Introduction
The Schools Access Initiative provides funding to a mainstream school to improve its accessibility for a specified individual disabled pupil. This is where the costs are high and it is clear the costs cannot be met any other way.
This funding helps pupils who need bespoke and significant physical changes to a mainstream school site. The changes are usually because of a pupil’s physical, medical, hearing or visual disability.
Through the School Access Initiative, together with mainstream schools, we can:
- meet Equality Act planning duties
- develop the accessibility of schools in Somerset
- support schools and parents to meet the complex physical and access needs of children and young people
The type of adaptation needed must:
- be for a mainstream school
- relate to disability and special educational needs
- be something that is over and above that normally available in a mainstream school
The Initiative does not change the usual responsibilities of schools to plan financially for improving their accessibility.
The school, together with a relevant specialist support service can make a referral to the funding panel for this funding.
