Equality

There are high levels of support for spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of learning. Students are very confident in sharing their own values and beliefs and often empathised with the topic or person being discussed drawing on their own personal experiences  –  OFSTED 2014

The 2010 Equality Act requires that, in carrying out their functions, public bodies are required to have due regard to the need to:

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

Protected Characteristics for school provisions are:

• age (for staff only)
• disability
• ethnicity and race
• gender (sex)
• gender identity and reassignment
• pregnancy, maternity and breast feeding
• religion and belief
• sexual orientation

The specific duties regulations require schools:

1. to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty, and
2. to prepare and publish equality objectives.

To demonstrate its compliance with its Public Sector Equality Duty, the school has produced a Single Equality Scheme which includes information about the background to and the process of creating the Scheme and also how Equality Impact Assessment data has been used to establish Equality Priorities and to set Equality Objectives (see below).

A copy of the school’s Single Equality Scheme ( incorporating the school’s current Equality Objectives ) can be downloaded here.

The Government Equalities Office has produced guidance on the Equalities Act, including how to make a complaint of discrimination. The relevant page on their website can be found here.