooms allow access for all students.

The Access Audit shows:-

  • Wheelchair users can move around the school and have access to all areas.  Access ramps to RE, Science and to Art as well as the BICT classroom have been built in the South Wing of the school.
  • Pathways of travel around the school site are safe.
  • Routes are logical and well signed.
  • Designated parking arrangements for disabled members of the school community are marked.
  • Emergency and evacuation systems are in place to inform all students, including students with SEN and disability.  Alarms have both visual and auditory components.
  • Décor clearly defines floor and wall areas, step edges, etc.
  • Areas are well lit.
  • Furniture and equipment has been selected, adjusted and located appropriately.   Witton Park High School has two disabled toilets (one in each of the wings of the school), two adjustable height tables in the science laboratories.
  • SEN students also have a Personal Evacuation Evaluation Plan (PEEPs). This is discussed with students twice a year and students sign a questionnaire.

 

3. PRIORITIES IN THE SUMMARY

The LEA and the school have worked in partnership to improve the buildings for students with mobility difficulties.  Our priority needs to be improving the environment for students with sensory impairments.  We need to be looking at :-

  1. Premises
  •  acoustics in the classrooms and in both halls.
  •   Improved signage around school.
  1. Curriculum

             To meet the needs of our pupils we need:-

  • All policies to have an equal opportunity statement.
  • Ensure continued equality of opportunity and access in all subject policy and scheme of work reviews.
  • Provide more resources for a range of disabilities/impairment appropriate to the subject areas.
  • Raise staff awareness by training and discussion.
  • Raise pupil awareness through PHSE.
  • To monitor that all pupils have access to all curricular areas and all extra curricular activities.
  • To monitor pupil outcomes through the school’s tracking system.
  • Teachers and teaching assistants will have necessary training to teach and support students with disabilities.
  • Lessons should provide opportunities for all students to take part in music, drama and physical activities.
  • Staff will recognise the physical and intellectual effort expended by some students with disabilities for example lip reading (deaf), in reading lengthy texts (visually impaired), in participating in practical work (dyspraxic students, students with physical disability, visually impaired).
  • Access to computer technology appropriate for students with disabilities will be available in school.
  • All students will have the opportunity to participate in school visits irrespective of attainment or impairment.
  • High expectations are set for all students.
  • Staff seek to remove barriers to learning and participation.

 

  1. Improved signage around school.

             To address the needs of our pupils we need:-

  • To make sure all pupils can access all information relating to curriculum areas, extra-curricular activities and the wider school curriculum.
  • To be aware of the requirements of pupils with a range of impairments.

 

4. THE ACCESS PLAN

Information

The policy group responsible for constructing this plan had the following information available:-

  • 2001 SEN and Disability Act.
  • Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Part 4, Code of Practice for Schools.
  • Accessible Schools: Planning to increase access to schools for disabled pupils (DfES 2002).
  • “Making it Work”: A Training Pack for Schools and LEA’s (Council for Disabled Children/Disability Equality in Education, August 2002).
  • Information about pupils in school and future pupils.

Consultation

In producing this Access Plan we consulted with the following groups:-

  • Parents in school.
  • Pupils in school.
  • External Agencies, eg physiotherapists.
  • LEA

Availability

The plan is available:-

  • In written form in the school office.
  • In electronic form.
  • The plan is written in plain English using font size 16.

Duration

The plan will run from April 2010 to April 2011.

 

Review

It will be reviewed annually in April and revised if necessary.

Signed   Helen Cook

Date         April 2011

Date of next Review. April 2012