Disability Equality Policy

Legal Status:

• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA)
• Equality Act (2010)

Applies to:

• Whole College

To be read with:

• College Improvement/Development Plan
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA)
• Equality and Diversity Policy (Equal Opportunities, Racial Equality and Anti-bullying)
• Curriculum Policies
• Admissions Policy
• Inclusion Policy
• Learning Outside the Classroom
• Health and Safety
• Safer Recruitment
• Behaviour Management

College Strategy:

The college strategy is to address and comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA), as amended.

Available from:

• The college office

Monitoring and Review:

• To be continuously monitored and reviewed by no later than two years from the date shown below.

Signed: Date:14th July 2011

Proprietor and Principal

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Disability Equality Policy
Compliance with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA)

Albion College is committed to Disability Equality and understands the need to embrace the spirit of the Disability Equality Duty detailed in the Disability Discrimination Act 2006 (DDA) and the Equality Act 2010. Through a positive approach we actively work towards disability equality, with our pupils, parents/guardians and staff. We note that the Duty is grounded in the Social Model of Disability and undertake to understand the implications of this and ensure it is embedded in the college culture and informs the way we apply the Duty. The college’s ethos of love and care and its commitment to justice are the foundation of its aims in educating the whole college community to make its proper contribution to society. This policy and the Accessibility Plan contribute to the review and revision of related college policies as follows:

• College Improvement/Development Plan
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA);
• Equality and Diversity Policy (Equal Opportunities, Racial Equality and Anti-bullying);
• Curriculum Policies;
• Admissions Policy;
• Inclusion Policy;
• Learning Outside the Classroom.

Definition of Disability

“A person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities.”

Our Aims and Objectives for Disability Equality

Our key objective is to reduce and eliminate barriers to accessing the curriculum and to full participation in the college community for pupils, prospective pupils and adult users with a disability. Our aims and objectives reflect the requirements of the Duty and that is to have due regard to do the following:

• promote equality of opportunity between Disabled People and non-Disabled People;
• eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Act;
• eliminate harassment of Disabled People that is related to their impairment;
• promote positive attitudes towards Disabled People;
• encourage participation by Disabled People in public life;
• take steps to meet Disabled People’s needs, even if this requires more favourable treatment.

Principles

Compliance with the DDA is consistent with the college's aims and equal opportunities policy, and the operation of the college's SEN policy. The college recognises its duty under the DDA:

• not to discriminate against disabled pupils in their admissions and exclusions, provision of education and associated services;
• not to treat disabled pupils less favourably;
• to take reasonable steps to avoid putting disabled pupils at a substantial disadvantage;
• to publish an Accessibility Plan.

In performing their duties, the college has regard to the DRC Code of Practice (2002). The college recognises and values parents' knowledge of their child's disability and its effect on the child’s ability to carry out normal activities, and respects the parents' and child's right to confidentiality.

If a child is placed at Albion College by the local authority then the placing authority will be notified of any extra aid required for the pupil. The college provides all pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum, differentiated and adjusted to meet the needs of individual pupils in the light of their assessed needs; and endorses the key principles in the National Curriculum Framework, which underpin the development of a more inclusive curriculum:

• setting suitable learning challenges;
• responding to pupils' diverse learning needs;
• overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individual and groups of pupils.

Accessibility for Disabled Pupils

Whilst we accept that Albion College occupies a Grade II listed building, and that we are not able to gain permission to make the necessary physical adjustments to accommodate pupils in wheelchairs, or those who cannot manage stairs, we are, nevertheless, very sensitive and concerned within the constraints imposed upon us to meet young peoples’ special educational needs. To this end, it is our intention, over the next three years, to acquire the necessary specialist knowledge and skill to manage specific learning difficulties, with reference to dyslexia and dyscalculia. We are determined to provide bespoke educational programmes in readiness for young people to access GCSE and A Level courses. A coordinator has been appointed who will obtain the appropriate specific learning difficulty (dyslexia) qualification – either RSA or Hornsby.

Admission to the college depends upon a prospective child meeting the required entrance criteria. The college must feel reasonably sure that we will be able to meet the educational needs and develop the prospective pupil to the best of their potential. This is to ensure that there is every chance that the child will have a complete, happy and successful time at college and will grow into a well-rounded adult, fully equipped with essential life skills.

The college asks parents to include in their admissions documentation a note as to the health of the prospective child at the time of application and any reasonable adjustments which may be required for the purpose of the entry process or education at the college. In assessing any child or prospective child the college may take advice and require such assessments as it regards as appropriate. Subject to this, the college is sensitive to any requests for confidentiality.

Applications are considered in line with the admission arrangements for all pupils. A child’s disability does not prevent their being offered a place and integrated into the college unless:

• the content, structure and delivery of the curriculum are such that the child would be prevented from fulfilling a major part of it;
• the college would be unable to provide suitably trained staff, facilities or resources to allow the requirements of our curriculum to be met.

We have an ongoing commitment to disability equality within our college and through a positive approach, actively work alongside the proprietors, parents/guardians, staff and pupils of the college. We work towards:

• increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the college curriculum and associated services;
• improving the delivery to disabled pupils of information that is provided in writing to non-disabled pupils by ensuring that a range of different formats and communication aids are used where necessary to ensure that all information is accessible to everyone within our college.

What follows is the College Strategy:

• The strategy is available to interested parties on request.
• The strategy can be inspected by ISI/OFSTED to ensure that responsibilities have been discharged in the preparation, revision and implementation of the strategy.
• The College Strategy is reviewed every three years.

