Accessibility Strategies and Plans

All local authorities must have an accessibility strategy for the schools it's responsible for, for example local authority maintained schools. This is a requirement of law, the Equality Act 2010.Accessibility strategies don't apply to academies or free schools. Whilst the accessibility strategy relates to maintained schools, many of the support arrangements made by the local authority will also benefit disabled pupils attending academies and free schools within Hull.

An accessibility strategy explains how over time, the local authority will support the schools it's responsible for in order to:

• increase access to the curriculum for disabled pupils
• improve the physical environment of schools to increase access for disabled pupils
• make written information more accessible to disabled pupils by providing information in a range of different ways

Under the Equality Act, a person has a disability ‘if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities’. 

Hull City Council’s Accessibility Strategy has recently been updated for the period 2020 to 2023 and here.

All schools, including academies and free schools, must have an accessibility plan which is based upon the same principles as an accessibility strategy. The accessibility plan must be updated every 3 years and approved by the schools governors or the head teacher.