We want as many people as possible to be able to use the The Beacon Centre website. You should be able to change colours and fonts, zoom in without the text spilling off the screen, move around with just a keyboard, and listen to the website using a screen reader.

What the website does to help

The website is built on the Realsmart platform, which provides:

  • A “Skip to content” link at the top of every page, so keyboard and screen reader users can go straight to the main content.
  • Page landmarks and labelled menus, and menu buttons that tell a screen reader whether a menu is open or closed.
  • Slideshows that can be paused, and that do not move on their own for people who have asked their device to reduce motion.

What we do as a school

What appears on the website is written and uploaded by our staff, so part of keeping it accessible is up to us. When we add content we aim to:

  • describe every meaningful picture in its alt text
  • use headings in order, and write links that make sense on their own, not “click here”
  • add captions or a transcript to videos
  • publish documents in a format that works with a screen reader, and avoid scanned pictures of text

What may not be accessible

Some older documents and files from other organisations, such as scanned PDFs, may not work well with a screen reader. Maps, calendars and videos from other websites follow the accessibility of the service that provides them. This statement does not claim that the website meets a particular accessibility standard.

Asking for information in another format, or reporting a problem

If you need information from this website in a different format, such as large print, audio or Braille, or you find something that is hard to use, please tell us. We will look into it and reply as soon as we can. You can email [email protected], or call 0191 4546254, or write to us at The Beacon Centre, Temple Park Road, South Shields, NE34 0QA.

If you are not happy with our reply

If we do not reply, or you are not happy with how we have dealt with your concern, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service.

Last reviewed: November 2026