Accessibility

Accessibility Policy 

Under the Equality Act 2010 and SEND legislation schools have a three-fold responsibility towards pupils with disabilities.

These are:

• 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 plan sets out the proposals of the school to increase access to education for disabled pupils in the three areas required by the planning duties in Schedule 10 to the Equality Act 2010:

• 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 not disabled.

It is a requirement that the school’s accessibility plan is resourced, implemented, reviewed and revised as necessary and reported on annually. The Board will review this policy accordingly.

We are committed to doing all we reasonably can to facilitate the above aims. We want to be a school which welcomes children of all abilities and encourages and enables them to do their very best.

The plan covers 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2027. It records work undertaken since the move to Esh Winning and sets out actions for the remaining year. The Board will review progress at least annually and publish the revised plan. The school will continue to make individual reasonable adjustments when needed; this three-year plan does not delay those decisions.

Premises

IGS: Durham occupies a refurbished church building in the village of Esh Winning, 5.6 miles from the centre of Durham. The refurbishment work was approved by Building Control (11 June 2024) and provides the basis for the current premises arrangements. Access to the school is by way of a pathway which is safe and convenient for all, including wheelchair users.

The new premises are superior to the previous site at Claypath especially in the provision of considerable outdoor space and a sensory area.

The building provides accessible facilities, although for some wheelchair users currently limited to the ground floor. We seek to do all we can to make our school accessible to all.

The school timetable is designed to ensure that relevant classrooms are accessible to all children.

We have a number of sensory areas in the building and this allows us to cater effectively for the growing number of SEND children with sensory issues within our school. To further cater for such children, we have designed toilets and washrooms without electric hand dryers, as the noise generated represents significant sensory overload for several of our pupils.

The school has supported a pupil with significant physical disabilities through provision of a suitable hoist and Stander chair. Staff, including the school nurse, were trained in the use of equipment as required. The school will assess individual equipment and training needs when a pupil requires similar support in future.

The school has an EVAC chair, which a number of staff have been trained to use, and this could be used if needed.

Two accessible toilets are installed, one on each floor.

PEEPs (personal emergency evacuation plans) have been developed for all children who would require them in the event of a fire.

Curriculum

We remain committed to small classes, and this enables teachers to provide a greater level of attention to SEND children. Such children have many opportunities to join intervention groups. We have deliberately invested significantly since coming to Esh Winning to enable this to take place to an even greater extent and our recruitment in summer 2026 of two more TAs was deliberately intended to enhance this considerably.

We are particularly conscious at the moment of the growing problems many children have with anxiety and we believe that our small, friendly school environment provides a safe place for many such children. Parental feedback has been pleasing, and confirms that in many cases children who previously were even unable to go into school at all, are now flourishing. We previously engaged a counsellor, who made a significant impact and although she could not stay on due to her study commitments, we have amended Miss Wilson's timetable to enable her to take on some of the counsellor's workload. This has proved very effective - Miss Wilson has great experience of, and commitment to, improving the well-being of students.

Several of our staff have completed a four-week twilight course in autism, enabling us to cater more effectively with the increasing number of children diagnosed with that condition.

For several years, we have organised at least one whole-school assembly per year on ASD. This enables all children to understand the needs of affected children.

Our SENDCO (Mrs De Cruz) has completed training with the University of Bath on autism together with similar modules on separation anxiety and early years trauma. She has also established a link with a school in southern England and has begun to share learning around early years trauma.

We keep in regular contact with parents of SEND children – both those with an EHCP and those with an in-school Individual Education Plan, and through those discussions will attempt to do what we can to improve access still further and make any improvements which are reasonably possible.

Information for disabled pupils

The school will make information that is provided in writing to other pupils accessible to disabled pupils within a reasonable time, taking account of the pupil’s disability and the preferences of the pupil and parents. This may include accessible digital documents, enlarged print, simplified layouts, audio or other suitable formats. The SENDCO will agree the format with the pupil and family, and staff will use it consistently for learning materials and important school information.

Actions and timescales

The completed actions below reflect the school’s account as at September 2026. 

Curriculum participation

Work since September 2024 Small classes and intervention groups; staff autism training and the SENDCO’s training in autism, anxiety and trauma. A dedicated SEND room, appointments of Miss Wilson and Mr Jonathan Blower with SEND experience, and flexible uniform arrangements for pupils with sensory needs have been reported for confirmation.

Year 3 actions Autumn 2026: confirm the SEND room’s purpose, access and resources; review individual support plans with pupils and parents. Spring 2027: sample plans and pupil work to evaluate whether adaptations improve participation and progress.

Lead and evidence Principal and SENDCO; room inventory, staffing records, support plans and review notes.

Physical environment

Work since September 2024 At Esh Winning since 2024: an accessible approach, two accessible toilets, sensory spaces, washrooms without hand dryers, EVAC chair and staff training, and PEEPs where required. A pupil with complex physical needs was supported with a hoist and Stander chair.