Definition (Disability)

A person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Reference to disabled people includes disabled children, young people and adults, as pupils, employees, proprietors, parents and carers and other members of the wider community that might use college premises for leisure or other activities. The definition of disability covers a broad spectrum of impairments including:

• Cancer;
• Diabetes;
• Epilepsy;
• HIV;
• Multiple sclerosis;
• Hearing or sight impairments;
• Mobility difficulties;
• People with mental health conditions or learning difficulties/disabilities.

Activity

Albion College has identified the following points for action as part of its College Improvement Plan, in order to achieve the key objectives.

Delivery of the curriculum

Albion College staff are provided continuous professional development in further making the curriculum accessible to all pupils. The college seeks and follows the advice of LA services, such as specialist teacher advisers and SEN inspectors/advisers, and of appropriate health professionals from the local NHS Trusts.

Access to the Curriculum

It is vital that disabled pupils be able to access the curriculum. There should be:

• a communicative friendly environment;
• a commitment to becoming a dyslexic-friendly college;
• support for individual needs.

Physical environment

The college, whilst having an exceptional physical environment, continues to take account of the needs of pupils and other users with physical difficulties and sensory impairments when planning and undertaking future improvements and refurbishments of the site and premises. Whilst we have excellent access, lighting, acoustic treatment and colour schemes, we will continue to ensure this standard is both maintained and built upon. To this end a full audit of the buildings and site to identify obstacles has been carried out and an accessibility plan produced.

Provision of information in other formats

The college is aware of local services, including those provided through the LA, for providing information in alternative formats when required or requested.

Teaching and learning style

Through the combination of teaching and pastoral care we aim to provide all our pupils with the opportunity to succeed, and to reach the highest level of personal achievement. To do this, teaching and learning will:

• ensure equality of access for all pupils and prepare them for life in a diverse society;
• promote attitudes and values that will challenge discriminatory behaviour;
• seek to involve all parents/guardians in supporting their child’s education;
• provide educational visits and extra-curricular activities that all pupils can participate in;
• take account of the performance of all pupils when planning for future learning and setting challenging targets;
• make best use of all available resources to support the learning of all groups of pupils.

In our college we aim to tackle disability discrimination and promote equality of opportunity across all aspects of college life. We do this by:

• creating an ethos in which pupils and staff feel valued and secure;
• building self-esteem and confidence in our pupils, so that they can then use these qualities to influence their own relationships with others;
• removing or minimizing barriers to learning, so that all pupils can achieve;
• ensuring that our teaching takes into account the learning needs of all pupils through our schemes of work and lesson planning;
• actively tackling disability discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity through our college Prospectus, Code of Conduct, newsletters to parents and displays of work;
• making clear to our pupils what constitutes aggressive and discriminatory behaviour.

All our staff have a duty to work to this policy to ensure inclusion of pupils with disabilities. Wherever practicable the college considers and seeks to employ disabled people in jobs suited to their aptitudes, abilities and qualifications in line with the Disability Discrimination Act (2005). We ensure that employees with disabilities are considered for promotion according to their aptitudes, abilities and qualifications and they are not disadvantage when renewal of fixed-term contracts is being considered.

Members of staff who become disabled, so far as is practicable, should continue to remain employed by the college at the discretion of the proprietor. This is dependent on their ability to carry out the duties of their post. Help from related professional organisations should be sought when considering not only the possible effects of the disability but also other consequential disadvantages, such as loss of status or financial loss.

The college will endeavour to make any reasonable adjustments to enable the employee to continue in post. However, options might include:

• - continuing in the same post;
• - a gradual return to work;
• - a reduction in hours;
• - redeployment;
• - premature retirement on grounds of incapacity;
• - termination of employment.

In cases where a disability is a degenerative, progressive condition that develops over time, careful consideration should be given to the selection of the most appropriate option(s). The college makes reasonable changes to work practices and, where possible, the workplace to enable disabled people to work successfully, including those members of staff who become disabled whilst employed. The college ensures that a programme of training is offered to staff to increase their awareness of children with disabilities and inform them of appropriate action to be taken when delivering the curriculum.

Tackling Disability Harassment

Any incident of disability harassment is unacceptable in our college. Any adult witnessing an incident or being informed about an incident must follow these agreed procedures:

• stop the incident and comfort the pupil who is the victim;
• reprimand the aggressor and inform the victim what action has been taken;
• if the incident is witnessed by other pupils, tell them why it is wrong;
• report the incident to the Principal and inform him of the action taken;
• inform the personal tutor of both the victim and the aggressor, then record what happened on the STAR chart which is kept in the office;
• inform both sets of parents, if appropriate.

The Elimination of Harassment / Promotion of Understanding

It is important to maintain a supportive environment and eliminate negative pressures that might impede the progress of a disabled child and damage self-esteem:

• Anti-bullying Policy regularly reviewed;
• Regular assemblies, PSHE lessons about our differences;
• Education regarding types of disabilities and the needs of those individuals – among staff, pupils and the general community to encourage empathy.

Policy into practice

This policy is included in induction meetings for staff, parents/guardians and pupils and added to the agenda of teacher meetings.

Policy impact

• We have a rolling programme for reviewing our college policies. We regularly review the impact of our policies on the needs, entitlements and outcomes for pupils with a disability. We pay specific atention to the impact that our policies have on the attainment of pupils with a disability.
• We make regular assessments of pupils’ learning and use this information to track pupils’ progress, as they move through the college. As part of this process, we regularly monitor the performance of pupils, to ensure that all groups of pupils are making the best possible progress. We use this information to adjust future teaching and learning plans, as necessary. Resources are available to support groups of pupils where the information suggests that progress is not as good as it should be.
• Our monitoring activities enable us to identify any differences in pupil performance. This allows us to take appropriate action to meet individual needs and to set targets in our strategic plan, in order to make the necessary improvements.

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