Agreed by Governors: Autumn term 2022
Date of review: Autumn Term 2024
OUR LADY IMMACULATE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
ACCESSIBILITY PLAN
Statement of intent
This plan outlines how Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School aims to increase access to
education for pupils with disabilities in the three areas required by the planning duties in the
Equality Act 2010 (i.e. the curriculum, physical environment and information).
A person is regarded as having a disability under the Equality Act where they have a physical or
mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out
normal day-to-day activities.
This plan aims to:
• Increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities can participate in the curriculum.
• Improve the physical environment of the school to enable pupils with disabilities to take
better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided.
• Improve the availability of accessible information to pupils with disabilities.
The above aims will be delivered within a reasonable timeframe, and in ways which are determined
after taking into account pupils’ disabilities and the views of parents and pupils. In the preparation
of an accessibility strategy, the LA will have regard to the need to allocate adequate resources in
the implementation of this strategy.
The governing board also recognises its responsibilities towards employees with disabilities and
will:
• Monitor recruitment procedures to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with
equal opportunities.
• Provide appropriate support and provision for employees with disabilities to ensure that
they can carry out their work effectively without barriers.
• Undertake reasonable adjustments to enable staff to access the workplace.
The plan will be resourced, implemented, reviewed and revised in consultation with:
• Pupils’ parents.
• The headteacher and other relevant members of staff.
• Governors.
• External partners.
1. Legal framework
This plan has due regard to all relevant legislation and statutory guidance including, but not limited
to, the following:
• Human Rights Act 1998
• The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014
• Education and Inspections Act 2006
• Equality Act 2010
• Education Act 1996
• Children and Families Act 2014
• The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017
• DfE (2014) ‘The Equality Act 2010 and schools’
• DfE (2015) ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’
This plan operates in conjunction with relevant school policies.
2. Roles and responsibilities
The governing body will be responsible for:
• Ensuring that all accessibility planning adheres to and reflects the principles outlined in this
plan.
• Approving this plan before it is implemented.
• Monitoring this plan.
The headteacher will be responsible for:
• Ensuring that staff members are aware of pupils’ disabilities and medical conditions.
• Establishing whether a new pupil has any disabilities or medical conditions which the
school should be aware of.
• Consulting with relevant and reputable experts if challenging situations regarding pupils’
disabilities arise.
• Working closely with the governing body, LA, Archdiocese of Liverpool and external
agencies to effectively create and implement the school’s Accessibility Plan.
The SENCO will be responsible for:
• Working closely with the headteacher and governing body to ensure that pupils with SEND
are appropriately supported.
• Ensuring they have oversight of the needs of pupils with SEND attending the school, and
advising the headteacher in relation to those needs as appropriate.
Staff members will be responsible for:
• Acting in accordance with this plan at all times.
• Supporting disabled pupils to access their environment and their education wherever
necessary, e.g. by making reasonable adjustments to their practice.
• Ensuring that their actions do not discriminate against any pupil as a result of their
disability.
3. The Accessibility Audit
The governing body with the support of the Leadership team will undertake an Accessibility Audit.
The audit will cover the following three areas:
• Access to the curriculum – the governing board will assess the extent to which pupils
with disabilities can access the curriculum on an equal basis with their peers.
• Access to the physical environment – the governing board will assess the extent to
which pupils with disabilities can access the physical environment on an equal basis with
their peers.
• Access to information – the governing board will assess the extent to which pupils with
disabilities can access information on an equal basis with their peers.
When conducting the audit, the governing board will consider all kinds of disabilities and
impairments, including, but not limited to, the following:
• Ambulatory disabilities – this includes pupils who use a wheelchair or mobility aid
• Dexterity disabilities – this includes those whose everyday manual handling of objects
and fixtures may be impaired
• Visual disabilities – this includes those with visual impairments and sensitivities
• Auditory disabilities – this includes those with hearing impairments and sensitivities
• Comprehension – this includes hidden disabilities, such as autism and dyslexia
The findings from the audit will be used to identify short-, medium- and long-term actions to address
specific gaps and improve access.
All actions will be carried out in a reasonable timeframe, and after taking into account pupils’
disabilities and the preferences of their parents. The actions that will be undertaken are detailed in
the following sections of this document.

Planning duty 1: Curriculum

Issue What Who When Outcome Review
Short term
Staff members do not
know whether the
curriculum is accessible
Audit of the
curriculum
Headteacher,
teachers, SENCO Spring 20XX
Management and teaching
staff are aware of the
accessibility gaps in the
curriculum
Summer
20XX
Staff members do not
have the skills to
support pupils with
SEND
INSET provided to
staff members

Training for
teachers on
differentiating the
curriculum
Headteacher,
external advisors,
SENCO
Summer 20XX Staff members have the skills
to support pupils with SEND
Autumn
20XX
Medium term
School trips do not take
into account pupils with
SEND
Needs of pupils
with SEND are
incorporated into
the planning
process
Teachers,
SENCO Spring 20XX
Planning of school trips takes
into account pupils with
SEND
Summer
20XX
Long term Pupils with SEND
cannot access lessons
Provide tablets
and other
adjustments for
pupils with SEND
Headteacher, ICT
manager,
SENCO
Autumn 20XX Pupils with SEND can
access lessons
Spring
20XX

Planning duty 2: Physical environment

Issue What Who When Outcome Review
Short term
Management does not
know if the school’s
physical environment is
accessible
Audit of physical
environment
Building
surveyors Spring 20XX
School is aware of accessibility
barriers to its physical
environment and will make a
plan to address them
Summer
20XX
Medium term
Learning environment of
pupils with visual
impairments is not
accessible
Incorporation of
appropriate colour
schemes
SBM Summer 20XX
Learning environment is
accessible to pupils with visual
impairments
Autumn
20XX
Toilets are not
accessible Handrails installed SBM Summer 20XX Access to toilets is increased Autumn
20XX
Long term
Children with physical
disabilities cannot
access school buildings
Construction work
undertaken
SBM/building
contractors Summer 20XX School buildings are fully
accessible
Autumn
20XX

Planning duty 3: Information

Issue What Who When Outcome Review
Short term
Management staff do
not know whether
school information is
accessible
Audit of information and
delivery procedures
SENCO, ICT
manager Spring 20XX
School is aware of
accessibility gaps to its
information delivery
procedures
Summer
20XX
School does not know
how to make written
information accessible
Schools seeks advice from
external advisors SENCO Summer
20XX
School is aware of local
services for converting
written information into
alternative formats
Autumn
20XX
Medium term
Written information is
not accessible to pupils
with visual impairments
Provide written information
in alternative formats

Incorporate appropriate
colour schemes when
refurbishing and install
window blinds
SENCO, ICT
manager Spring 20XX
Written information is
fully accessible to
children with visual
impairments
Summer
20XX
Long term
School website is not
accessible to children
with SEND
Audit of website ICT manager Summer
20XX
Website is fully