Equality and Equity
The Equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have. Under the Equality Act, there are nine Protected Characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Marriage or civil partnership
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
- Pregnancy and maternity
The Cambridge Primary School prides itself on being an inclusive school that cares for every individual child. In doing so, we promote and deliver a range of strategies to ensure that we comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty.
The 9 Protected Characteristics are actively promoted in our school through:
- Our school vision and ethos statements, SDP, and SEF
- Our school behaviour policy
- Conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community
- Active engagement and communication with parents and carers, embracing our diverse community
- Providing workshops e.g Internet Safety, behaviour support strategies and phonics, that are inclusive to all parents
- The Cambridge Primary upholds and teaches children about Fundamental British Values alongside our school values: Respect, Honesty, Responsibility, Happiness, Teamwork and Excellence as part of evolving curriculum and weekly assemblies.
- Our school fosters our own learning characteristics of being brave, innovative, collaborative and taking ownership through carefully planned activities that encourage children to develop as individuals alongside academic knowledge and skills.
- Promoting tolerance, mutual respect and understanding through religious festival days e.g to celebrate Diwali children and parents are actively encouraged to speak to the school community, sharing rituals and traditional stories.
- Learning about significant people who represent the protected characteristics and challenging stereotyping and discrimination is embedded within our history curriculum e.g Rosa Parks, Neil Armstrong and Amelia Earhart
- Developing a love of reading through a range of authors and genres
- Promoting articulation by building appropriate language and a coherent vocabulary
- Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) sessions and RSE lessons
- Religious Education and World Views (RAW) lessons
- Art projects and visits
- School Council: the children are from different year groups and the group is formed of pupils from a range of backgrounds. The children understand democracy and the voting system. They understand that their views will be listened to, and they are able to use their voices to make changes to the school and our local and wider community. For example, our school council representatives reviewed our school uniform and made changes to ensure it was comfortable and equal for all children.
For more on how we actively promote the 9 protected characteristics, click here.
Equality Objectives
The Equality Act 2010 requires us to publish specific and measurable equality objectives. Our equality objectives are based on our school’s context and analysis of data and other information.
Our equality objectives focus on those areas where we have agreed to take action to improve equality and tackle disadvantages. We will regularly review the progress we are making to meet our equality objectives.
Our objectives are:
1. To narrow the gap in progress and attainment for pupils with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act.
| Success Criteria | Actions | Time scale | Impact |
|
Termly data analysis Termly report to SLT Inadequate progress group action plan each term The gap in progress between different group will be narrowed |
Assessment judgements will be moderated. SLT will analyse progress data of children with SEND every term. Information will be shared with SLT and wider staff. |
Every Term before pupil progress meetings. | At least 90% of pupils with protected characteristics will make expected progress with at least 80% making better than expected progress. |
2. To promote mental health and wellbeing in children with protected characteristics.
| Success Criteria | Actions | Time Scale | Impact |
| Staff skills in recognising mental health concerns will be improved through training. |
Inclusion Lead and Head to develop a rotating training programme for staff. Identify training needs for staff and address. Develop links with local agencies and services who can offer support and training. |
Annually. | 100% of staff will understand the protected characteristics identifies in the Equality Act. 80% of staff will have a better understanding of mental health needs in their class. |
3. To narrow the gap in attendance for pupils with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act, by fostering good relationships with parents and carers and seeking to understand the barriers to good attendance.
| Success Criteria | Actions | Time Scale | Impact |
|
Overall attendance percentage will be improved. Good relationships will be established with parents through regular meetings. Children will understand the importance of coming to school every day and on time. Attendance percentage of individual children with protected characteristics will improve. |
SLT will work with families where there are attendance concerns. Referrals to the Early Help Panel will be made as appropriate. Early Help procedures will be initiated as required. Targetted workshops with specific children will take place. Children with less than 90% attendance will be identified, worked with and monitored. |
Weekly attendance checks. Monitor, review and report to governors every half term. Budget for incentives. |
At least 80% of identified children will improve their attendance above 90%. Attendance of children with protected characteristics will improve by at least 0.5% over the academic year. |
4. To increase the extent to which all pupils, including in particular those with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act, feel valued and confident, and in consequence more likely to achieve their potential.
| Success Criteria | Actions | Time Scale | Impact |
|
Pupil conferencing will show how valued and confident all children particularly those with protected characteristics feel. Pupil conferencing will show an improvement over time within specific groups. Progress and attainment data of vulnerable children including those with protected characteristics will show that they are making at least expected progress. |
SLT to ensure pupil conferencing feedback to demonstrate this. SLT to analyse data from pupil conferencing. |
Termly. |
Pupil questionnaires will show at least a 15% increase in confidence levels over a 12 month period. Termly data will show that at least 90% of vulnerable children and children with protected characteristics will achieve expected and 80% better than expected progress. |
5. To narrow the gap between vulnerable groups of pupils and other pupils in access to home learning support, and in this way to reduce or remove inequalities in attainment throughout the school, particularly inequalities relating to the protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act.
| Success Criteria | Actions | Time Scale | Impact |
|
There will be an increase in the number of children receiving support with their home learning. Target 'readers' list will be used in each classroom to target children not reading regularly at home. Parent confidence levels in supporting home learning will improve. |
SLT to conduct surveys to assess the level of home learning support available to children in each year group. Parent workshops to be run with a focus on supporting home learning in areas such as phonics and maths. |
Termly | The number of children accessing support with their home learning from family members will increase by 10% over a 12 month period following all workshops and intervention. |
6. To ensure that the staff are aware of current legislation surrounding Equality, Diversity and Disability and their responsibilities.
| Success Criteria | Actions | Time Scale | Impact |
|
All staff will understand the legislation around Equality, Diversity and Disability and will understand how it effects them in their role. |
Head teacher to arrange training for all staff. | Annually |
At least 85% of staff will understand their responsibility with regard to the legislation around Equalities, Diversity and Disability. |