promoting disability equality in schools national strategies disability equality

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Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

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Page 1: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Promoting Disability Equality in Schools

National Strategies

Disability Equality

Page 2: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Equality Act 2010 - key points:• Harmonises, simplifies and strengthens law• Continuing but integrated equality duty

– A single equality duty covering race, disability and gender …. extended to age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment and religion or belief.

• An intention to help public authorities focus their efforts on outcomes, rather than on producing plans and documents.

• Removal of exception for schools’ re provision of auxiliary aids and services

• Duty on public bodies when making strategic decisions (priorities and objectives) to plan to reduce socio-economic inequalities

Page 3: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Changing Context…..• New Equality Act received royal assent on 8.4.10 but is

not yet enacted

• Until it is enacted existing legislation and duties continue to apply

Following materials remain relevant to the status quo and provide a resource for training and information about current duties on schools relating to disability

A walk through CPD materials relating to current legislation………

Page 4: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Questions 1&2: Are schools held accountable? Do they have to publish a Disability Equality Scheme?

Ofsted School Inspection Framework 2009

Three limiting judgments• achievement of all pupils, including those most

at risk• school’s procedures for safeguarding/ keeping

children and young people from harm• assessing how well schools promote

equality of opportunity

Ofsted Evaluation Schedule Extract from ‘Equalities – Guidance for Inspectors’For a school to be judged at least satisfactory in promoting equality, inspectors must check that the school fulfils the following……..

• the publication of a disability equality scheme (from December 2006 in secondary schools and December 2007 for primary and special schools) showing how the school is meeting its general duty to promote disability equality across all its areas of responsibility. Advice on what should be contained in this scheme, and outline plans, can be found in the DCSF guidance Promoting disability equality in schools.

Page 5: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

3. Does the disability equality duty for schools apply to pupils only?

Disability Equality Duty (I)

- The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (amended by The DDA 2005) prohibits discrimination in education.

- DDA places a duty on all public authorities including LAs, schools, colleges and universities to promote disability equality - the “Disability Equality Duty”.

• DDA (2005) requires public authorities, inc. schools, to prepare and publish a Disability Equality Scheme (DES).

Disability Equality Duty (II)

• Applies to employees, service users and pupils (prospective and actual)

• Anticipatory duty (pupils)

• Obligations affect a wide range of school’s activities such as admissions, providing education, bullying, exclusions, school trips.

Page 6: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

4. Do all children with a disability have SEN?

DDA – Definition

• Physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities

• Substantial: more than minor or trivial

• Long term: total period of at least 12 months or likely to last for rest of life

• Normal day to day activities: carried out by most people on a fairly regular/frequent basis

Impairment that affects normal day-to-day activity in one or more of the following:

• mobility;

• manual dexterity;

• physical co-ordination;

• continence;

• ability to lift, carry or otherwise move everyday objects;

• speech, hearing or eyesight;

• memory or ability to concentrate, learn or understand;

• perception of risk of physical danger.

Disability Equality Duty - Interface with SEN

• Not all children who are defined as disabled will have SEN, eg pupils with severe asthma, arthritis or diabetes may not have SEN, but may have a disability under the DDA.

• Similarly, not all pupils with SEN will be defined as having a disability under the DDA.

Discrimination can occur

• When there is less favourable treatment for a reason relating to disability, without justification

• Where there is a failure to make reasonable adjustments, without justification

Page 7: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

5. How often must a governing body report on its Disability Equality Scheme?

Reasonable adjustments:

• Schools are under a positive duty to make reasonable adjustments to provide for children who might otherwise be substantially disadvantaged.

• As to whether or not an adjustment is reasonable or not, a school can consider:-

What improvement will the adjustment produce - how much will the adjustment aid the disabled child?

How easy is it to make the adjustment, how long will it take, and what are the consequences?

School Disability Equality Schemes – Key information

• How disabled people have been involved;• How information is gathered on the effect of the school’s

policies on: the recruitment, development and retention of disabled staff; the achievements of disabled pupils;

• How the school assesses the impact of its policies, current or proposed, on disability equality;

• The steps being taken to meet the general duty;• How information will be used to support the review of the

action plan and to inform subsequent schemes;• Governing Body reports on its scheme annually and has

plans to revise its scheme every three years.

