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Planning to Improve Access to Education for Pupils with Disabilities
Guidance on Preparing Accessibility Strategies
Annex C - Possible Template for an Accessibility Strategy
These are the headings which are likely to be included in responsible bodies' accessibility strategies. However, this is only a suggested template and the format can be changed to whatever a responsible body feels is most suitable. Possible headings:
- Introduction
- Outline of what the strategy is for
- Requirements of legislation and guidance
- Time period covered
- Approach to developing the strategy
- Summary of responsible body's assessment of current levels of accessibility of its schools and nursery classes
- Summary of recent progress made and improvements implemented. (After the period of the first strategy, this should include a report on what was and was not achieved under the previous strategy)
- Information about membership of the planning group
- Summary of consultation/audits carried out in developing the strategy and how priorities were determined (if any criteria were used, these should be included)
- Summary of key areas of accessibility/schools where improvements are needed
- Access to the curriculum
- List of short, medium and long-term priorities for improvements in ensuring that pupils have access to a full curriculum - consider including: staff training - especially for mainstream class teachers, provision of learning support and auxiliaries, availability of auxiliary aids (e.g. laptops), provision for assessments and examinations, etc.
- Identify targets to be met during the period of the strategy (include timescales)
- Access to the physical environment
- List of short, medium and long-term priorities for improvements in ensuring that pupils have physical access to schools - consider including: access to all school buildings/areas for pupils with physical disabilities, hearing impairments and visual impairments, improved access to sports facilities, school transport, etc.
- Identify targets to be met during the period of the strategy (include timescales)
- Ensure all planning refurbishments of schools have been looked at to consider whether improvements to access can be carried out as part of the work
- Improving Communication
- List of short, medium and long-term priorities for improvements in ensuring that two-way communication with pupils can be improved - consider including: improving the availability of school information/work in alternative forms for pupils with visual impairments, hearing impairments and learning difficulties, and ensuring that pupils can communicate their views/their work to school staff, etc.
- Identify targets to be met during the period of the strategy (include timescales)
- Other projects
- For example, include plans to raise awareness about disability amongst school staff and pupils through school activities.
- Identify links and explain how connections will be made with other initiatives or programmes and plans such as the Children's Services Plan, the Improvement Plan, the Community Plan, School Development Plans and so on.
- Conclusions and Action Plan
- Resulting action plan for each year, including details of who will take each action point forward and any resources expected to be allocated for each action point.
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