Clifton Community School

DISABILITY EQUALITY SCHEME

INTRODUCTION

The SEN and Disability Act 2001 extended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) to cover education. Since September 2002, the Governing Body has had three key duties towards disabled pupils, under Part 4 of the DDA:

Not to treat disabled pupils less favourably for a reason related to their disability;

To make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, so that they are not at a substantial disadvantage;

To plan to increase access to education for disabled pupils.

This Disability Equality Scheme sets out the proposals of the Governing Body of the school to increase access to education for disabled pupils in the three areas required by the planning duties in the DDA:

Increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the school curriculum;

Improving the environment of the school to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of education and associated services;

Improving the delivery to disabled pupils of information which is provided in writing for pupils who are disabled.

It is a requirement that the school’s Scheme is resourced, implemented and reviewed and revised as necessary. Attached is a set of action plans showing how the school will address the priorities identified in the Scheme.

DISABILITY EQUALITY SCHEME

Vision and Values:

At Clifton Community School, we are committed to promoting disability equality and welcome the introduction of this duty. Achieving disability equality lies at the heart of our school’s aims and mission statement. We want to deliver real outcomes for those who are disabled and are parents of disabled pupils. We aim to provide practical improvements in the day-to-day life of disabled pupils.

In this scheme, we acknowledge that disability is a consequence of barriers that prevent a number of people accessing maximum participation. At Clifton we are committed to identifying and removing these barriers in all areas of school life. The scheme contains action plans for delivering improvements. It is our intention to report annually on the progress of this plan and to review it every 3 years.

Involvement and empowerment of disabled people will ensure they have a greater voice and influence in our School Improvement Plan. In our Disability Equality Scheme we aim to make sure disability equality is integral to our everyday business.

Clifton’s Disability Equality Scheme reflects the key requirements set out in the National Curriculum Inclusion Statement whereby the school:

-Sets suitable learning challenges;

-Responds to pupils’ diverse needs;

-Overcomes potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils;

-Identifies a focus on outcomes for disabled pupils.

Our Disability Equality Scheme and the general duty to promote disability equality will be referenced in our key strategies and policies as they are developed and reviewed. Implementing the scheme and the action plan will be the collective responsibility of everyone and we welcome comments and suggestions from disabled pupils, parents, guardians, carers, community groups and other stakeholders and interested parties.

Gathering and Using Information:

The school will undertake an audit to determine the nature of the pupil population and adult population with regard to disability using the Social Model approach outlined in DfES guidelines.

Clifton’s Accessibility Plan, as a result of PFI build, is currently being reviewed. This includes consideration given to strengths and weaknesses in ensuring access for disabled pupils and adults; the impact of the schools existing plans and priorities; and in working with disabled pupils and adults to identify priorities for action.

The participation of disabled pupils in school trips and off site learning is monitored by the Extra Curricular Co-ordinator and appropriate provision made through risk assessment to ensure provision is widely accessible.

Outcomes for disabled pupils, including analysis of data in relation to exams, accredited learning and end of key stage outcomes will be collated and published by the school. This will in future inform reviews of the scheme.

Clifton takes pride in the quality of information and data from primary schools. This has been particularly enhanced over the last few years where our EAZ has facilitated opportunities for continued development. Advance information about pupils who may be coming to the school who have SEN and who also may be disabled is integral to our successful key stage transition procedures.

Involvement and Consultation:

The Local Authority has provided training for key staff in school to raise awareness of issues relating to the Disability Equality Scheme. (See also appendix vii).

The school is already involving and consulting with stakeholders and intends to develop this further. Annual reviews during this term have been used as a means of consulting parents and pupils. The Leader of Learning Support will collate the responses to make recommendations for any adjustments that should be considered.

Help lines for staff and pupils are signposted around the school.

Increased Access to the Curriculum for Disabled Pupils:

At Clifton the Disability Equality Scheme will support interventions into the learning processes of disabled pupils to maximise participation and achievement. We will promote educational, personal, social and emotional development by providing a supportive environment with appropriate deployment of teaching and learning support and peer support.

We will identify the specific needs of disabled students and implement, monitor and coordinate provision for them. We will emphasise the responsibility of the whole school in ensuring that disabled pupils make appropriate progress by setting realistic but challenging targets for them including the use of P scales for pupils below level 2 on the National Curriculum.

Schemes of work will be developed across all subject areas by curriculum leaders so that they provide all disabled pupils with relevant and appropriately challenging work at each key stage. We will promote the use of additional computer technology that is appropriate for disabled pupils.

