Equality

Approach

1. We welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations in relation to age (as appropriate), disability, ethnicity, gender (including issues of transgender, and of maternity and pregnancy), religion and belief, and sexual identity.

2. We welcome our duty under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to promote community cohesion.

3. We recognise that these duties reflect international human rights standards as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and the Human Rights Act 1998.

Each year we complete a Trust-wide survey which gathers information about diversity within our school.
 

Policy

Our Equality Policy can be found here.

Objectives

During 2023-24, we will be aiming to achieve the following objectives:

  • Complete and action a Diversity Audit on Curriculum and Enrichment activities
  • Seek further opportunities to engage with EAL parents
  • Target minority family groups and families with different characteristics to encourage a wider participation in school events.
  • Raise awareness of LGBTQ+ within society, including our local community
  • Ensure that children and staff with any protected characteristic are accommodated and have full access to participation in every aspect of school life

Staff Checklist

A checklist for school staff and governors to consider:

  • Is information collected on race, disability and gender with regards to both pupils and staff e.g. pupil achievement, attendance, exclusions, staff training? Is this information used to inform the policies, plans and strategies, lessons, additional support, training and activities the school provides?
  • How has our Equality Plan been shaped by the views, input and involvement of staff, parents and pupils?
  • Is pupil achievement analysed by race, disability and gender? Are there trends or patterns in the data that may require additional action, and has action been taken to address these?
  • Does the curriculum include opportunities to understand the issues related to race, disability and gender?
  • Are all pupils encouraged to participate in school life? Are pupils who make a positive contribution reflective of the school's diversity e.g. through class assemblies / school council?
  • Is bullying and harassment of pupils and staff monitored by race, disability and gender, and is this information used to make a difference to the experience of other pupils? Are racist incidents reported to the governing body and local authority on a termly basis?
  • Are visual displays reflective of the diversity of your school community? How are minority ethnic, disabled and both male and female role models promoted positively in lessons, displays and discussions such as circle time and class assemblies?
  • Does the school take part in annual events, such as Black History Month, to raise awareness of issues around race, disability and gender?
  • Is the school environment as accessible as possible to pupils, staff and visitors to the school? Are open evenings and other events which parents, carers and the community attend held in an accessible part of the school and are issues such as language barriers considered?
  • Are the accessibility needs of parents, pupils and staff considered in the publishing and sending out of information, in terms of race, disability and gender?
  • Are procedures for the election of parent governors open to candidates and voters who have a disability?