Accessibility Policy

1.   Statement
2.   Aims
3.   Related policies, legislation and guidance
4.   Improving access and provision; Accessibility Plan
5.   Review

1. Statement
Ashbourne College strives to be inclusive and welcoming to each and every student so they are able to participate as fully as possible in the curriculum and College life. The College is also committed to promoting positive attitudes towards disability and accessibility.

2. Aims
This policy sets out measures planned and undertaken by the College to ensure the fair access and treatment for students with SEND. These include:

• Improving the physical environment of the College in order to increase the extent to which disabled students are able to take advantage of education and associated services.
• Increasing the extent to which students with SEND can participate in the curriculum.
• Improving the provision of information for students with SEND.

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3. Related policies, legislation and guidance
3.1 Related policies

• Admissions Policy
• Anti-bullying Policy
• Attendance Policy
• Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
• Curriculum Policy
• Equal Opportunities Policy
• Examinations Policy
• Fire Safety Policy
• Safer Recruitment of Staff Policy
• SEND and Access Arrangement Policy
• Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy

3.2 Relevant legislation and guidance

• The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as: ‘A physical or mental impairment which has substantial and long term adverse impact on a person’s ability to carry out normal everyday activities’. This overlaps with the definition of ‘special educational needs’ in the Children and Families Act 2014, which includes students with significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of their age, or a disability which means that a student cannot make full use of the general educational facilities provided for students of their age.

Anti-discrimination considerations relating to students with SENDs are also included in the DfE’s Teachers Standards, outlining the professional expectations for all teachers in the UK.

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4. Improving access and provision for SEND students
Ashbourne monitors the physical environment of its premises to assess what reasonable adjustments can be made to improve access and provision for SEND students so they are able to take full advantage of the College’s educational and associated provision.

4.1 Ashbourne’s Accessibility Plan
Ashbourne’s Accessibility Plan (pdf) has been developed by members of the senior leadership team (SLT) to map out and monitor the College’s interventions, as required by the Equality Act 2010.

The Accessibility Plan is reviewed every three years by members of the SLT . The Principal is responsible for giving the final approval for this plan.

4.1.1. Terms of review

• To review the College’s policies, procedures and facilities as they are likely to affect students and prospective students who are disabled.
• To make recommendations with a view to improving the accessibility of Ashbourne’s educational provisions to students or prospective students with disabilities by means of reasonable adjustments and future-planning.
• To prepare and adjust as necessary the Accessibility Plan.
• To review related plans and policies as necessary, and at least on an annual basis.

4.1.2 Areas of consideration
Admissions
Ashbourne commitment to removing barriers, wherever possible, to entry to the College for SEND students. Please refer to the Admissions Policy.

Attainment
Ashbourne commitment to supporting all students, regardless of any SEND or other personal circumstances, to attain the best outcome for their personal and educational development. Student attainment will be reviewed on an ongoing basis through half-termly mock exams and individual student reviews throughout the academic year.

Attendance
Ashbourne has high attendance expectations of all students, as laid out in the Attendance Policy. The College carefully monitors and supports students with medical and SEND issues with attendance in order to ensure they do not miss out on or are disadvantaged in their learning if they are unable to attend lessons.

Behaviour
The College has a clear code of conduct and works closely with all students to help them maintain good behaviour, as set out in the Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy. In any situation requiring disciplinary action, including exclusion, any relevant aspects, including SEND, that would affect the behaviour or actions of a student would be taken into careful consideration.

Education
Ashbourne staff appraise their own teaching strategies and receive support from the SEND Team to ensure students with SEND are able to learn and participate to their full potential. This may include, for example, offering rest breaks if a student is experiencing anxiety or panic, giving additional time to complete assignments or providing more accessible or focused teaching materials.

The College does not tolerate offensive language or discrimination and actively promotes inclusion and collaboration.

Extra-curricular activities
All students are given the opportunity to get fully involved in College life and participate in extra-curricular activities, such as school trips, clubs and events.

Physical environment
The College regularly assesses and monitors the physical environment of its premises to ensure that all students are able to take advantage of everything the College has to offer.

Selection and recruitment of staff
Ashbourne aims to offer equality of opportunity and fair treatment in its recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion of staff at all levels. The Equal Opportunities and Safer Recruitment and Selection of Staff policies set out how the procedures work and are produced in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Ashbourne staff are required to read and adhere to all College policies, which includes recognising the importance of accessibility for all students and respecting the needs and rights of students with SEND.

5. Review
This policy is reviewed annually by the SLT.

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