What is the schools access initiative?
Since 1996 the Schools Access Initiative (SAI) has provided funding to make mainstream schools more accessible to children with disabilities and special educational needs. So far over 6,000 schools have benefited from the Initiative.
The SAI funds projects such as the installation of lifts, stair lifts, ramps and disabled toilets to help physically impaired children; the carpeting and acoustic tiling of classrooms to benefit hearing impaired pupils and the provision of blinds and paint schemes to benefit visually impaired children.
How much funding is available?
£100M will be made available to LEAs in each of the following years
2004-5, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.
LEA Allocations 2004-06
Who can apply for funding?
All mainstream schools are eligible for support under the Initiative. The Department allocates funding to LEAs and then it is up to each LEA to decide its priority schemes within the criteria of support. The grant element for Voluntary Aided (VA) schools will continue to be delivered through the LEA Co-ordinated VA Programme (LCVAP) for 2004 -2005 and 2005 — 2006. For details of the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 grant element of SAI go to the Voluntary Aided Schools area and look under 'Capital announcement'.
If you are interested in applying for funding on behalf of your school you should contact your local education authority. If you would like more general information on the Initiative please contact Alison Thompson on 020 7273 5359. Notes of Guidance to Local Education Authorities
Can I extend my SAI allocation?
Since 2003-2004 the credit element of the Schools Access Initiative (SAI) has been delivered to local education authorities (LEAs) through the Single Capital Pot (SCP). A separate supplementary credit approval (SCA) for the credit element of the SAI is no longer issued by the Special Educational Needs & Disability Division (SENDD) to LEAs. Since 2004-05, following the introduction of the prudential regime for local authority finance, it will be delivered as Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue) (SCE(R)) single capital pot element.
The credit element of SAI is being delivered through the SCP to make it easier for LEAs to join their SAI allocation up with other capital funding. This will give LEAs increased over all flexibility to improve access to the maintained schools they have responsibility for. With these new arrangements the expectation is that when slippage occurs on one capital project then this under spend will be utilised elsewhere in the financial year. This should free up funding to cover the slippage in the next year. The same principle will apply to the management of larger access projects. LEA personnel responsible for managing projects under the SAI will need to discus with their authorities finance department how this might work for them locally in practice.
Monitoring
All LEAs are required to provide a short report
on the use and benefits of Schools Access Initiative allocations at the end of
each financial year. Implementation reports (download template ) should be
completed and returned by 31 July following the close of the financial year
to;
Alison Thompson
DCSF Area 4D
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London SW1H 9NA
Alison.thompson@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