The Disability Equality Scheme will ensure an effective partnership with disabled pupils to establish strategies which are understood and agreed by all. Effective partnerships with parents of disabled pupils will continue to be a priority at Clifton including dissemination of information regarding progress and consultations for target setting.

We aim to maintain and develop effective partnerships with all agencies involved with the disabled pupils’ educational and social development and encourage innovative partnerships between statutory and voluntary agencies to widen opportunities available to disabled pupils (including specialist career advice and work placements). We will expand and collate knowledge of prospective disabled pupils through cross phase liaison to ensure continuity and smooth transition from:

KS2 – KS3

KS3 – KS4

KS4 – POST 16

The Disability Equality Scheme will promote the training of teachers and support staff on issues relating to disability and curriculum access. It will ensure that all staff have access to a list of disabled pupils to inform lesson planning and curriculum review.

We aim to promote a flexible and personalised learning pathway for disabled students that takes account of differing ability levels, carefully monitored withdrawal sessions and access to therapies. We will promote access of all disabled pupils in special events, extra curricular activities and school trips.

Implementation, Leadership and Management:

There is a commitment from Senior Leaders and Governors to the principles and requirements reflected in the General Duty and the specific duty to implement this Disability Equality Scheme. During the PFI rebuild disability requirements were built into the design of the building and resourcing arrangements.

The implementation of the Disability Equality Scheme will be in conjunction with other school policies on Recruitment and Retention, Race Equality and Multicultural, Social Inclusion, Gender Equality and Special Educational Needs and Disability as part of the school’s commitment to Equal Opportunities. (See appendix i, ii, iii, iv, and v).

The school’s Disability Equality Scheme will be developed separately before embedding into other planning processes so that we can establish a clear focus on disabled children and adults. It will cross reference to appropriate sections of the SIP.

The Headteacher has overall lead responsibility for implementation but the Assistant Headteacher responsible for Professional Well Being and the Leader of Learning Support will have operational responsibility. The scheme will be co-ordinated with other services and agencies for example, Social Services, the LA’s accessibility strategy and health agencies.

Impact Assessments:

The school has identified disability as a specific cohort for data analysis which enables teachers to use the information for informing Learning and Teaching. It also will be part of our exam and test results analysis procedures. The SEN department evaluates data from the Centre of Studies for Inclusive Education. Continuous Professional Development for all staff will help raise awareness of the Disability Equality Scheme and the implications for school life. There is a commitment by the school to publish and review the results of impact assessments and use this to monitor future impact.

Publication and Reporting:

The plan will be signposted in the School Improvement Plan and made available to all staff in the annual updating of the staff handbook in individual Professional Portfolios. The plan will also be available on the school website so that it is accessible by the wider school community. The scheme will be easily readable as it is school policy to avoid the use of jargon and acronyms. It will also be produced in a font size no less than 14 point. Making the scheme available on the website enables individuals to put it into any size font that is required.

The Governing Body is required to report to parents on arrangements for disabled pupils and parents, guardians or carers which will be done via the school prospectus.

Support from Within and Beyond the School:

Awareness raising activities and general training has been made available to Governors, Senior Leadership Team and the Learning Support Area. This will be extended to particular groups of staff as appropriate and to all staff via the staff handbook and Clifton profile

Support and advice is always being sought from outside the school: from services other agencies and organisations, together with Parent Partnership and also cross Local Authority SENCO meetings. See appendix (vi).

Appendix (i)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Race Equality Multicultural Education Policy

Rationale

The students and staff of this school form a multicultural community. To enable every person to gain maximum benefit from their education, this school will strive to eliminate inequality of bias based on race, religion or culture, and positively recognise the contribution of a multicultural approach.

Purposes

1.To ensure that a broad and balanced education is offered to all students irrespective of their race, religion, language and cultural background.

2.To recognise, value and record the full range of student achievements.

3.To bolster self-esteem and self-regard in all students.

4.To ensure that students value and respect others for their differences as well as their similarities.

5.To foster harmony and tolerance of others, irrespective of race, language, cultural background, dress and religious values, and to celebrate cultural diversity.

6.To eliminate racial discrimination, prejudice of harassment and to refuse to tolerate those who indulge in such practices, whether verbal, physical or institutional, in line with our Behaviour for Learning Policy.

Guidelines

1.The school will regularly review its practices and procedures to ensure that all students have equal rights, equal opportunities and equal access to a full, broad and balanced education.

2.Teaching and learning materials will be regularly monitored to ensure they are bias free and reflect the cultural background and lifestyles of all pupils and not just the majority.

