Rationale

St Andrew’s Primary actively supports the ethos of equality and will endeavour to carry out its duties and responsibilities as outlined under the Equality Act 2010.  

We believe that all pupils and members of staff should have the opportunity to learn effectively whatever their background, identity and circumstances.  We are committed to creating a community that recognises and celebrates diversity within a culture of respect and co-operation, and will work to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and lawfully. We believe that a culture which promotes equality will create a positive environment and a shared sense of belonging for all who work and learn in, and use the services of, our school.

Every member of the school community is regarded as of equal worth and importance, irrespective of their sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity.

Equal opportunities are part of our everyday life at St Andrew’s Primary and may be expressed explicitly in teaching materials and displays throughout the school; implicitly in classroom practice, or as part of the hidden curriculum of social interaction between staff and pupils.

Aims 

Our school aims to meet its obligations under the public sector equality duty by having due regard to the full guidance and the need to:

Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act.

• How - through following our Admissions Policy; Behaviour Policy and Anti-Bullying Guidelines. 

Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it. 

• How – through following our HR Policies (Recruitment / Pay / Appraisal) and opening opportunities for all activities ( School Council; Sports clubs and teams, etc.) to all pupils.

Foster good relations for pupils, staff and others using the school’s facilities.

• How – through our Values Programme which rotates through six different core values.  This involves working through the values with pupils in class, then sharing with parents to enable meaningful discussions at home. Also through our Thrive curriculum and provision

Legislation and guidance

This document meets the requirements under the following legislation:

• The Equality Act 2010, which introduced the public sector equality duty and protects people from discrimination
• The Equality Action 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, which require schools to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the public sector equality duty and to publish equality objectives. This document is also based on the Department for Education (DfE) guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.

Responsibilities

The governing board will:

• Ensure that the equality of information and objectives as set out in the statement are published and communicated throughout the school.  The statement will be reviewed annually and the objectives will be reviewed and updated at least once every four years
• Delegate responsibility for monitoring the achievement of the objectives on a daily basis to the Headteacher

The Headteacher will:

• Promote knowledge and understanding of the equality objectives amongst the school community

Equality Objectives

Objective 1: To monitor and improve outcomes for pupils with SEND
Why: There are some children who are under-performing when compared to starting points and/or compared to age related expectations. 
How: We will identify and support each individual with bespoke intervention and support.

Objective 2: To monitor and improve outcomes for pupils entitled to Pupil Premium Grant
Why: Attainment data evidences that some PPG funded children do not attain as well as their peers across the school.
How: We will identify and support each individual with bespoke and/or group intervention and support.

Objective 3: To provide equality of opportunity for all pupils
Why: To ensure that all pupils are inspired and can set their own aspirations.
How: We will ensure all groups are equally represented in curriculum and resources.  E.g. Research and explore girl heroes, female scientists, BME books; sporting opportunities for ALL children.

Practice and guidance review process
St Andrew’s C of E school’s Equality Information and Objectives Guidance functions as a practice guide and is therefore reviewed whenever issues arise which generate new ways to articulate our approach and otherwise every three years.

Reviewed Sept 2021