Strategic direction
This Accessibility Strategy works alongside Special Educational Needs (SEN) Strategy 2016 to 19 for children and young people 0 to 25 years, the key aims of which is:
- to ensure children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) have access to high quality local provision that meets their needs
- to have high aspirations for all children and young people
- to ensure that the achievement gap between those with SEND and their peers is narrowed
- to include the majority of children and young people in their local schools, settings and colleges
The strategy is driven and monitored by the SEN Strategic Board which in turn reports to the Success for All Children's Board and Health and Wellbeing Board. The SEN Strategic Board has members from education, children's and adult's social care, Southend CCG, Southend Family Voice, Southend Carers Forum, mainstream and special schools who have contributed in the consultation and development of this strategy.
Progress towards these aims is monitored by the SEND Board including representation from the Young People's SEND Board.
The SEND Strategy's aims are underpinned by the principles and aims of the Success for All Children and Young People's Plan.
As stated in the SEND Strategy, the successful inclusion of children and young people in their local early years setting, school or college is well established in Southend and this principle will be protected and supported.
Although the Equality Act talks about schools in relation to accessibility strategies and plans, the LA's vision extends to all educational settings.
Local Authorities must, for the schools for which they are responsible, prepare an accessibility strategy based on the same principles as the accessibility plans that schools are required to provide.
This strategy seeks to improve the access for disabled children and young people to Southend schools, and to increase the opportunity for them to take advantage of the education and associated services provided by schools and Early Years settings.
The accessibility strategy emphasises the need for partnership working and collaboration between agencies, to ensure pupils and young people with disabilities learn, play and develop alongside their peer group, in schools, which respond positively to a range of disabilities.
There is a need to recognise and overcome potential barriers to learning by promoting participation and success for all by providing a broad and balanced differentiated curriculum in all schools and Early Years settings and developing the teaching support provided to deliver this.