Catchgate Primary Schools’ provision of the public sector equality duty

Date – 19th September 2023

Catchgate Primary School are committed to equality. We aim for every pupil to fulfil their potential no matter what his/her background or personal circumstances. 

We maintain the aim of embedding principles of fairness and equality across our entire curriculum, in assemblies and acts of collective worship, in break and lunchtimes, in pastoral support and in before and after school activities. 

We must under the general duty of public sector equality duty, in the exercise of our functions, have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited under the Act. 
• Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; 
• Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

This will apply to all pupils, staff and others using the facilities. We will give relevant and proportionate consideration to the public sector equality duty.

The protected characteristics for the school’s provisions are:

• Disability
• Gender reassignment  
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief 
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Age (only applicable to staff, not pupils)
• Marriage and Civil Partnerships (only applicable to staff, not pupils)

Age and marriage and civil partnership are NOT protected characteristics for the school’s provisions for pupils.

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 characteristic 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.

Equality Information:

We maintain confidentiality and work to data protection principles. We publish information in a way so that no pupil or staff member can be identified.

Staff

Pupils:

We will update our equality information at least annually and publish on the school website.

Equality Objectives 2023 - 2027

Our equality objectives are:

1. To promote cultural awareness by incorporating lessons about different cultures around the world into the curriculum. For example, students could learn about the traditions, food, music, and languages of various countries. This would help to broaden their understanding of the world and foster a sense of respect and appreciation for diversity.
2. To encourage Inclusive Language - promoting language that does not exclude groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, or ability. For example, using gender-neutral terms and avoiding language that stereotypes or marginalizes certain groups.
3. To provide staff training on Equality and Diversity: Regular training sessions are to ensure that all staff members are equipped to support diverse learners and address any issues related to equality and diversity that may arise in the classroom.
4. Involve Parents and Carers in Equality Initiatives: Parents and carers play a crucial role in reinforcing the values of equality, diversity, and inclusion at home. School tries to engage them through regular communication about these initiatives, parent workshops, or inviting them to be part of school diversity committees.

We will update our equality objectives every four years and publish them on our school website. 

We will review progress on these objectives annually and this paperwork will be held within school.

We adopt a whole school approach to equality and consider it important for pupils to learn about equality and human rights. We adhere to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHCR) statement:

‘To reap the full benefits of equality and human rights education, it is essential to teach topics in an environment which respects the rights and differences of both students and teachers. Without an equality and human rights culture within the classroom and school as a whole, learning about these topics can at best appear irrelevant, and at worst, hypocritical. The respect and tolerance it teaches will help staff and students create a healthier, happier, fairer school culture, and could lead to reductions in bullying and other negative behaviour, and improvements in attainment and aspirations.

Though the Act refers to ‘race’, the use of ethnic/ cultural origin, background or heritage is often more appropriate