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Public Sector Equality Duty

Aims

Our school aims to meet its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty by having due regard to the need to:

  • Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010

  • 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

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What is the Public Sector Equality Duty (the PSED)?

The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to promote equality.  The relevant protected characteristics are-

  • age

  • disability,

  • gender reassignment

  • pregnancy and maternity

  • race

  • religion or belief

  • sex

  • sexual orientation

 

Legislation and guidance

This information 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 Act 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 information is also based on Department for Education (DfE) guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.

 

Roles and responsibilities

The Local Governing Body will:

  • Ensure that the equality information and objectives as set out in this statement are published and communicated throughout the school, including to staff, pupils and parents, and that they are reviewed and updated at least once every four years

  • Delegate responsibility for monitoring the achievement of the objectives on a daily basis to the Head of School

 

The Head of School will:

  • Promote knowledge and understanding of the equality objectives amongst staff and pupils

  • Monitor success in achieving the objectives and report back to  the Local Governing Body

 

The Senior Leadership Team will:

  • Support the Head of School in promoting knowledge and understanding of the equality objectives amongst staff and pupils

  • Support the Head of School in identifying any staff training needs, and deliver training as necessary

 

Eliminating discrimination

The school is aware of its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and complies with non-discrimination provisions.

Where relevant, our policies include reference to the importance of avoiding discrimination and other prohibited conduct.

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Staff and governors are regularly reminded of their responsibilities under the Equality Act, for example during meetings.

 

Advancing equality of opportunity

As set out in the DfE guidance on the Equality Act, the school aims to advance equality of opportunity by:

  • Share attainment data each academic year showing how pupils with different characteristics are performing

  • Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people which are connected to a particular characteristic they have (e.g. pupils with disabilities)

  • Taking steps to meet the particular needs of people who have a particular characteristic

  • Encouraging people who have a particular characteristic to participate fully in any activities (e.g. encouraging all pupils to be involved in the full range of school activities)

 

In fulfilling this aspect of the duty, the school will:

  • Analyse data to determine strengths and areas for improvement.  Implement actions in response.

  • Make evidence available identifying improvements for specific groups (e.g. declines in incidents of homophobic language being used)

 

How does Heathfield Primary comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty?

The school has a range of policies which make explicit the school’s long established commitment to actively promoting equality of opportunity for all. The main policies that deal with equality of opportunity are:

  • Accessibility plan

  • Equality policy

  • SEND policy

  • Behaviour and anti-bullying policy

  • Curriculum intent

 

Heathfield Primary prides itself on being an inclusive school that cares for every individual child.  In doing so, we promote and deliver a range of strategies to ensure that we comply to the Public Sector Equality Duty.  Some of these are;​

  • Promoting the rights of each individual through our ethos, behaviour policy and curriculum content.

  • Promoting tolerance, individual liberty, friendship and understanding by actively promoting British Values through assemblies and workshops

  • Promoting tolerance, mutual respect and understanding through our PSHE curriculum

  • Promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our Theme Days/Weeks

  • Taking steps to meet the needs of individuals

  • Promoting inclusion, tolerance, friendship and understanding through different aspects of our curriculum. 

  • Disability awareness day/s

  • Leading on assemblies to explore and deal with relevant issues

  • Fundraising for many charities

  • Monitoring and evaluating the attainment and progress of all pupils; looking at the performance of particular groups who share a protected characteristic to compare their performance with those who do not share it.

  • Supporting all staff and children to reach their potential

  • Interventions to maximise the progress of all groups of children

  • Encouraging children who have a particular character to participate fully in all activities – for example; after school clubs 

  • Curriculum trips that meet the needs of all children

  • Active promotion of the Behaviour policy

  • Active promotion of the Anti-bullying policy

  • Pupil participation in school activities; ensuring that is formed of pupils from a range of backgrounds.

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