Equality Duty
School policy statement on Equality, Community Cohesion and Accessibility:
Our school is committed to equality both as an employer and a service-provider and as a Church School, underpinned by Christian values, we aim to create a school community which celebrates the uniqueness of all and respects the right to preserve individual identity.
Through our embedded Christian ethos we aim to ensure that everybody has the same chance to develop themselves to their full potential. Equal opportunities are entrenched in everything we do and should be addressed and embraced by everyone. The National Curriculum, RE, assemblies, acts of collective worship and family group sessions are used regularly to ensure that our children learn about equality and diversity. We enrich this programme by inviting visitors into school and by taking the children out to visit people and places to highlight matters to do with diversity.
As a result of the 2010 Equality Act, every public authority must:
- Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct which is prohibited by or under the 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 protected characteristic and persons who do not.
It is because of this that we publish our guiding principles for equality and diversity:
- All learners are of equal value
All learners and potential learners are of equal value and benefit equally from school policies, practices and programmes, whatever their ability, background, gender or cultural identity.
- Relevant differences are recognised
Treating people equally can mean treating them differently. Policies, practices and programmes do not discriminate, but may be differentiated to take account of differences of life experience, outlook and background, and in the kinds of barrier and disadvantage which people may face.
- We foster positive attitudes, relationships and a shared sense of belonging
Policies and programmes promote: positive attitudes and interactions; mutual respect and good relations; an absence of harassment or prejudice-related bullying between people of different ability, background, gender or cultural identity.
- Staff recruitment, retention and development
Policies and procedures benefit all employees and potential employees in recruitment, professional development and promotion. Steps are taken to positively promote equality, especially where there is evidence of inequality.
- Current inequalities and barriers are addressed and reduced
In addition to avoiding or minimising possible negative impacts of policies and programmes, we take opportunities to maximise positive impacts by addressing, reducing and removing inequalities and barriers that already exist between people of different ability, background, gender or cultural identity.
- Policy development involves widespread consultation and involvement
People affected by a policy or programme are consulted and involved in the design of new policies, and in the review of existing ones. Such consultation is both direct and through representative organisations, and is based on principles of transparency and accountability. It involves those who in the past have been excluded or disadvantaged, and who continue to face barriers.
- Society as a whole benefits
Policies and programmes benefit society as a whole, locally, nationally and internationally, by fostering greater cohesion and greater participation in public life of people of different ability, background, gender or cultural identity.
As a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty, we publish the following information about the staff:
96% of our staff are female and 4% are male.
100% of our staff are white British.
| Age profile of staff | |
| under 20 | 0 |
| 21-29 | 0 |
| 30-39 | 6 |
| 40-49 | 7 |
| 50-59 | 9 |
| 60+ | 4 |
We also welcome our duty under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to promote community cohesion. We welcome the emphasis in the Ofsted inspection framework on the importance of narrowing gaps in achievement which affect, amongst others:
- pupils from certain cultural and ethnic backgrounds
- pupils who belong to low-income households and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals
- pupils who are disabled, or who are in the process of being diagnosed as disabled
- pupils who have special educational needs
- boys in certain subjects, and girls in certain other subjects.
- Vulnerable Pupils, where home circumstances are known or believed to be unsettled in some way, causing somelevel of concern.
We set our Accessibility plan objectives for a 3 year period and review the progress annually. We welcome our general duty under the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to foster good relations, and our specific duties to publish information every year about our school population; to explain how we have due regard for equality; and to publish equality objectives which show how we plan to tackle particular inequalities, and reduce or remove them.
Further information can be found below, regarding our school accessibility plan and the Public Sector Equality Duty and the associated questionnaire for parents. If you would like to complete a questionnaire please download, complete and return to the school office or email your completed response to ststephensce@durhamlearning.net.
