Perth and Kinross Education and Children's Services Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan Progress Report at March 2024
Perth and Kinross Council · 29 May 2024
Back to Learning and Families Committee — 29 May 2024 and its agenda
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Perth and Kinross Council Learning and Families Committee 29 May 2024 PERTH AND KINROSS EDUCATION AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT AT MARCH 2024 Report by Strategic Lead – Education and Learning (Report No. 24/164) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of progress in the implementation of the Accessibility Strategy Action Plan 2022-2025, which delivers on a duty of the Education Authority in relation to the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: • Notes the progress being made in the delivery of the Accessibility Strategy Action Plan 2022 – 2025. 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: Section 4: Background Section 5: Progress Summary Section 6: Further Considerations Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 The Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002 introduced a duty on all Education Authorities to prepare and implement an accessibility strategy for all schools for which they are responsible, showing how the Education Authority and schools plan to meet their duties under the Act. 4.2 An accessibility strategy is a strategy to, over a prescribed period: • Increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the school curriculum; • Improve the physical environment of the schools for the purpose of increasing the extent to which disabled pupils are able to take advantage
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of education and benefits, facilities or services provided or offered by the schools; and • Improve the delivery to disabled pupils of information which is readily accessible to pupils who are not disabled. The delivery of this must be: (i) Within a reasonable time; and (ii) In ways which are determined after taking account of the pupils’ disabilities and any preferences expressed by them or their parent(s). 4.3 The Accessibility Strategy relates to all those involved in the education of pupils with disabilities either; professionally, as a member of staff within the Education Authority or associated services; personally, as a child or young person with a disability or a member of their family; or as someone who supports or advocates for them in either a professional or personal capacity. 4.4 The current Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan covers the period from 2022 to 2025. 5. PROGRESS SUMMARY 5.1 Progress in relation to the delivery of the outcomes and actions identified in the Action Plan 2022 – 2025 has been collated from a wide range of staff across education and other PKC services and partners. This feedback is collated in the progress report at Appendix 1 which includes evidence relating to several of the developments and several case studies. Some progress highlights are summarised at sections 5.2 to 5.4 of this report. 5.2 Duty 1: Increase the extent to which pupils with disability can participate in the curriculum. 5.2.1 Progress relating to actions and outcomes set out under this duty includes: • All schools continue to embed the Education Scotland CIRCLE Inclusive Classroom resource to improve the learning environment of their classrooms. Some schools are also effectively using the CIRCLE Participation Scale. • All secondary schools completed a Validated Self-Evaluation focused on the four pillars of Inclusion (Present, Participating, Achieving, Supported) by June 2023 and this has informed their improvement planning. • All Intensive Support Provisions (ISPs) have been provided with a pack of iPads to support communication and learning of children and young people. • CALL Scotland staff have engaged with ISP staff to model the effective use of communication aids for non-verbal learners. • An Additional Support Needs (ASN) Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport (PEPAS) group has been formed and has supported twice- yearly development days for Physical Education (PE) teachers which includes ASN Career-long Professional Learning (CLPL) opportunities, in
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addition the group supports termly drop-in sessions for all school practitioners. • Increased access to events organised for schools has included a group of young people with ASN being supported to take part in the Creative Day of Dance and the Cross Country events in 2024. For the Cross Country event, this included an additional race for ASN learners and adaptations to the course to increase accessibility for all learners whilst ensuring that the competitive nature of the sporting event had not been lost. • 3 secondary schools actively took part in an Anne Frank workshop, with 66 pupils becoming peer guides for the subsequent exhibition which received 1690 visitors from the wider community. • A total of 1782 young people from 3 primary and 4 secondary schools participated in workshops on equality topics. 5.3 Duty 2: Improve the physical environment of schools to enable better access to education and associated services. 5.3.1 Progress relating to actions and outcomes set out under this duty includes: • Riverside Primary School opened in June 2023, built to Passivhaus standards, it has design features to reduce noise and utilise natural light to provide a calm environment for all children, including those with ASN. The ISP, which is included, has a specially designed outdoor space. • A CIRCLE-informed Physical Environment Universal Springboard resource has been developed and is being implemented in some primary schools. A presentation, including information on this resource, was delivered to all Headteachers. • An audit of ISP learning environments is being completed to inform planning to improve the quality and consistency of ISP environments within the overall PKC learning estate. • Planning is underway to support Connection (part-time Intensive-level provision for primary-aged children with social, emotional and behavioural needs) to move to more suitable premises at the Perth Grammar School Community Wing. 5.4 Duty 3: Improve communication with pupils with disability along with communicating to them information that is provided in writing for pupils who are not disabled, in appropriate alternative formats and taking account of any preferences expressed by them and their parents. Progress relating to actions and outcomes set out under this duty includes: • NHS Tayside Speech and Language Team provided training on communication and language for all PKC practitioners to access; with 98% of respondents rating the learning as informative. • Most Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings have a Communication Champion to support all learners to meet communication milestones. • Inclusion teams have delivered 2 Support Staff in-service days offering a wide range of training opportunities. 180 support staff members attended on each day, with over 90% of those who completed the evaluation
