Public Sector Equality Duty Statement
Public bodies such as schools have a duty, under the 2010 Equality Act, to ensure they promote equality within their organisation and this statement sets out how we endeavour to achieve this at Slingsby Community Primary School.
Slingsby Community Primary School recognises that certain groups in society can be disadvantaged because of unlawful discrimination they may face due to their race, sex, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, religion/belief, sexual orientation, age or any other condition or requirement which places a person at a disadvantage and cannot be justified.
Our school aims to treat all its pupils fairly and with respect. This involves providing access and opportunities for all pupils without discrimination of any kind. At Slingsby we are committed in creating positive and engaging learning environments for all pupils. Through an exciting curriculum offer that openly encourages active participation, it is our aim to ensure that all pupils reach their full potential. We recognise that our community is mostly mono-cultural and so our curriculum introduces our children to the diverse nature of our nation and the world through our progressive curriculum; assemblies centred on fundamental British Values (Democracy, Tolerance, Respect, Liberty & law); and the books that are available to our pupils. We are an inclusive school, where each individual child is celebrated and their achievements recognized.
We are all guided by the Slingsby Values for Life: Respect, Honesty, Resilience, Expectations and Caring for Others.
The Equality Act makes explicit our responsibility to have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act.
- 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.
In this respect, a protected characteristic could be any one of a multitude of factors that are shared by particular groups of people, but will include characteristics such as race, disability, sex, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment.
As a school, we are in the privileged position of supporting equality in our current practices, whilst also helping children to develop and embed the principles of equality and responsibility that will best promote this in the longer term.
Objectives
We are committed to creating a community that recognises and celebrates difference within a culture of respect and cooperation. A culture which promotes equality will create a positive environment and a shared sense of belonging for all who work, learn and use the services of our schools. Our objectives can be summarised as follows:
- To ensure that the school retains a culture of advancing equality both in its policies and its practices
- Develop and increase understanding of differing cultures and lifestyles (including life choices) and ensure there are no discriminatory or bullying incidents, including online activity and dangers of social media/gaming.
- To deepen an understanding among all children and staff of the strengths and needs of all protected characteristic groups
- To continue to seek ways in which the culture, policies and practices within school can be further improved to advance equality and to eliminate discrimination
- To celebrate the rich variety of individual and group characteristics which constitute our school community, as well as the wider world.
- To identify and provide for the individual specific needs of children in school, including medical, social and cultural needs.
Implementation
The following list covers some of the main ways in which we seek to implement our moral and legal responsibilities to ensure equality within school. As we have a duty towards the children in our care as well as to our employees, some measures may be relevant to each of these groups to a greater or lesser extent. We believe that equal opportunities is an unquestionable principle, and these elements taken together are the basis on which we seek to demonstrate and promote this principle.
- Whenever the governing body reviews policies in school, we always take into account any relevant equal opportunity implications. Where relevant, the details of equal opportunity considerations will be specifically identified.
- Our curriculum is inclusive for all children, and adaptations are made where necessary to accommodate the particular needs of a child or group of children.
- Attainment of all children-including the progress and attainment of specific groups-is explored termly through formative assessments and regular summative assessments to ensure there are no variations between children who share a protected characteristic. We recognise that each child is an individual, composed of a multitude of characteristics, and their inclusion in one or more protected characteristic groups should not be seen to define them without reference to everything else that goes to make the whole child.
- Through our modelling of the fundamental British values of respect and tolerance to all people, we promote and develop this understanding in the children themselves. When a child demonstrates intolerance or disrespect with regard to the characteristics of another person, we will work with that child to strengthen their understanding of why their behaviour or language has not been appropriate. In line with our teaching of the academic curriculum, we believe that education is by far the most effective response to incidents of intolerance or disrespect.
- Slingsby CP School promotes a culture in which children feel comfortable sharing concerns and worries with adults in school. Although worries can affect all children, those in protected characteristic groups can face greater barriers than their peers do. Three principles are at the heart of our approach to supporting children with their concerns.
- Firstly, a recognition that what might seem like a small issue to an adult can feel hugely important to a child, so that we listen to the root of a child’s anxiety rather than what might be its surface manifestation.
- Secondly, we encourage children to develop the language and understanding of complex emotions, so that they are better able to articulate what they are feeling. If a child can’t explain what it is that is distressing them, they are less likely to seek help. Children in certain protected characteristic groups may need greater levels of support in developing these skills.
- Thirdly, we place great emphasis on the development of strong relationships between all adults and children in the school, based on mutual trust and respect. Consequently, when a child feels vulnerable or worried, they are able to choose, from a number of adults that they know well, the person they feel most comfortable approaching.
- We also seek to promote a culture in the school that recognises the needs of staff members, whether this is in terms of emotional support, time off to attend family events or medical appointments, or requests for changes in working arrangements. Because the individual needs of staff members can sometimes be directly linked to their membership of a protected characteristic group, we see our duty to be compassionate employers to be particularly relevant in supporting members of staff in this respect.
- We promote a culture in which parents feel comfortable to approach the school with concerns or difficulties, which again can sometimes be linked to their membership of a protected characteristic group. In addition to increasing parents’ confidence in approaching the school with issues that may relate to protected characteristics, the strong relationships between staff and parents helps to develop a culture where the strengths and needs of protected characteristic groups are understood, acknowledged and valued.
- The school recognises world festivals and dates that are important for a range of protected characteristic groups which regularly feature as part of our assembly calendar.