Equality Statement and Policy Information

SINGLE EQUALITY SCHEME STATEMENT

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requires schools to consider how their policies, practices, and day-to-day activities impact staff and pupils (including prospective staff and pupils and in some circumstances former staff and pupils) with regard to their protected characteristics: age and marriage & civil partnership (in relation to staff only), and disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy & maternity, and religion or belief (including lack of belief). 

At Sedbergh Primary School we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents, and carers receiving services from us, irrespective of any legally protected characteristic they might have, or their socio-economic background (e.g., pupils from low income families, Children Looked After, those with Child Protection plans, young carers, and those with English as an additional language, even though these are not legally protected characteristics), and to showing that we have “due regard” for the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation, including by association (treating a pupil less favourably because they have a black boyfriend), or by perception (treating a pupil less favourably because it is thought they are gay will be discrimination due to sexual orientation even if they are not gay);
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not.

We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to our school feel proud of their identity and can participate fully in school life.  To do this we look to remove barriers and if we can’t, we look to achieve equity for all in everything school does from setting policy and implementing procedures to teaching practice, recruitment, and budget allocation which means sometimes we treat people differently because they have different needs.

We will work to:

• Remove or minimise disadvantages;
• Take steps to meet different needs;
• Encourage participation when it is disproportionately low.

The achievement of pupils will be monitored according to any relevant protected characteristic that we might reasonably be expected to know they have and their socio-economic background, and we will use this data to support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusivity. 

We will tackle discrimination by promoting equality, challenging bullying & stereotypes, and creating an environment which champions respect for all.  We believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here.

Our Single Equality Scheme (SES) demonstrates how our school has worked with and listened to our staff, pupils, parents, carers, and other members of our wider school community to inform development of our objectives and help us understand the need and commitment necessary to ensure our Scheme is a success and is key to how we foster good relations.  It also shows our commitment to being a good employer and fully inclusive of all community users, including parents and carers.

We will publish information to demonstrate how we are complying with the equality duty annually (SES: Part 2) and one or more specific and measurable equality objectives every 4 years (SES: Part 3).