3.Area schemes of work to make explicit statements on how their teaching and learning fully engages minority ethnic groups.

4.Annual induction programmes for staff and INSET provision will address issues relating to this policy.

5.The school rules will include statements relating to this policy.

6.All staff must be clear in their support for victims of racist incidents and the school will deal effectively with the perpetrators within procedures laid down, to include the recording of all incidents.

7.Positive action will be taken by the school, through its stated aims, publications, assemblies, curriculum and pastoral structure, to promote an ethos that values and respects all students and reflects a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.

8.All students will be encouraged and supported to take a full active role in school life, including the full range of extra curricular activities and lessons irrespective of racial, religious or cultural differences.

Conclusion

This policy is to be viewed in conjunction with the school’s Equal Opportunities Policy and should be seen as making a positive contribution to the school’s declared caring ethos. The head teacher and Governing Body will assess the impact of this policy and monitor its operation.

Appendix (ii)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Recruitment & Retention

(In-employment policy)

Policy Statement:

It is the policy of Clifton School Governing Body to ensure that in both access to employment and employment practices, all persons are offered equal opportunity and that no employee or applicant for appointment receives less favourable treatment on grounds of gender, marital status, age, race, disability, sexuality or religion, or are placed at a disadvantage by imposed conditions or requirements which cannot be justified.

Application:

The Governing Body recognises the fact that policies will not in themselves necessarily achieve equality of opportunity and will maintain ongoing review of the application of such policies.

Implementation:

In order to achieve equality of opportunity, the Governing Body will operate an effective equal opportunity in employment policy by ensuring fair recruitment and selection, and by creating conditions and practices which allow equality of opportunity to be practically available.

The Governing Body will, wherever reasonable, remove any barriers to undertaking a job which exist as a direct result of belonging to a minority group.

Recruitment and Selection:

Advertisements shall not imply that there is a preference for a particular group of applicants, unless there is a Genuine Occupational Qualification which limits a post to a particular group, in which case this will be clearly stated.

Particular attention will be paid to selection criteria to ensure potential applicants are not restricted or disadvantaged on the grounds of gender, marital status, race, age, disability, sexuality or religion.

The aim of the selection process is to determine the best candidate for the post in a thorough and objective manner. Individuals will be selected, promoted and treated on the basis of their ability to carry out a particular job. The Governing Body will interview all applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for a job vacancy and will consider them on their abilities.

In order to achieve equal pay for staff carrying out work of equal value, the Governing Body will operate a pay system which is transparent based on objective criteria and free from gender bias.

Responsibility of Individual Employees:

All employees have a responsibility to foster good employee relations and to follow fair employment practices. An employee should not themselves discriminate; should not induce or attempt to induce other employees to discriminate and should not harass, abuse or intimidate other employees on grounds of gender, marital status, age, race, disability, sexuality or religion.

All employees have a responsibility to treat their colleagues with dignity and respect and not to bully or harass any other member of staff and to discourage any forms of bullying and harassment in relation to a person’s race, sex, disability, religion, age or sexuality.

Monitoring:

Any complaints of discrimination, harassment or victimisation, will be treated seriously, thoroughly investigated and dealt with through the council’s internal grievance, bullying and harassment or disciplinary procedures. The disciplinary procedures may be used in the case of a breach of policy.

Appendix (iii)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

A Social Inclusion Policy

Rationale

Inclusion in education involves the process of increasing the participation of students in and reducing their exclusion from the cultures, curricula and community of the school.

This policy will ensure that this school is an educationally inclusive school whereby all students will benefit from the teaching and learning, achievement and attitude which is paramount to their well being. Clifton will provide an inclusive curriculum which will meet the needs of all those who attend. Learning diversity will be recognised and planned for, barriers to learning and participation will be challenged and removed. All students will be provided with equality of opportunity. Parents will be involved in the education of their children and will be kept fully informed when special educational provision is made for their child.

Purpose

1.To ensure that all students from the locality are encouraged to attend school irrespective of attainment or impairment and that a broad and balanced education is offered to all.

2.To recognise the value of all students and record and celebrate all achievements.

3.To ensure that young people who visit the area (e.g. travellers or asylum seekers are actively encouraged to attend school without victimisation).

4.To maintain and ensure that all students value and respect the differences as well as similarities of other students and staff and to foster harmony and tolerance of others irrespective of their background and ability.

5.To ensure that disciplinary exclusion is kept to a minimum by using support and intervention in the teaching, learning, relationships and social aspects of school life.