Equality information and objectives
1. Aims
Our school aims to meet its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) by having due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
- Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
2. Legislation and guidance
This document meets the requirements under the following legislation:
- The Equality Act 2010, which introduced the Public Sector Equality Duty and protects people from discrimination.
- The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, which require schools to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty and to publish equality objectives.
This document is also based on Department for Education (DfE) guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.
This document also complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.
3. Eliminating discrimination
- The school is aware of its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and complies with non-discrimination provisions.
- Where relevant, our policies include reference to the importance of avoiding discrimination and other prohibited conduct.
- Staff and governors are regularly reminded of their responsibilities under the Equality Act
- New staff receive training on the Equality Act as part of their induction, through Protecting Rights in a Caring Environment (PRICE) training. PRICE training is revisited every half term.
- Completing an Accessibility Audit every year and checking it regularly in termly meetings.
4. Advancing equality of opportunity
As set out in the DfE guidance on the Equality Act, the school aims to advance equality of opportunity by:
- Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people that are connected to a particular characteristic they have.
- Taking steps to meet the needs of people who have a particular characteristic.
- Encouraging people who have a particular characteristic to participate fully in any activities.
In fulfilling this aspect of the duty, the school will:
- Analyse progress data each academic year showing how pupils with different characteristics are performing.
- Discuss pupils who have a particular characteristic as part of the bi-weekly DSL meetings.
- Ensure staff are supported through well-being meetings, line management and the well-being team.
5. Fostering good relations
The school aims to foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not share it by:
- Promoting tolerance, friendship and understanding of a range of religions and cultures through different aspects of our curriculum. This includes teaching in RE, citizenship and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, but also activities in other curriculum areas. For example, as part of teaching and learning in English/reading, pupils will be introduced to literature from a range of cultures.
- Holding assemblies dealing with relevant issues. Pupils will be encouraged to take a lead in such assemblies, and we will also invite external speakers to contribute.
- Working with our local community. This includes inviting leaders of local faith groups to speak at assemblies and organising school trips and activities based around the local community.
- We have developed links with people and groups who have specialist knowledge about particular characteristics, which helps inform and develop our approach.
6. Equality objectives
Race
In the Equality Act, race can mean your colour, or your nationality (including your citizenship). It can also mean your ethnic or national origins, which may not be the same as your current nationality.
Objective: Ensure all of areas of our school life represent our ethnically diverse community.
To achieve this objective, we will:
- Ensure our curriculum, resources and SMSC activities are representative of our school community.
- Provide opportunities for staff and pupils to celebrate diversity.
- Ensure families are supported with communication if English is not their first language.
- Research how support EAL pupils with complex communication difficulties to develop speech.
Religion & Belief
Religion refers to any religion, including a lack of religion. Belief refers to any religious or philosophical belief and includes a lack of belief.
Objective: Ensure that teaching and SMSC activities reflect the full range of religions and beliefs.
To achieve this objective, we will:
- Ensure the statutory curriculum is incorporated into our curriculum learning journeys.
- Ensure our SMSC program provides opportunities to explore and improve understanding of different faiths and cultural diversity, in the local, national, and global communities.
Gender reassignment
The process of transitioning from one sex to another.
Objective: Provide support to staff who are in the transition process, from proposing to reassign their sex and/or undergoing a process of reassignment.
To achieve this objective, we will:
- Provide well-being support to staff who are in the transition process of reassigning their sex when needed.
- Provide medical leave to staff who are undergoing any medical treatment or surgery to change from their birth sex to their preferred gender.