We are committed to giving all our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards. We do this by taking account of pupils' varied experiences and needs. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum, and have high expectations of all children.

This policy is in accordance with The Equality Act 2010, which replaced all previous legislation in relation to equal opportunities. In line with that legislation, it seeks to ensure that this school provides equal opportunity for all children and adults giving due regard to groups with ‘protected characteristics’, in terms of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender reassignment, pregnancy/maternity and marriage/civil partnership, in accordance with the Act.

 Aims and objectives

• We aim to act positively and have due regard to the need to challenge and eliminate unlawful discrimination – within both our school and our community.
• We aim not to discriminate against anyone on the grounds of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion/belief, level of educational need or background.
• We aim to promote the principle of fairness and justice for all through the education that we provide in our school. We recognise that doing this may entail treating some pupils differently.
• We seek to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the full range of educational opportunities provided by the school.
• We constantly strive to remove any forms of indirect discrimination that may form barriers to learning for some groups of pupils.
• We aim to challenge personal prejudice and stereotypical views whenever they occur.
• We value each pupil's worth, celebrating the individuality and cultural diversity of our school community, and showing respect for all minority groups.

 Racial equality

In our school we will:

• Strive to eliminate all forms of racism and racial discrimination.
• Promote equality of opportunity, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion.
• Promote good relations between people of different racial and ethnic groups.
• Seek to educate pupils in a manner which promotes community cohesion in a multi-cultural society.
• Not tolerate any forms of racism or racist behaviour. Should a racist incident occur, we will deal with it in accordance with school procedures.
• Endeavour to make our school and its environment welcoming to all minority groups.
• Ensure our curriculum reflects the attitudes, values and respect that we have for minority ethnic groups.

Disability

• We are committed to meeting the needs of the children in our school with disabilities. All reasonable steps are taken to ensure that these children are not disadvantaged compared with non-disabled children.
• The school is committed to providing an environment that allows disabled children full access to the school premises and to all areas of learning.
• Teachers modify teaching and learning as appropriate for children with disabilities.

Gender equality

• We recognise that nationally, there is an unacceptable discrepancy in the achievement of boys and girls. We are committed to seeing all individuals and groups of pupils making the best progress possible in our school.

• If our analysis of pupils’ attainment data indicates areas where one gender group achieves less well than the other, we will take measures to address this discrepancy.

The role of the class teacher

• When selecting classroom material, teachers strive to provide resources which give positive images, and which challenge stereotypical images of minority groups, or of boys and girls. All staff ensure that the language they use does not reinforce stereotypes or prejudice.
• We seek to implement this policy when designing schemes of work, both in our choice of topics to study, and in how we approach sensitive issues.
• All our teachers and support staff challenge any incidents of prejudice or racism. We record any incidents in the school log book and draw them to the immediate attention of the head teacher.

The role of the head teacher

It is the head teacher's role to:

• Ensure that the school's policies on Equal Opportunities are implemented effectively.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of the school policy on Equal Opportunities, and that teachers apply these guidelines fairly in all situations.
• Promote the principle of equal opportunity when developing the curriculum for pupils, and in providing opportunities for professional development for staff;
• Promote respect for other people in all aspects of school life; in school assemblies, for example, respect for other people is a regular theme, as it is also in displays around the school.
• Manage all incidents of unfair treatment, and any racist incidents, with due seriousness, and in line with this policy.

The role of governors

• In this policy statement, the governing body has set out its commitment to equal opportunities and accessibility, and it will continue to do all it can to ensure that all members of the school community are treated both fairly and equally.
• The governing body collects, analyses and evaluates a range of school data. We check that all pupils are making the best possible progress and that no group of pupils is underachieving.
• The governors take all reasonable steps to ensure that the school environment properly accommodates people with disabilities.
• The governing body ensures that no child is discriminated against whilst in our school on account of their gender, religion or race.

Monitoring and Review

It is the responsibility of our governing body to monitor the effectiveness of this policy. The governors will therefore:

• Monitor the progress of pupils from minority groups, comparing it with the progress made by other pupils in the school.
• Monitor the staff appointment process, so that no one applying for a post at this school is discriminated against.
• Take into serious consideration any complaints from parents/carers, staff or pupils regarding equal opportunity.
• Monitor the school's Behaviour Policy, and the numbers of exclusions to make sure that pupils from minority groups are not unfairly treated.

 

Objectives 2022-2025

• To use performance data to monitor pupil achievement, attainment and attendance and respond to variations between groups of pupils, subjects, key stages, trends over time and comparisons with other schools.
• To raise the awareness and skills of staff to promote fairness, equality and good relations in the context of their role.
• To provide an environment that welcomes, protects and respects diverse people.
• To ensure that all pupils and other stakeholders are given the opportunity to make a positive contribution to school life.
• To increase pupil awareness and understanding of different communities through assemblies and cultural events.
• To raise awareness of the impact of bullying, especially where this relates to protected characteristics.
• To monitor the incidence of policy breaches.