Equality Information

Equality Information

The Equality Act 2010 requires us to publish information that demonstrates that we have due regard for the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct 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 between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

St Catherine’s CE Primary School is an inclusive school where we focus on the well-being and progress of every child and where all members of our community are of equal worth.

We believe that the Equality Act provides a framework to support our commitment to valuing diversity, tackling discrimination, promoting equality and fostering good relationships between people. It also ensures that we continue to tackle issues of disadvantage and underachievement of different groups.

Equality Information

Number of pupils on roll at the school: 416 (September 2021)
Age of pupils: 4 to 11

Information on pupils by protected characteristics

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics. Every person has several of the protected characteristics, so the Act protects everyone against unfair treatment.

Information on other groups of pupils

In addition to pupils with protected characteristics, we gather further information on the following groups of pupils:

• Pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)
• Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
• Disadvantaged groups
• Pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL)
• Young carers
• Looked after children
• Other vulnerable groups

Through rigorous tracking and monitoring of individuals and of all the groups of children, including progress and attainment, and by providing equal opportunities to access the curriculum and activities, we aim to ensure that any gap in attainment for pupils within any of the above different groups is removed, or at least remains less than the gap nationally.

Eliminating discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act

The information provided here aims to demonstrate that we give careful consideration to equality issues in everything that we do at St Catherine’s Primary School. ‘Due regard’ ensures that we work towards eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act. We are committed to working for equality for all our staff, parents/carers and children to meet our duties under the Equality Act 2010.

We eliminate discrimination by:

• Our behaviour policy ensures that all children feel safe at school and addresses prejudicial bullying
• Reporting, responding to and monitoring all racist incidents
• Regularly monitoring the curriculum to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of our pupils and that it promotes respect for diversity and challenges negative stereotyping
• Teaching is of the highest quality to ensure children reach their potential and all pupils are given equal entitlement to success
• Tracking pupil progress to ensure that all children make rapid progress, and intervening when necessary
• Ensuring that all pupils have the opportunity to access extra-curricular provision
• Listening to and monitoring views and experiences of pupils and adults to evaluate the effectiveness of our policies and procedures.

Advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

We advance equality of opportunity by:

• Using the information we gather to identify underachieving groups or individuals and plan targeted intervention
• Ensuring participation of parents/carers and pupils in school development
• Listening to parents/carers
• Listening to pupils at all times

Fostering good relations across all characteristics - between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

We foster good relations by:

• Ensuring that St Catherine’s Primary School is at the heart of our local community
• Ensuring that equality and diversity are embedded in the curriculum and in collective worship.

The role of the Head and Leadership Team

It is the Headteacher’s role to ensure that all staff implement the school’s approach to equal opportunities and making sure steps are taken to address the school’s stated equality objectives. The Headteacher is responsible for enabling reasonable adjustments to be made, in relation to disability, in regard to students, staff, parents / carers and visitors to the school. Where additional funding is available for raising the achievement of specific groups of pupils, the Head Teacher will ensure that the additional resources are used appropriately. They will be targeted on the basis of identified need and outcomes are monitored. Together, the Headteacher and the leadership team will promote respect for other people in all aspects of school life.

The role of the Governors

The governors are responsible for making sure that the school complies with the relevant equality legislation and will continue to ensure that all members of the school community are treated fairly and equally. A member of the governing body has a watching brief regarding the implementation of this policy.

The role of the staff

Class teachers will ensure that all pupils are treated fairly and with respect and foster good relations between groups. They will strive to provide resources which give positive images, and which challenge stereotypical images of minority groups when selecting classroom materials. They will ensure that schemes of work, for example, will teach children about significant contributions women or individuals from minority ethnic groups have made in history. All school staff will challenge any incidents of prejudice or racism. All incidences are recorded and drawn to the immediate attention of the Deputy or Head teacher.

The role of pupils

Pupils will learn to treat each other with respect and have the confidence to report incidents to adults.

The role of parents/carers

Parents and carers will be encouraged to reinforce the school’s approach to equal opportunities by reinforcing its ethos at home.

Staff development

All staff are given equal opportunities to take part in staff training as and when required and have access to courses appropriate to their professional development and responsibilities as well as statutory requirements. All new staff and governors will be presented with this equality information and will have it explained to them as part of induction arrangements.

We observe good equalities practice in staff recruitment, retention and development. We ensure that policies and procedures should benefit all employees and potential employees, for example in recruitment and promotion, and in continuing professional development:

• whatever their age
• whether or not they are disabled
• whatever their ethnicity, culture, religious affiliation, national origin or national status
• whatever their gender and sexual identity, and with full respect for legal
• rights relating to pregnancy and maternity.