School Access

All Central Bedfordshire schools, except voluntary aided schools and academies, can apply for funding under the Schools Access Initiative Programme.

Where an education, health and care plan (EHCP) is in place (for children with special educational needs and disabilities), naming a specific school or academy (in or outside of catchment for a child living in Central Bedfordshire), an application for equipment or adaptations may be considered under the Schools Access Initiative Programme.

Schools can apply for capital funding for building works costing £2,000 or more, to adapt and improve the school building to make it more accessible to children with disabilities. Examples of projects funded include: ramps, disabled toilets, wet rooms, electronic doors, acoustic adaptations and soundfield systems.

Schools can also apply for funding to buy specialised equipment required by children with disabilities to access learning. Examples of equipment funded include: specialist chairs, height adjustable desks, changing tables and hoists.

Funding is allocated, based on a specific child’s needs, to schools that currently have, or are due to admit, one or more disabled pupils on roll.

Applications are evaluated against the priority for funding identified in our Accessibility Strategy (PDF 226.3KB) which, in summary, sets priority as follows:

• improvements to meet the needs of a child already in school, or due to transfer to a school in the following year
• improvements where adaptations will be required in future years
• other improvements to allow access as set out in each School Accessibility Plan