Our Equality Objectives

Accessibility Plan September 2025

Rationale

The Equality Act 2010 replaces previous discrimination law and provides a single piece of legislation covering all the types of discrimination that are unlawful. Schools and Local Authorities have to carry out accessibility planning for disabled Students. The duties are the same as those in the previous Disability Discrimination legislation and have been replicated in the new Act. The approach of the school to meet the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 is set out fully in the Single Equality Policy.

The definition of disability under the law is a wide one. A disabled person, as defined under the Equality Act 2010, is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term negative effect to do normal daily activities. If a person has been disabled in the past they are still covered by the legislation for the rest of their life.

Aims of St Simon of England R.C Primary School Accessibility Plan

The school plans, over time to increase the accessibility of provision for all students, staff and visitors to the school. The main priorities in the school’s plan will be in the following areas:

Improving the physical environment of the school to increase the extent to which disabled students can take advantage of education and associated services.
Increasing the extent to which disabled students can participate in the school Curriculum.
Improving the communication to disabled students, staff, parents and visitors of information that is provided in writing for students and adults who are non-disabled.

The actions planned to meet these aims are set in the three sections below:

St Simon of England Accessibility Plan

Physical Environment
		Objective	What	How/Who	When	Evidence
Short term within 1 Year	1	Ensure provision for current students is suitable.	Review toilet and building access arrangements in place for current students eg. Handrails, ramps	Site manager, Health and Safety Governor Report to Finance Committee. Consultation with MAT Property Management Consults	Term 1 each year
	2	Ensure staff training including First Aid training and DSL is in place to support needs of current student body	Review how current student needs are being met.	Finance Business Manager/ Staff CPD coordinator	Term 1 each year
	3	Ensure parking and access to building for physically disabled students and their parents when they visit the school is in place	Review current arrangement	Site manager, Health and Safety Governor Report to Finance Committee. Consultation with MAT Property Management Consults	Term 1 each year
Medium term (more than 1 year)	1	Ensure automatic electronic gate access to school carpark for disabled visitors and staff	When budget allows installation of automatic gate access to carpark	Head teacher and Governing Body	When budget allows
Accessing the Curriculum
Short term (less than 1 year)	1	Ensure compliance with Equalities Act 2010	Staff and governors informed of requirements and obligations of Single Equalities Act 2010, and of the Accessibility Plan	Review of policy and provision at Curriculum Committee Governors meetings	Term 3
	2	Ensure curriculum meets the needs of all students	Curriculum review process to include consideration of curriculum needs of all students including those with a disability	SLT and Curriculum Committee	Term 1 and 2 each year
	3	Ensure student disability is identified and that reasonable adjustments are made in provision	Special Educational Needs and Disability SEND plan for each student identified is in place in September of each year	SENCO Inclusion manager ensure review of any SEND plan/provision mapping	July September each year
	4	Ensure all groups of students with common needs have support and appropriate adjustments to provision eg Pupil Premium, EAL, SEND, ethnic minority	Identification of students and notification to staff of students in groups	Monitoring and checking of progress at tracking through year.	Term 1 each Year reviewed termly at progress meetings
	5	Ensure students with a disability have fair access to school educational visits	Staff planning trips include provision for students with a disability	EVC and FGB	Ongoing
Access to information normally provided in written form
Short term within a Year	1	Ensure students with difficulties in using language are supported in the delivery of the curriculum	Literacy needs identified throughout the year	Accelerated reader assessment and SEND assessment/Literacy Coordinator and SENCO	When needs arise termly
	2	Ensure students with visual and/or hearing impairment have access to the curriculum	Identification of needs of students joining the school with hearing and/or visual impairment	Teaching staff to be made aware of students in their class with hearing impairment and to plan lessons /Admissions clerk, Phase leaders and SENCO appropriately	When need arises
	3	Ensure access arrangements are in place for visually impaired and hearing impaired for all Statutory Assessment	Identification of needs of students joining the school	Assessment coordinator/headteacher to arrange access through NCT tools website	February each academic year online portal

Review Date: September 2026

Related Policies

This Plan will contribute to the review and revision of related school policies, e.g.

SEND policy
Single Equality policy
EAL/New arrivals Policy
Behavioural Management Policy
Policies

Our Equality Objectives

Trust Equality Review Statement

Gender Pay Gap Information

Modern Slavery Statement

St Simon of England Equality Objectives

Accessibility Plan September 2025

Rationale

Related Policies