policies - accessibility plan

7/30/2019 Policies - Accessibility Plan

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St Thomas Becket Catholic College

ACCESSIBILITY PLAN

Person/s Responsible: John Firth APRIL 2012


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Introduction

St Thomas a Becket Catholic College aims to develop the potential of every individual by providing the

best education through experience of our Catholic, Christian Community within which all members can

grow in faith. We are committed to giving all pupils every opportunity to achieve and we do this by

taking account of pupils varied life experiences and needs. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum

and have high expectations for all our pupils. We seek actively to remove the barriers to learning and

participation that can hinder or exclude individual pupils or groups of pupils. This means that equality of

opportunity must be a reality for all pupils.

The Equality Act 2010

The Act harmonises and replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and theDisability Discrimination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what you need to do to make yourworkplace a fair environment and to comply with the law.

The Equality Act covers the same groups that were protected by existing equality legislation age,disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage andcivil partnership and pregnancy and maternity. These are now called protectedcharacteristics.

The Act extends some protections to characteristics that were not previously covered, and alsostrengthens particular aspects of equality law.

The Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against, applicants or potential pupils, therefore St Thomas aBecket Catholic College:

1- Acknowledges its duty towards pupils, staff, parents, governors and members of the widercommunity.

2- Recognises that it is unlawful:To treat a pupil or prospective pupil less favourably for a reason related to protectedcharacteristics than someone to whom that reason was not applied, without justification indoing so.

Types of Discrimination:

Direct Discrimination:

Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of

a protected characteristic they have or are thought to have (see perception discrimination below), or

because they associate with someone who has a protected characteristic (see discrimination by

association below).

Discrimination by Association

Already applies to race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Now extended to cover age, disability,gender reassignment and sex. This is direct discrimination against someone because they associatewith another person who possesses a protected characteristic.


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Perception Discrimination

Already applies to age, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Now extended to coverdisability, gender reassignment and sex. This is direct discrimination against an individual becauseothers think they possess a particular protected characteristic. It applies even if the person does not

actually possess that characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination

Already applies to age, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and marriage and civilpartnership. Now extended to cover disability and gender reassignment. Indirect discrimination canoccur when you have a condition, rule, policy or even a practice in your company that applies toeveryone but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic.

Harassment

Harassment is unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purposeor effect of violating an individuals dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating oroffensive environment for that individual.

Harassment applies to all protected characteristics except for pregnancy and maternity and marriageand civil partnership. Employees will now be able to complain of behaviour that they find offensive evenif it is not directed at them, and the complainant need not possess the relevant characteristicthemselves. Employees are also protected from harassment because of perception and association.

Third Party Harassment

Already applies to sex. Now extended to cover age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion orbelief and sexual orientation.

The Equality Act makes the Governing Body potentially liable for harassment of your employees bypeople (third parties) who are not employees of your company, such as customers or clients or visitorsto College. You will only be liable when harassment has occurred on at least two previous occasions,you are aware that it has taken place, and have not taken reasonable steps to prevent it fromhappening again.

Victimisation

Victimisation occurs when an employee is treated badly because they have made or supported acomplaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act; or because they are suspected of doing so. Anemployee is not protected from victimisation if they have maliciously made or supported an untruecomplaint.

There is no longer a need to compare treatment of a complainant with that of a person who has notmade or supported a complaint under the Act.

Principles.

Compliance with the Equality Act 2010 is consistent with the Colleges aims and equal opportunities

policy and the operation of the SEN policy.


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The College has developed systems for raising the profiles of such pupils.

These include:

Regular contact with Parents.

Seeking and acting on the advice of relevant outside agencies.

Written information about disabilities given to Staff in SEN files.

Regular Staff updates in briefings and Staff meetings.

Support for vulnerable pupils at break and lunchtimes.

Teachers who teach pupils must ensure that the work:

Is adapted to cater for the individual pupils needs.

Takes account of their pace of learning and the equipment they use.

Uses assessment techniques that reflect the individual needs of the pupil, including disapplication and

special examination arrangements.

Looking to the future the College will:

Continue to promote positive attitudes towards inclusion.

Continue to improve access to all areas of the College site.

Continue to monitor the progress made by these pupils and seek ways to improve the provision we

make for them.

Monitoring and Review

The Human Resources Manager will report annually on the working of this policy, and may suggest

amendments at any time to be considered by the Resources Sub-Committee. The Accessibility Plan

will be issued on an annual basis to all staff at the start of every academic year and to all new

employees during the College Induction Day.

Date submitted to Resources Sub - Committee

Head teachers Signature.

Name of Head teacher..

Chair of Governing Bodys Signature....

Name of Chair of Governing Body ...................

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