Equality Act Statement

Transcription

1 Equality Act Statement Christ Church (Erith) C of E Primary This is a Christ Church (Erith) C of E Primary policy and supports the Trinitas Principles as outlined below. The aim of this policy supports all Trinitas schools in adhering to the following Trinitas Principles: We will build a family of schools where strong Christian values are at the centre of everything we do. We will share responsibility for all of the children in all of the schools. We will be wholly committed to promoting the Anglican Ethos of the Trust by being distinctive yet inclusive. We will hold true to our values and aspirations, without compromise.

2 This Equality Statement helps our school to achieve its aims and learning values: We aim to develop as an outstanding school that welcomes and nurtures each individual s gifts as a unique child of God, in a safe and creative Christian environment, inspiring curious minds. Self-regulation results in deeper learning. Quality evaluation results in visible learning. Transferable skills result in applicable learning. An inspiring curriculum results in a love of learning. Purpose This Statement is intended to ensure that everyone at Christ Church plays their part in making society fairer by tackling discrimination and providing equality of opportunity for all. Audience All Teachers and TAs, Governors and other members of staff, need to have read the statement, and be aware of its contents. A copy of the statement will be stored on the school s Team Server. This statement should be read in conjunction with all other school policies. Parents and children need to have a copy of the summary, which will be published in the school prospectus. Copies of the full policy are available from the office and on the school website. Introduction EQUALITY ACT 2010 The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) replaces the previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act. It simplifies the law, removing inconsistencies and making it easier for people to understand and comply with it. It also strengthens the law in important ways, to help tackle discrimination and inequality. The nine main pieces of legislation that have merged are: the Equal Pay Act 1970 the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 the Race Relations Act 1976 the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 the Equality Act 2006, Part 2

3 the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 The Equality Duty A key measure in the Act is the public sector Equality Duty which ensures that all public bodies play their part in making society fairer by tackling discrimination and providing equality of opportunity for all. Christ Church (Erith) C of E Primary School is a public body. Christ Church welcomes our duties under the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and to foster good relations in relation to age, disability, ethnicity, gender (including issues of transgender, and of maternity and pregnancy), religion and belief, and sexual identity. We welcome our duty under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to promote community cohesion. We recognise that these duties 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 This statement outlines the key elements of how we ensure we meet our Equality Duty as established in the 2010 Single Equality Act. How Christ Church strives for equality compliance. Aims and Values Christ Church is a welcoming school where everyone is valued highly as a unique Child of God, and where tolerance, honesty, co-operation and mutual respect for others are fostered. We are committed to the development of the whole person within a loving Christian, supportive, secure environment. A broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum fosters a joy of learning and provides equal opportunity for all pupils to maximise their potential regardless of age, sex, race, colour, religion or disability. We endeavour to promote positive relationships with parents, governors and members of the wider community. At Christ Church we aim to promote equality and tackle any form of discrimination and actively promote harmonious relations in all areas of school life. We seek to remove any barriers to access, participation, progression, attainment and achievement. We take seriously our contribution towards community cohesion. As a school: We respect each child s unique and equal contribution as a valued member of God s global community. We believe that as part of our Christian ethos, each member of the school community is entitled to love, respect and care. We endeavour to ensure that all pupils achieve to their full potential.

4 We value positive relationships between the different members of the school community. We aim to: Provide a secure environment in which all our children can flourish and achieve. An environment in which all of our Christian values are prominent. Provide a learning environment where all individuals see themselves reflected and feel a sense of belonging. Prepare children for life in a diverse society in which children are able to see their place in God s local, regional, national and international community. Include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity. Provide positive non-stereotyping information about different groups of people regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion and age. Plan systematically to improve our understanding and promotion of diversity. Actively challenge discrimination and disadvantage. Make inclusion a thread which runs through all our activities. To achieve these aims we will: Involve whole school community in the development, review, evaluation, and impact assessment of all relevant improvement plans, policies and procedures. Publish and share our policies and impact assessments with the whole community. Collect and analyse data to ensure all groups are progressing well and no group is subject to disadvantage. Use all available information to set suitable learning challenges for all, respond to pupils diverse needs and overcome any potential barriers to learning. Ensure that the wider school curriculum makes explicit and implicit provision to promote and celebrate diversity. Have high expectations of behaviour which demonstrates respect to others. Policy Planning and Review The school has in place the following documents providing evidence of compliance with the Equality Duty. Anti-Racism/ Race Equality Policy Inclusion Policy Special Educational Needs Policy EAL/EMA Policy Accessibility Plan The A-Z of School Life There will be a systematic review of the impact of all policies and procedures on equality and diversity to address any areas of inequality. Our target-setting processes ensure appropriate, challenging targets are set in relation to identifiable groups as well as individual pupils / cohorts.

5 Monitoring and Quality Assurance Each pupil s progress is monitored and tracked. The resulting data is analysed in respect of gender, race, ability or additional needs, child in care status. In addition to monitoring to rule out any potential disadvantage, quality assurance procedures ensure the school meets its duty to positively promote diversity. The data collected is used to inform further school planning, target-setting and decision-making. Leadership, Management and Governance Christ Church is committed to: Being proactive in promoting good relationships and equality of opportunity across all aspects of school life and the wider community. Encouraging, supporting and enabling all pupils and staff to reach their potential and make a positive contribution. Working in partnership with families and the wider community to establish, promote and disseminate inclusive practice and tackle discrimination ensuring that school policies are followed and our Equality Compliance Statement is met. Statement Date February 2016 To be reviewed within 4 years.