Live - Equality Statement Policy and Objectives.
Equality Statement, Policy and Objectives
Policy details
- Date created - 12/11/2024
- Date approved - 12/11/2024
- Next review date - 12/11/2025
- Policy owner - Shirley Carrigan and Paul Atkins
Introductory notes
The Trust’s policy sets out our Trust’s approach and this is followed here in our academy.
https://www.coopacademies.co.uk/page/?title=Equality%2C+Diversity+and+Inclusion&pid=50
We bring this Trust policy to life through our own ethos, policies and procedures. Here at Co-op Academy Grove, we are committed to creating an environment and ethos where our whole school community is able to thrive and where discrimination is eliminated.
We can only thrive as a community when all people feel valued, respected and have a voice. It is essential that we promote equality throughout all that we do and say. This includes our curriculum provision, recruitment procedures, policies, colleague development opportunities and everyday communication.
Diversity and difference add value to our community and make our academy a richer place to be. We take an active role in recognising, promoting and celebrating these differences.
We value and respect individuals’ differences including, but not limited to:
- gender
- pregnancy and maternity
- ethnicity
- culture
- age
- disability
- sexual orientation
- gender identity
- religion or belief
- marital or civil partnership status
- education
- learning styles
- caring responsibilities
We will have due regard to advancing equality of opportunity including making serious consideration of the need to
- remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are connected to that characteristic;
- take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a protected characteristics that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it;
- encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.
We will take into account the six Brown principles of ‘due regard’
- awareness – all staff know and understand what the law requires
- timeliness – implications considered before they are implemented
- rigour – open-minded and rigorous analysis, including parent/pupil voice
- non-delegation – the PSED cannot be delegated
- continuous – ongoing all academic year
- record-keeping – keep notes and records of decisions & meetings
We welcome the opportunity to be transparent and accountable. To this end we fulfil the specific duties of the Act by:
- publishing our equality information
- publishing our equality objectives
We aim to make the information accessible, easy to read and easy to find.
Legal framework
We welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations in relation to age (as appropriate), disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
We welcome our duty under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to promote community cohesion.
We recognise these duties are essential to reflect international human rights standards as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN
Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Public Sector Equality Duties 2010.
Every four years we formulate and publish specific and measurable objectives, based on the evidence we have collected and published. The objectives which we identify take into account national and local priorities and issues, as appropriate. We keep our equality objectives under review and report annually on progress towards achieving them.
Please see below for our objectives for September 2024 to August 2027.
The curriculum
We keep each curriculum subject or area under review in order to ensure that teaching and learning reflect the nine guiding principles.
Ethos and organisation
We ensure the guiding principles apply to the full range of our policies and practices, including those that are concerned with:
- children’s progress, attainment and achievement
- children’s personal development, welfare and well-being
- teaching styles and strategies
- admissions and attendance *
- staff recruitment, retention and professional development *
- care, guidance and support
- behaviour, discipline and exclusions
- working in partnership with parents, carers and guardians
- working with the wider community
*These items are discussed further at the end of the policy as there are exceptions for schools with a religious character.
Addressing prejudice and prejudice-related bullying
The school is opposed to all forms of prejudice which stand in the way of fulfilling the legal duties.
There is guidance in staff documentation on how prejudice-related incidents should be identified, assessed, recorded and dealt with
We take seriously the importance of recording the numbers, types and seriousness of prejudice-related incidents at our school and how they are dealt with. We also investigate potential patterns and trends of incidents.
Roles and responsibilities
The trust board is responsible for ensuring that the school complies with legislation, and that this policy and its related procedures and action plans are implemented. An identified member of the Academy Community Council has a supporting role regarding the implementation of this policy.
The Headteacher is responsible for implementing the policy; for ensuring that all staff are aware of their responsibilities and are given appropriate training and support; and for taking appropriate action.
All staff are expected to:
- promote an inclusive and collaborative ethos in their classroom
- respond to prejudice-related incidents that may occur
- incorporate the principles of this policy into the curriculum
- keep up-to-date with equalities legislation relevant to their work.
Information and resources
We ensure that the content of this policy is known to all staff, Trustees, Community Council Members, as appropriate, to all children and their parents and carers.
All staff and Community Council Members are signposted towards a selection of resources which discuss and explain concepts of equality, diversity and community cohesion in appropriate detail.
Religious observance
We respect the religious beliefs and practice of all staff, children and parents, and aim to comply with reasonable requests relating to religious observance and practice.
Staff development and training
We ensure that all staff receive appropriate training and opportunities for professional development around equalities. This training is logged in an on-going staff CPD record.
Breaches of the policy
Breaches of this policy will be dealt with in line with the schools disciplinary policy.
Monitoring and evaluation
As an academy, we carry out rigorous monitoring and analysis of all children and their progress so that senior leaders, subject leaders and class teachers can use the information to ensure the appropriate progress is made by all children regardless of race, disability, socio-economic background, belief or gender. Through analysis we are aware of any groups or individuals who are not making at least expected progress. Evidence of this analysis can be found in pupil progress notes.
For further information on the Equality Act 2010 and exceptions for schools with religious character please see the document published by the DfE ‘Equality Act 2010: Advice for School Leaders
Equality Objectives
September 2024 to August 2027
At Co-op Academy Grove , we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all children, staff, parents and carers, irrespective of race, gender, disability, belief, religion or socio-economic background.
In order to further support children, raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching, we have set the following objectives:
Objective 1:
To continue to provide a school environment that welcomes, protects and respects everyone. The children are given the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the life of the school, particularly focusing on developing leadership opportunities (ambassadors) for all groups of children.
Objective 2:
To ensure all groups of children have equal access to their education through regular and good levels of attendance and achieve well. Where attendance or achievement is a concern, support plans will be put into place.
Objective 3:
To develop ways to involve more parents in academy life so that all feel welcome, have a voice and are able to make a positive contribution. Where barriers exist such as EAL or disability, we will be mindful of this and work with parents and carers to enable them to fully engage in all opportunities
We will review our progress against the equality objectives through a variety of strategies including;
- monitoring and analysing attendance of all groups of children
- monitoring and analysing of school ambassadors to ensure all groups of children are represented across the school
- through parent, children and staff surveys