Upton House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, along with their protection and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Introduction

This plan is drawn up in accordance with the planning duty in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended by the SEN and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA).  It draws on the guidance set out in "Accessible Schools: Planning to increase schools for disabled pupils", issued by the DfES in July 2002.

We are a non-selective school and we welcome all children who can make the most of the opportunities that we offer and can flourish in a caring environment of Upton House School.  Treating every child as an individual is important to us and we welcome pupils with physical disabilities provided that they can cope with our site.  However, we must feel confident that we will be able to educate and develop the prospective pupil adequately, so that he/she will enjoy a happy and successful time at Upton House.

We advise parents of children with physical disabilities to discuss their child's requirements with Upton House School before he/she attends a familiarisation visit so that we can make adequate provision for him/her.  Parents should provide a copy of a medical and/or psychologist's report to support their request, for example, for large print material or other special arrangements.  This should be available at registration, or before accepting the offer of a place.

Definition of Disability

Disability is defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA):
"A person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse affect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities."

Aims

At Upton House our aim is to provide a place for all children by:

• Improving access for disabled pupils
• Supporting the inclusion of all children
• Providing effective learning opportunities for all pupils
• Removing barriers to learning
• Meeting the needs of all pupils successfully
• Understanding the parents' and child's rights to confidentiality

 We have considered the following areas:

1. Increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can access the curriculum

• Differentiation
• Deployment of staff
• Mentors
• SENCo
• Outside agencies: speech therapist, educational psychologist, counselling therapists
• Ongoing staff training
• Laptops
• Budget for specialist software when necessary

2. Improving the school environment

• Wheelchair access
• Disabled lavatory on ground floor
• Lift in the new building
• Signs and displays clearly visible
• Sloping desks available
• Sponge safety ground in play area
• Catering staff ensure dietary needs are met
• Specialist training for diabetics and Epi-pen users

On Entry

Each pupil with a disability requires special consideration and treatment.  In assessing any pupil or prospective pupil, Upton House may take advice and require such assessments it deems appropriate.  The School will be sensitive to any issues of confidentiality.

If appropriate, adjustments will need to be put in place.  We will discuss thoroughly with parents and their medical advisers the adjustments that can be reasonably made for their child once they have accepted the offer of a place and before he/she becomes a pupil.  We recognise that some disabled pupils may also require specialist support from our Learning Support Department and we would normally discuss this issue with parents before their child enters the school.  Copies of Upton House's SEN and Learning Support Policy may be downloaded from our website or obtained from the school office.

Where Upton House offers additional help from the Learning Support Department which is over and above that provided by the form/subject teacher or classroom assistant, a charge will be made.  If additional services are provided by outside agencies, parents will be expected to meet these costs.

Physical Accessibility

Upton House School was opened in 1936 in St Leonard's Road.  It stands on a one acre city centre site, with a garden, tennis/netball all weather court and playground set among both updated and modern buildings.  Over the years additions have been made to the house to offer a new art/design room, ICT suite, prep school library and four classrooms with two cloakrooms/changing rooms.  The main building is in two storeys with no lifts.  This requires pupils to move between classrooms, often up stairs and steps.

In 2008, a two-storey building, Little Upton was opened, comprising Pre-Nursery and Nursery rooms with access to an outdoor play area and toilet facilities.  On the first floor there is a food technology centre and dance and drama studio.  Access to the first floor is via a staircase or lift where there is a disabled toilet and shower.  There is a soft play area between Little Upton and the main school.  The games facilities of a local school, Trevelyan, is used by the Pre-Prep and Prep children and swimming is at another local school in the vicinity.

A pupil with restricted mobility is likely to be put at some disadvantage by these problems.  A pupil with severely restricted mobility may be unable to access some or all of the educational and recreational facilities that the school offers.  Wherevere practicable the school will make reasonable adjustments to the timetable to allow children with restricted mobility to attend accessible parts of the school.  Upton House School has an active monitoring policy and will do its best to make adjustments to take account of an individual pupil's needs, within the constraints imposed by its buildings on a compact site.  We are progressively introducing facilities for wheelchair users.

Other Adjustments

Upton House School has a modern medical room that is open during the school day so that qualified first aiders and paediatric specialists can be summoned as needed (see First Aid, Treatment & Medication Policy).  The Headmistress and Matron are always happy to discuss any pupil's health problems with parents as well as the management of any medical condition.

Staff Training

Our teaching staff receive training on the learning needs of pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities.  All teaching staff are given regular training on working with disabled pupils.

ACCESSIBILITY PLAN

To meet the requirements and the spirit of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (2005).

General

The School will review this plan on an annual basis to monitor and evaluate:

• the effectiveness of action taken in the previous year
• relevant targets for the next school year
• responses to any further legislative changes

 The School wil make a log of all reasonable adjustments and it will be available to any interested parties.

Increasing the Extent to Which Disabled Pupils Can Participate in The School Curriculum

As budgets allow:

1. The School will devleop a unified LDD/SEN and Disability Equality Policy throughout all its sections to include:

• full disclosure of relevant information between all schools at pupil transfer
• regular meetings between the Head of Learning Support and all staff involved in teaching pupils with a disability to share its best practice

2. Training will be provided to support any pupil with a disability or SEN and access will be provided to specialist help for that pupil where reasonable and practicable.

3. Where physical access to the site is difficult for a prospective pupil, the School recognises the need to be proactive in enabling such access.  Accordingly pupils with relevant disabilities will, where practicable, be:

• placed in a tutor group that is most convenient for physical access
• prioritised in the writing in of the timetable with regard to accessible rooms and set allocations
• issued with parking permit for parents to park in the staff car park
• offered appropriate aids

Improving the Physical Environment of the School

As budgets allow:

1. The School will draw up an estimate for providing disabled access to all academic areas of the site to assist the prioritisation of expenditure over the next five years.

2. The School will annually undertake a fire safety risk assessment and update the School's fire evacuation plan.

3. The School will aim to make newly constructed buildings fully accessible to disabled pupils.

4. All conversions  to exisiting areas of the school that sit outside the scope of the Acts in point 3 above will be considered with regard to disabled access and every reasonable effort made to improve access within the scope of the work.

5. All new equipment purchased for teaching will be considered as to the suitability of its use by pupils with disabilities, and every reasonable effort made to purchase equipment that meets the needs of such pupils in a better way than the exisitng equipment it replaces.

6. Diffusing lights will be installed where computer use makes it necessary.  Faulty lighting will be replaced within 24 hours wherever possible.

7. An acoustic level of between 50-70 decibels will be maintained wherever possible in all classrooms.

Improving the Delivery of Information to Disabled Pupils

As budgets allow:

1. The school will arrange for documents to be provided to prospective parents who have a disability, in forms that meet the need, if so requested and it is reasonable to do so.

2. The school will continue to provide INSET for all teachers in order to support them in better communication with pupils LDD/SEN or disabilities.

3. The school will continue investment in classroom technology to better facilitate communication to pupils with LDD/SEN and disabilities.

4. Exam concessions.  The school will endeavour to meet the special concessions as set out in an up-to-date specialist report eg Educational Psychologist.  Prior to this the pupil will spend time familiarising use of this facility.  For CE, 11+ and entrance exams/tests the school will liaise with the senior school to ensure the access arrangements are met in the best possible way.

Disabled Visitors

The school welcomes disabled vsitors.  There is wheelchair access onto Beaumont Road and a disabled lavatory near the hall.  New parents and their families are invited, in their New Parents' Pack, to disclose any disabilities they may have so that the school can make every effort to accommodate their needs.

A School Council made up of appointed and elected pupils meet regularly to discuss whole school issues.