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strongly agreeing or agreeing that the day was valuable and would have a positive impact on their practice in the classroom. • Strategies and guidance developed have summarised written versions and short video resources to improve the accessibility of key messages. • Two Inclusion Ambassador groups and an ASN Parent’s Network have been established and are providing opportunities for children and young people and for parents and carers to inform strategy, policy and practice. • Parents of children with ASN have been supported to have increased information to support their child when they are transitioning from nursery to P1 or from P7 to S1. 6. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS Next Steps 2024/25 6.1 The current Accessibility Strategy Action Plan spans the period from 2022 – 2025. Good progress has been made in the delivery of actions to date, but there is still work to be done. Some of the key activity to be taken forward in 2024/25 includes: • Non-verbal learners will be supported to have increased communication opportunities through the upskilling of the practitioners who support their learning in the ISPs. This professional learning will be supported by the development of a communication toolkit developed by the PKC inclusion service in collaboration with CALL Scotland and NHS Tayside Speech and Language Therapy. • Use of budget motion funding to support the development of suitably equipped quiet spaces in schools. • Children and young people with ASN will have increased opportunities to be included in physical activity. To support this, the ASN PEPAS group will increase the profile of drop-in sessions providing advice and guidance to enable PE, delivered in mainstream and specialist settings, to be more inclusive, and will raise awareness with schools of the increased inclusivity of sports events and review the barriers to children and young people attending events. • More children and young people will have ASN met through universal support in school. To achieve this, more primary schools will be supported to embed use of the Physical Environment Universal Springboard and a similar secondary resource will be developed. • Children and young people, who benefit from communication supported by visuals, will have improved access to this as all schools will be supported to increase their use of visuals through the use of Boardmaker following the agreement of a 5-year license that will extend to all schools. • Children and young people, who have communication needs, will have increased access to the use of Talking Mats to share their views. To support this, 2 in-house trainers will be trained to support an increased number of school staff to use Talking Mats with the children and young people they support. • School staff will continue to have opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in inclusive practice through a range of training opportunities,
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including in-service days, with a particular focus on improving relationships and behaviour and effective assessment and planning to meet the needs of children and young people with ASN. • Children and young people will be supported to communicate and have their views heard. This includes the Inclusion Ambassadors groups working with inclusion staff to extend the opportunities available to children and young people with ASN to participate in, and have their views heard, at their Child/Young Person’s Plan meeting. Authors Name Designation Contact Details Fiona Mackay Marie Dunn Service Manager, Inclusion and Additional Support Principal Teacher, Primary Pupil Support Teachers ECSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Sheena Devlin Strategic Lead – Education and Learning 15 May 2024
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes/None Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial None Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment Yes Strategic Environmental Assessment N/A Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) N/A Legal and Governance Yes Risk Yes Consultation Internal Yes External Yes Communication Communications Plan Yes 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (ii). Corporate Plan 1.2 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the achievement of the Council’s Corporate Plan Objectives: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and
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(v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (ii). 1.3 The report also links to the Education & Learning Services Vision, Values and Priorities in respect of the following key Priority areas: • Learning and Achievement • Care and Equity 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 Any financial implications in taking forward the actions within the Education Improvement Plan will be met from the Education and Learning service and Property service budgets. This includes the additional monies allocated through the budget setting process. Workforce 2.2 The Corporate Human Resources (HR) Manager was consulted in the development of the Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan, and HR colleagues work with the service to deliver on the ambitions contained within the Strategy and Action Plan. The Strategic Lead - Strategic Planning, People & Performance has been consulted in the development of this progress report. Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 The Head of Corporate IT and Revenues/Chief Digital Officer was consulted in the development of the Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan on any relevant IT Asset Management requirements. The Strategic Lead - Customer & Digital Services has been consulted in the development of this progress report. 3. Assessments 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. The Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) undertaken in relation to this Strategy and Action Plan that forms the basis of this progress report can be viewed by clicking here. 3.1.1 The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome:
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(iii) Assessed as relevant and the following positive outcomes expected following implementation: • Pupils with disability will have increased opportunity to participate in the curriculum. • Improved physical environment of schools to increase the extent to which pupils with disability can take advantage of education and associated services. • Improved communication with pupils with disability. • Improved attainment and achievement. • Improved positive destinations. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.2.1 The proposals have been considered under the Act; however, no further action is required as it does not qualify as a PPS as defined by the Act and is therefore exempt. Sustainability 3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • In the way best calculated to delivery of the Act’s emissions reduction targets. • In the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaption programmes. • In a way that it considers most sustainable. 3.3.1 N/A Legal and Governance 3.4 The Strategic Lead - Legal and Governance Services has been consulted in the preparation of this report. 3.5 N/A Risk 3.6 A risk register is being compiled to support this Plan.
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4. Consultation Internal 4.1 Consultation and engagement with Headteachers, school staff and staff in Services for Children, Young People and Families was completed during the development of the Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan. Their views have been sought on a draft of the Strategy and Action Plan. Property services have been consulted following consolidation of property staff and budgets in a central service. External 4.2 Consultation and engagement with NHS Tayside Allied Health Professionals and third sector organisations was completed during the development of the Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan. Children, young people and their parents or advocates contributed to the consultation on a draft of the Strategy and Action Plan. 5. Communication 5.1 The approved Strategy and Action Plan has been made available to the public and all stakeholders through Perth and Kinross Council’s website. A communication plan has been developed to support the engagement of schools and associated services, and to communicate key messages to the wider public. This plan includes a mix of briefings, presentations and the use of social media. 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 The following background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing the above report: • Planning improvements for disabled pupils' access to education: guidance for education authorities, independent and grant-aided schools (2014) • Perth and Kinross Education and Children’s Services Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan 2022 – 2025 (Report No. 23/87 refers) 3. APPENDICES 3.1 Appendix 1: Perth and Kinross Education and Children’s Services Accessibility Strategy Action Plan 2022-2025: Progress Report May 2024