Page 8: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Examples of good practice (I)• Availability of signing classes for all pupils at lunchtimes

with signing available for all assemblies and events; • Access to sports events for disabled pupils; • Termly meetings with disabled pupils, and a disabled

pupil representative on the School Council. • Disability Awareness Week• Head consults annually with disabled children • Training for all staff including lunchtime supervisors. • Head's report to governors has standing item on

disability.• At least once a year assemblies focusing on disability,

led by disabled members of the community

Examples of good practice (II)• Adaptations to the building and to information for pupils • Adaptations to information for pupils and parents• Modifications to the curriculum (e.g. enlarged print

worksheets, visual timetables in classrooms, use of toilet cards)

• Creative use of IT• All staff, parents and pupils involved in the cycle of audit,

planning, implementation and review• “Difference is normal in this school” (parent).• “Pupils' personal development and well-being is

outstanding” (Ofsted)• Bullying policy references disability – school reports

incidence of bullying related to disability termly

Page 9: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

6. Can you identify 2 characteristics of schools that routinely and successfully overcome barriers to learning for disabled pupils?

Summary - Removing barriers to disability - success factors • Can do attitude• Welcoming and supportive ethos• Forward planning• Strong leadership• Ongoing consultation with pupils and parents• Good relationships with outside agencies• Effective staff training• Regular review and evaluation of adjustments

1.Outcomes:Attainment, participation, bullying, progress, achievement, 2.Compliance?

Page 10: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Disability Equality Duty – Helpful Resources 1. DCSF guidance www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/disability

2. Disability Equality Scheme in Schools - a Self-Evaluation Resourcehttp://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/243920

3. Disability Equality Schemes (DES) and schools: A duty under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005 http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/245305

4. Schools and the Disability Equality Duty in England and Wales-

Disability Rights Commission http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/PDF/Schools_guidance_england_and_wales.pdf

Page 11: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Discussion

• Would these materials be helpful in extending the awareness and impact of SIPs on outcomes for disabled pupils?

• How might they best be used? • What role do SIPs play, alongside others, in

ensuring positive outcomes for disabled pupils? • What might be next steps?

Page 12: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Session 4: SIP Reports

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Activity 5:Activity 5: SIP ReportsSIP Reports

What evidence is there in your current SIP What evidence is there in your current SIP

reports of support and challenge in relation reports of support and challenge in relation to children identified as having SEND? to children identified as having SEND?

What changes or actions do you need to What changes or actions do you need to make to your current SIP reports to make to your current SIP reports to promote good outcomes and good progress promote good outcomes and good progress for pupils identified with SENDfor pupils identified with SEND

Page 14: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

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Activity 6: SIP PromptsActivity 6: SIP Prompts

What might be some of the key What might be some of the key prompts you would use to strengthen prompts you would use to strengthen the work of the SIP to promote good the work of the SIP to promote good outcomes and good progress for outcomes and good progress for pupils identified with SEND?pupils identified with SEND?

Page 15: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

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Activity 7: Action planning

• As an LA team use the remainder of this session to plan next steps:

• How will you use/develop/disseminate the SEND materials shared today?

• What will you add to these materials to reflect the LA context?

• By June 2011 what should have changed which you can use to judge delivery and effectiveness of your LA plan

• Are there specific targets you intend to set yourselves to deliver the above

• In delivering the above aspects are there any elements that you would welcome/invite support from your NS Adviser

Page 16: Promoting Disability Equality in Schools National Strategies Disability Equality

Crown copyright• The content of this publication may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes

provided that the material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, the publication title is specified, it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context.

• For any other use of this material please apply to OPSI for a Click-Use, PSI Licence, or by writing to:

Office of Public Sector Information

Information Policy Team

National Archives

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Richmond

Surrey

TW9 4DU

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm

• The permission to reproduce Crown copyright protected material does not extend to any material in this publication which is identified as being the copyright of a third party, or to Royal Arms and other departmental or agency logos, nor does it include the right to copy any photographic or moving images of children or adults in a way that removes the image or footage from its original context.

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