This accessibility policy has been drawn up in consultation with the management, and staff of the College and covers the period from [April June 2009 to March June 2012].
We are committed to providing an environment which values and includes all students, staff, parents and visitors regardless of their educational, physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional and cultural needs.  We are further committed to challenging attitudes about disability and accessibility and to developing a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion.

Background
The College's layout and facilities

The College is committed to making reasonable adjustments to allow disabled students to access educational provision at the College.  The College occupies [two sites very close to Kensington High Street.  The main building on Old Court Place has an entrance at street level but the College’s premises are on the mezzanine level (level M) and the first and second floor.  The premises form part of a listed building also occupied by shops and other businesses on Kensington High Street and therefore permission to undergo significant restructuring is very difficult to achieve.  Access to the College premises is by stairs from the ground level to level M. Staircases connect the other floors.  There is a goods lift, which serves each floor and is used and accessible by the other businesses in the building, mainly Virgin Active health club who use it for transporting laundry to and from their premises on the third, fourth and fifth floors of the adjacent building.  The lift is not signposted, difficult to access (at the bottom of a slope, through several sets of doors, via the building’s refuse area and behind two heavy metal doors) and difficult to operate.
 
Level M has two classrooms, which are reasonably large, a laboratory, the College library, staff room, reception and the offices of the academic management team (Principal, Director of Studies and Assistant Directors of Studies).  The classrooms are suitably large for the position of the furniture to be modified to accommodate disabled students and staff.  The laboratory has a bench at waist height with stools.  There is a male toilet, which does not have disabled access and a female toilet, which although not designated as a disabled toilet, is large enough to accommodate a wheelchair user.  Both toilets however are accessed via a narrow corridor.
 
The first floor has two classrooms, a computer room, student common room and the offices of the non-academic management and administration staff.  It also has boys and girls toilets, neither of which is modified for or easily accessible by wheelchair/disabled users.  The largest classroom (O5) could be accessed reasonably easily by a disabled student or staff member on the floor and there is sufficient space to accommodate a disabled user.  It would be difficult to access the second classroom.  The computer room and common room could be accessed and used fairly easily by any disabled users on the floor.
 
The second floor has seven classrooms leading off from a central corridor varying in size from those capable of accommodating 6-8 students, to those capable of occupying 10-14 students.  Disabled access would be difficult but, with some forward planning and movement of classroom furniture, the rooms could each be used by disabled staff and students on the floor.
 
Each floor is accessed through two sets of double doors.  There are sets of stairs between each set of doors on level M and the first floor.  The double doors on the second floor are very close together.
 
The second site is accessed from raised ground level (i.e. there are two steps leading up to the front door) on Young Street, which is on the opposite side of the Kensington High Street to Old Court Place.  The College occupies only the second floor of this building, the façade of which is listed and therefore, again, it is extremely difficult to gain permission for restructuring. The floor is accessed by a staircase and a small lift (although the lift is currently out of order with no apparent schedule for repair).  
 
This floor has a small common area, six classrooms (including art, photography and graphic design studios, a darkroom and a laboratory.  The art and photography rooms and the laboratory have benches at waist height and stools as the only furniture.  However in the art room and laboratory, there is sufficient space to add lower, more accessible furniture. Disabled access to the other classrooms would be difficult but, with some forward planning and movement of classroom furniture, the rooms could each be used by disabled staff and students on the floor. There are male and female toilets; neither or which are designed to accommodate disabled users.  The front door to the floor is quite small.
 
Neither site has any allocated parking and there are double yellow lines outside each building.
 
All buildings are well lit.  The Old Court Place building is clearly sign-posted within and from the front door.  Signage within the Young Street building could be clearer.
include here a general description of the school buildings drawing attention to particular issues such as size and location of classrooms, accessibility of toilets, provision of lifts etc].

We plan, over time, to increase the accessibility of provision for all students, staff and visitors to the school in the following areas:
·              increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the school curriculum;

·              improve the physical environment of the school to increase access to education by disabled pupils;

·              improve the delivery of written information to students, staff, parents and visitors with disabilities.

Attached are three action plans relating to the above. These will be reviewed as and when necessary.  It is acknowledged that there will be need for ongoing awareness training for all staff in the matter of disability discrimination and the potential need to inform attitudes on this matter.
The Accessibility Plan should be read in conjunction with the following policies, strategies and documents:
·              College Prospectus;

·              Equal Opportunities Policies;

·              Health and Safety Policy;

·              Special Educational Needs and Learning Difficulties Policy;

·              Disability Policy.


The Plan will be monitored through the Director of Studies and Principal.  There will be a full review of the Plan in June 2012, when a new Plan will be produced to cover the next three years.

Welcoming and Preparing for Disabled Students

Where it is practicable to make reasonable adjustments to enable a prospective student to take up a place at the College and to satisfy the current admissions criteria, the College is committed to providing those reasonable adjustments.
Where the College agrees to provide additional services, such as learning support, charges may be made at a level that reasonably reflects the cost to the school of providing that service.  Details of costs can be provided in writing on request.
In order to meet the needs of disabled students, the school requires full information. The school will ask all applicants for admission to the school to disclose whether they have received any learning support, have had an educational psychologist's report or have any disability or other condition of which the College should be aware.
In assessing the student or prospective student, the College may need to take advice and require assessments as appropriate.  The College will be sensitive to any issues of confidentiality.

Download - Accessibily Plan