Equality Statement

What is our duty?

We aim to meet our obligations under the public sector equality duty by having due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.

• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

• Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

What are the protected characteristics?

The Equality Act 2010 was introduced to ensure protection on the grounds of specific characteristics (referred to as protected characteristics).  For schools, this means that it is unlawful to discriminate against students or treat them less favourably because of their sex; race; disability; religion or belief; gender reassignment; sexual orientation; pregnancy or maternity. 

Marriage and civil partnerships and age are also 'protected characteristics'.  These apply to staff but not students in schools.

Our Equality Policy

Our Equality Policy contains information about how the school complies with the Public Sector Equality Duty.  We also give guidance to staff and outside visitors on our approach to promoting equality.

Our Equality Objectives
(2023-26)

Our Equality Objectives reflect the school's priorities and draw upon available data and other evidence.  Careful analysis of this is undertaken in order to ensure that we are working to achieve improved outcomes for different groups.

Our Equality Objectives for 2023-26 are as follows:

• To maximise the participation of students in enrichment activities regardless of ability, impairment, background or belief.

• To ensure that outcomes for all groups are tracked and monitored, with interventions put in place, to remove barriers to learning.

• To actively monitor disadvantaged groups and put in place appropriate support and resources in order to close the attainment and progress gaps

• To ensure that all students with multiple vulnerabilities achieve key important targets including; every child continuing to read a range of texts with fluency and comprehension to the end of KS3; every student gaining at least a grade 4 in GCSE English and maths basics measures

• To ensure that the gap in attainment between boys and girls in different subjects and in the national benchmarks continues to narrow against national averages.

• To actively seek to engage and involve parents/carers from all groups in school life.

• To further challenge all forms of discrimination and eradicate the use of homophobic, misogynistic, racist and other discriminatory language through the curriculum and wider school strategies.

• To eradicate harmful sexual behaviour and misogyny and all forms of sexism, through the curriculum and wider school strategies.

• To foster good relations between all groups of students through the use of assemblies, Religious Education and the school’s Preparation for Adult Life programme.

• To ensure that all students attend regularly and that any potential barriers are quickly dismantled.

Progress made 2014-22

• Behaviour and safety of children was judged to be outstanding by Ofsted in February 2014.

• From September 2016 our new data tracking systems have enabled class teachers to closely monitor the progress of each student enabling them to quickly intervene to address any progress gaps that might emerge.

• This same tracking systems allow Heads of Department as well as tutors and Heads of Year teachers to monitor the progress of each student and to provide additional support or interventions as required.

• Our uniform policy does not specify uniform by gender.

• Our uniform policy has been reviewed to minimise the cost to parents (including reducing the number of branded items that are required)

• Increased the number of gender-neutral toilets available to students.

• The introduction of a gender-neutral student leadership structure.

• Greater use of the student leadership group on particular equality related issues in school, including refurbishment of toilets and uniform.

• The school has made significant progress towards the Gatsby benchmarks as evidenced by the Compass – Careers Benchmark tool.

• Launched a school wide EDIT initiative (Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Tolerance) involving staff and students in potential areas of discrimination and inequity and working collectively to find the best solutions.

• Through the current school Accessibility Plan (2019-22) we have improved access to the curriculum for pupils with a disability; improved access to the physical environment; and improved the delivery of written information to pupils.