The Equality Act 2010
This year all schools have to publish an Equality Policy which covers the general and specific duties outlined in the act. The school is currently reviewing the Equality Policy but the governing body has agreed on objectives for the next three years. Please take time to read the following statement. General and specific duties The Act covers all aspects of a school’s work and establishes nine strands or ‘protected characteristics’ related to:
- Age (not in terms of school pupils or prospective pupils)
- Disability
- Ethnicity and race
- Gender
- Gender identity and transgender
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy, maternity and breastfeeding
- Religion and belief
- Sexual identity and orientation
The general duty (also known as the public sector equality duty - PSED) requires all schools – including other state-funded educational settings and academies – to have due regard to the need to:
- eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act
- advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it
- foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
In order to meet the three aims of the general duty, schools have two sets of specific duties which they should meet by 6/04/12:
- to publish information which demonstrates their compliance with the duty to have due regard for the three aims of the general duty
- to prepare and publish specific and measurable objectives which they will pursue over the coming years to achieve the three aims
Equality Objectives 2015-2016
| Objective | Action |
|---|---|
| Plan opportunities within the curriculum for pupils to learn about the diversity of Cultures | Through the RE themes the children have explored different faiths, religions and cultures eg The whole school studied Judaism, Sikism, Islam and Hinduism. The children also experienced other cultural diversities in French and in music |
| Provide appropriate support and resources to individual pupils who may experience barriers to learning | Outstanding results is evidence of the impact in the year groups. The school provided additional educational support by offering and targeting children and families. Eg Homework clinic provided parents and children with quality time and support to complete homework tasks each week The school also supported families by subsidising music tuition and hiring of instruments |
| Promote and encourage a school ethos that has respect for others at the core | Various events and experiences continue to promote a positive ethos in the school. For example, the Naming ceremony at the start of the year which welcomes the new intake and introducing their families to their Year 6 buddies gives reassurance to the care the school gives to Reception children |
| Promote equal participation in trips and clubs across ethnic and social groups | No child was excluded from any trip due to financial constraints |
| Minimise attainment gaps between different groupings, particularly at the end of each Key Stage. | Targeting of children and redeployment of staff is ensuring the gap is reducing. The governors track rigorously the progress of different groups. Evidence from the end of Key Stage outcomes for this year show that this is being addressed successfully. |
