Equality Policy

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Leigh

Equality Policy

Live and Learn with Jesus.

We follow Jesus through fairness, kindness, love, friendship and happiness.

Equality Act 2010

This policy outlines how Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Leigh are complying with the public sector equality duty in the Equality Act 2010.

The act defines nine protected characteristics – age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

The characteristic ‘race’ includes colour, nationality and ethnic and national origin. The characteristic ‘religion’ also includes religious or philosophical belief or lack of religion or belief.

School Context

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is a larger than average primary school with 307 children currently on roll. We have children attending the school from various backgrounds with the largest group being hard-pressed (43%). Within our school we have sixteen different languages spoken by our children. We have fifteen nationalities within our school and pride ourselves on being a truly inclusive school.

Rationale

We need a code of practice which enables all pupils to celebrate the diversity of our school community. We need to ensure that all individuals within Sacred Heart, Leigh are entitled to learn, teach or work in a non-threatening and supportive environment in which self esteem is enhanced. We need to define and identify unacceptable behaviour (racist, sexist, discriminatory or harassing) and offer strategies for dealing with the perpetrators and provide support for the victims. We need to ensure that all the staff take a responsibility for these issues in all aspects of school life. We at Sacred Heart believe that, in order to achieve above, every effort possible must be made to ensure that all individuals within the school are valued and have the opportunity to develop to their full potential within a context of mutual respect, justice and fairness. Both direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation will not be tolerated by any member of the school community.

Aims

To ensure that –

Every individual within Sacred Heart, Leigh achieves their full potential and has the same chance.
Equal access is achieved by everyone and for everyone
Changing needs are responded to
We inform and educate staff, parents and children and remind ourselves of the issues
We live in harmony an create a more equal society
Break down prejudices and build positive attitudes
To give a continuity of approach throughout the school
To prevent the waste of resources and individual talents
To improve the quality of life for all individuals
To make a more caring, responsible and contributory member of society
To promote understanding and mutual respect of all members of society regardless of differences
To reduce discrimination by operating in a just and fair school society
To work to a written common agreement which can be modified, monitored and evaluated

Broad outlines

Procedures for identification

Recognising that the early pre-school experiences of all pupils differ due to the diversity of experience and cultural background we will make use of initial assessment procedures in Reception Class and class teacher’s observations of the children to note any areas of concern and development which will be recorded in the children’s files.

All staff will be alert for examples of the following and appropriate action will be taken within the guidelines laid down in the school’s Good Behaviour Policy re Racism, Sexism, Class Discrimination and Special Needs. We will use the vehicle of the curriculum to teach about these aspects in a positive way. We will attempt to obtain certain relevant information on any aspect of health which may affect the child in school. Such information with be available to the class teachers.

As far as practical all children will have equal access to all activities taking place in the school.

Strategies

All forms of name calling, bullying and physical or verbal abuse will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to the school’s Good Behaviour Policy.

Teachers will endeavour to ensure that all activities are of a non stereotypical nature.

Children will be encouraged to express their opinions and discuss their feelings.

Resources will be monitored, reviewed and updated to ensure that inappropriate and invalid messages are not being communicated to children.

Issues such as age, disability, race and gender will be addressed through discussion and role play. Children will be encouraged to consider the exclusion of others and its effects.

A differentiated curriculum will be provided to take a positive account of children’s individual differences.

We aim to offer a coherent and balanced curriculum and learning experiences to all children though provision of the National Curriculum.

Staff will be alert for children who seem isolated and children who are overly aggressive and take positive steps to encourage appropriate behaviour and integration.

All pupils will have equal access to all resources and specific encouragement and direction will be given where necessary to ensure that all pupils take advantage of what is available.

A system of incentives and sanctions exists to encourage acceptable behaviour – see the School’s Good Behaviour Policy.

Collective Worship time and Assemblies will be used to ensure equal opportunity issues.

Teachers will bear in mind equal opportunity issues when forming groups and making decisions about classroom organisation.

Staff will use books and stories to reinforce positive attitudes to equal opportunity issues.

Staff have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure discrimination does not take place.

Staff Training

Active participation of all school personnel is necessary for a successful policy.

Staff meetings to discuss equal opportunity issues will take place as a means of monitoring/evaluating the policy.

All staff have a responsibility for Equal Opportunities.

Success Criteria

Equal opportunities will be recognised in the following areas

Assessment results
Attendance
Punctuality
Unauthorised absence
Class size
Stability and staffing
Commitment/involvement of support staff
Qualitative Indicators

Playground interaction

Friendly and caring attitude

Learning interaction

All members of the school community valued

Displays of work

A welcome feel

Accessibility of school staff

Effectiveness of communication system

Teaching styles

Differentiated work

Pastoral care

Evaluation/monitoring of the Policy

Evaluation will be carried out by –

the Headteacher as Equal Opportunities Co-ordinator
all members of staff in order to improve, adjust and facilitate equal opportunities within the day to day running of the school and bring individual perspectives to whole staff meetings.
Governors – either at full Governing Body meeting or in the Curriculum Committee meetings
Parents – who will bring their own perspective/perceptions.
Pupils – who will be involved in ongoing evaluations
Inspectorate – on programmed visits

Among aspects to be evaluated will be

staff
language uses to further equal opportunities
the curriculum
learning goals set/appropriate
resources used to reinforce positive issues

Evaluation aims to improve

teacher effectiveness
the quality of learning effective communication
review and planning
diagnostic testing
coherence and cohesion of policy and practice

Evaluation will be carried out –

by individuals on an ongoing basis
collectively by all staff in the Autumn Term each year
at intervals where incidents suggest the policy is not being effective or for specific purposes
by Governors at intervals for review of specific purposes.

Reviewed Summer Term 2022