Woodbridge
ParkPublic Sector Equality Duty
Equality Information and Objectives Statement
We are committed to our duties under the Equality Act 2010. The school’s general duties with regard to equality are:
Eliminating discrimination
Fostering good relationships
Advancing equality of opportunity
We will not discriminate against or victimise any staff member, pupil, prospective pupil, or other members of the school community because of their:
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
- Gender reassignment
- Pregnancy or maternity
- Marriage and civil partnership
We aim to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, with special emphasis on promoting equality and diversity and eradicating prejudicial incidents for pupils and staff. Our school is committed to not only eliminating discrimination but also increasing understanding and appreciation for diversity.
Aims to eradicate discrimination
Our service vision, mission and objectives all state clearly, our expectations on equality and diversity. Our service value of ‘Similarities and Differences’ is of huge significance for our workforce and pupil cohort. We believe that a greater level of success from pupils and staff can be achieved by realising the uniqueness of individuals. Creating an inclusive environment where individuals feel confident and at ease is a commitment of the school. This environment will be achieved by:
- Being respectful.
- Always treating all members of the school community fairly.
- Developing an understanding of diversity and inclusion and the benefits it can have.
- Adopting an inclusive attitude and ensuring that the whole school community understands what inclusive behaviour looks like in the school and how this aligns with the school’s values.
- Adopting an inclusive curriculum that is accessible to all.
- Encouraging compassion and open-mindedness.
- Challenging bias in order to move the conversation forward.
We are committed to having a balanced, diverse and fair curriculum. We believe that our pupils should be exposed to ideas and concepts that may challenge their understanding, to help ensure that pupils learn to become more accepting and inclusive of others. Challenging and controversial concepts will be delivered in a way that prevents discrimination and promotes inclusive attitudes.
Dealing with prejudice and celebrating diversity
We do not tolerate any form of prejudice-related incident. Whether direct or indirect, we treat discrimination against all members of our school with the utmost severity. When an incident is reported, our school is devoted to ensuring appropriate action is taken and a resolution is put into place which is both fair and firm.
Our pupils are taught to be:
- Understanding of others.
- Celebratory of diversity.
- Eager to reach their full potential.
- Aware of what constitutes discriminatory behaviour
The school’s employees will not:
Discriminate against any member of the school community.
Treat other members of the school community unfairly.
The school’s employees will:
- Promote diversity and equality.
- Encourage and adopt an inclusive attitude.
- Lead by example.
- Seek training if they need to improve their knowledge in a particular area
Throughout the year, the school provides a variety of opportunities to celebrate diversity, including:
- Planning activities for key diversity awareness days
- Inviting guest speakers to talk to pupils about diversity
- Incorporating lessons about diversity into the curriculum
Equality and dignity in the workplace
- Gender reassignment
- Marital or civil partner status
- Pregnancy or maternity
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
Equality of opportunity and non-discrimination extends to the treatment of all members of the school community. All staff members are obliged to act in accordance will the school’s various policies relating to equality.
We will guarantee that no redundancy is the result of direct or indirect prejudice. All disciplinary procedures are non-prejudicial, whether they result in warnings, dismissal, or any other disciplinary action.
Prejudice is not tolerated and we are continuously working towards a more accepting and respectful environment for our school community.
Widening access to the best educational outcomes for disadvantaged groups of children
Our Service Development Plan 2023-24, clearly outlines our ambition to ensure that children who are Pupil Premium and who have an EHCP have the best chance possible of accessing education and achieving their potential as well as the wider cohort of pupils. We commit additional resources to this endeavour and we also put additional time and energy into supporting these distinct, additionally complex groups into attending school and also into planning for post-16 progression.
Please refer to our most recent Strategic Development Plan for our specifc actions to narrow the access and attainment gap for our most vulnerable children.
Promoting equality of opportunity and equity in the management of behaviour and in addressing low school attendance
All our service policies in these areas acknowledge the potential for indirect discrimination against vulnerable children with complex needs. We actively seek to ensure that we do not inadvertently draw attention to unwanted behaviours that are directly related to a learning need or disability and we work hard to support children identify impactful strategies for reducing down unwanted behaviours as opposed to simply sanctioning children.
We acknowledge that PP children with an EHCP are more likely to have a fixed-term suspension and to display certain dysregulated behaviours. It is the role of adults to identify additional supportive measures for these children.
