Access All Areas

Latest update:

Access All Areas: what children and young people think about accessibility, inclusion and additional support at school, published June 2007,  summarises the main findings of the project. Click here to download a free pdf copy.

Access All Areas is a project funded by the Scottish Borders Council.  The aim of the project is to develop a system of consultation with pupils on how to improve school life for children and young people with additional support needs.  The project works with primary and secondary pupils in schools throughout the Scottish Borders.  Pupils’ views are used to inform the Authority’s accessibility strategy, as well as individual schools.

Accessibility strategies

The Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002 requires local authorities to prepare and implement an accessibility strategy every three years.   The purpose of the strategies is to improve, over time, access to education for pupils with additional support needs. One important aspect of these strategies is that pupils themselves have a significant input; both pupils with additional support needs and those without.

Originally running from 2004-2006, the project has been refunded for a further three years.  Whilst continuing to consult with pupils about accessibility, the main focus of work in 2006-2009 will move from collecting views to ensuring pupils’ views are used effectively within schools; by the council; and where appropriate, nationally.

“The thought that local authorities would look to adapt schools to make them more inclusive without real input from young people is scary” Borders’ secondary school pupil

Access All Areas - The Project

2006-2009 Aims:

• To identify common issues of accessibility and improve awareness and understanding of these issues within schools; at a local authority level; and, nationally.
• To develop links and work collaboratively with initiatives at Scottish Borders Council to ensure that pupils’ views, gathered in the first three years, have an impact on the Authority’s work.
• To consult with children and young people on the continuing development of the Authority’s accessibility strategy

Schools the project has worked with:

Berwickshire High School; Galashiels Academy; Peebles High School

Caddonfoot Primary; Coldstream Primary; Halyrude Primary; Kingsland Primary; Langlee Primary; Lauder Primary; St Peter’s Primary; Swinton Primary; West Linton Primary

Project outcomes

The project works with schools throughout the Borders, consulting both pupils who require additional support and pupils who do not.  Work is done exploring what accessibility means and pupils are asked about accessibility in their school; what works; and, what could be improved.  Following the consultation process, a detailed report is written outlining pupils' views and suggesting ways these views can be taken forward.  The report is disseminated to the school and the Scottish Borders Council, who use this information to help develop future accessibility strategies.

The project uses activity-based consultation methods and innovative ways to gather pupils’ views and then ensure that these views reach a wider audience.  For example, in 2005 an Accessibility Calendar was published using pupil’s artwork from the project to highlight different accessibility issues.  This calendar was disseminated amongst schools; the Council; the Scottish Executive and other interested organisations (such as the Disability Rights Commission).

Access All Areas has supported Scottish Borders' pupils’ involvement in national debates and policymaking.  For example, pupils from Berwickshire High School took part in a participation event, giving their views in relation to the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Bill to the Scottish Parliament’s Education Committee.  Pupils from other schools have field-tested a survey to find out better ways to prevent serious, unintentional injuries.  Results from this survey will be used to develop a Child Safety Action Plan for Scotland.

As the project progresses, it has been interesting to see how pupils’ ideas of accessibility evolve.  For many, their initial understanding of accessibility relates primarily to wheelchair users and the provision of ramps and lifts.  As they explore the issues, they begin to see accessibility in a much wider context.  Their concerns relate to pupils with a range of additional support needs being able to take part in the whole school day.  Their view of accessibility tends to be very holistic -- with pupils placing equal importance on social aspects of the school day (such as playtime and school trips) as on academic aspects.  Some of the most useful feedback has been from pupils with learning difficulties or behaviour difficulties when they have discussed what helps them engage with, and feel part of, school life.

Current work

Pupil input into new school builds

The Scottish Borders Council is in the process of building a number of new secondary and primary schools.  Access All Areas has been working with pupils in these schools asking how they think their new school can be made as accessible as possible.  Information from pupils is then being fed directly into the planning process.

Publication summarising project findings

Consultation with pupils over the first three years of the project has led to a wealth of information and ideas which have been published in the report Access All Areas: what children and young people think about accessibility, inclusion and additional support at school, June 2007.