Year 3 actions Autumn 2026: check routes, classroom allocations, toilets, evacuation equipment and PEEPs against current pupils’ needs, including limitations of the upper floor. Spring 2027: cost and prioritise any further physical changes and update training.

Lead and evidence Principal and premises lead; access audit, equipment and training records, PEEPs, budget decisions.

Accessible information

Work since September 2024 Individual discussions with parents of pupils with EHCPs and in-school plans have informed adjustments. The school will confirm examples of adapted written information for this period.

Year 3 actions Autumn 2026: ask pupils and parents about preferred formats and check key pupil-facing documents and digital communications. Spring 2027: implement agreed formats and record whether pupils can use them; record the agreed accessible information arrangements.

Lead and evidence SENDCO and school office; sample accessible materials, parent and pupil feedback, uniform guidance.

Review and next plan

The Principal and SENDCO will report progress to the Board by July 2027. The Board will check the evidence, consult pupils and parents where appropriate, and agree a new plan for September 2027 to August 2030. Actions and timescales may be revised sooner if a pupil’s needs or the building change.

May 2026

Reviewed and evidence updated, September 2026. 

Next review: September 2027

Three Year Plan

September 2024 to August 2027

• Ensure curriculum planning considers accessibility from the outset – review planning to identify barriers to participation and learning. Staff to consider reasonable adjustments - ongoing

• Develop consistent classroom adaptations – Establish a bank of agreed strategies including chunking, visual supports, modelling, repetition, pre teaching, reducing cognitive load - ongoing

• Provide appropriate curriculum adaptations – adapt tasks and resources - ongoing

• Improve access to literacy and numeracy – targeted interventions including nessy and toe by toe – completed March 2026

• Improve access to assessment – reasonable adjustments such as additional time, rest breaks, reader/scribe – completed June 2025

• Ensure pupils can participate in enrichment and wider curriculum opportunities – consider accessibility when planning trips, clubs, residential activities – completed March 2025

• Review curriculum access for pupils with physical, sensory, communication or social emotional needs – Individual access arrangements are reviewed – completed March 2025

Improve access to written information – plan 2025-2027. 

• Ensure information provided to all pupils is accessible – staff to use clear language, appropriate font size, spacing and headings, uncluttered layouts – Completed September 2025

• Provide information in alternative formats when required- offer information through enlarged print, digital format, audio – completed September 2025

• Improve accessibility of online learning resources – review digital resources – ongoing 

• Develop consistent use of visual information – increase use of visual timetables symbols, diagrams, check lists, step by step instructions – completed September 2025

• Ensure written communication to students is accessible – consider individual communication needs when provided notices, letters, instructions, examinations, written materials – September 2025 started, ongoing

• Improve accessibility of displays and storage – review classroom and school signs to ensure information is accessible - ongoing

Improve access to the physical environment - 2024 – 2025 

• Identify physical barriers to access – completed for 2024 for particular students as we moved to Esh Winning site. Ongoing for new students.

• Improve accessibility of learning spaces – review classroom layouts annually to ensure appropriate space for movement especially wheel chair users - ongoing

• Improve access to sensory and regulation spaces – establish and maintain a sensory support room, annually review resources to ensure they are fit for purpose - ongoing

• Improve accessibility of toilets and changing facilities – review provision and make reasonable adjustments when necessary – completed 2024 with move to Esh Winning. 

• Improve physical access to school activities – consider accessibility when arranging assemblies, events, trips, clubs, PE – ongoing 

• Provide appropriate specialist equipment – identify and purchase specialist equipment when needed, ensure staff are fully trained and it is being used – ongoing 

Uniform and personal equipment – 2024 – 2025 

• Ensure the school uniform does not create an unnecessary barrier to participation – consider reasonable adjustments to uniform including use of PE kit – completed 2024, reviewed regularly. 

• Provide flexibility around uniform materials and fastenings – ensure pupils can wear alternative uniform such as elasticated waistbands, softer fabrics, alternative fastenings, different shoe requirements – completed 2024, reviewed regularly.

• Consider sensory needs – discuss adaptations for pupils who experience sensory difficulties – completed 2024, reviewed regularly.

• Consider physical access needs – adapt uniform when necessary for mobility access– completed 2024, reviewed regularly.

Staff knowledge and awareness - 2025-2027 

• Increase staff understanding of accessibility – provide staff training on disability and reasonable adjustments – to be done by Spring 2027

• Share effective strategies – develop and maintain a bank of classroom strategies for SEND and reasonable adjustments – to be done by Spring 2027

• Improve communication between staff – ensure relevant accessibility information is reflected in support plans and 1 page profile – Completed Sep 2025

• Monitor impact – review annually whether adjustments are reducing barriers rather than simply recording the provision – ongoing