STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Arrangements for the admission of students with disabilities

Special arrangements are made for students with sensory/physical disabilities at the NFER tests and interviews, to ensure that they are not subject to discrimination but compete for places on equal terms

When a student with any Special Educational Need (SEN) is accepted, the College SENCO contacts the parents and the primary school to arrange meetings to discuss how their needs can best be met at Aske’s.

The College’s Equal Opportunities Policy means that no students whose needs could be met at Aske’s will be refused a place on the grounds of disability

Steps to prevent disabled students being treated less favourably than other students

There are students at Aske’s with a wide range of physical, sensory, medical and learning disabilities. Some examples are: visual impairment; hearing impairment; hemiplegia; cerebral palsy; dispraxia and dyslexia. These students receive a fully inclusive education and have the same access to the mainstream curriculum as their peers. Should there be a difficulty in participating in one aspect of PE, an appropriate substitute will be arranged

The College Pastoral system consisting as it does of mixed ability tutor groups and Houses throughout the College provides a safe base for students with SENs and maintains their inclusion in all College activities

The College continues to provide an appropriate education for students with mild learning difficulties, sensory impairment and physical disability. We can support students with specific and general learning difficulties although there is no longer any provision for withdrawal from class. Help is mostly provided through in-class support.

The College employs a Dyslexia specialist teacher for 4 hours per week to give individual lessons and a classroom assistant for 10 hours per week. Students with Statements of SEN are supported by Individual Support Teachers and Special Needs Attendants funded by their home boroughs

Facilities to assist access to the college by students with disabilities

Both sites have reasonable disabled access. The age of some of the buildings prevents complete access. Any difficulties incurred by lack of access to a section of the building, eg Maths rooms on the Pepys’ Site, can be overcome with sensitive timetabling. The CTC buildings all have excellent access to all floors and there are adequate toilet facilities on both sites. There are ramps and varied pathways, for the visually impaired, on both sites and there is a portable ramp available. All new buildings provide universal access. During 2001, additional work was carried out using a DfES Capital Grant to provide permanent ramps and rails to all of the buildings on the Pepys site.