Equality policies by Hill West Primary School

EQUALITY POLICIES including EQUAL OPPORTUNTY RACIAL EQUALITY GENDER EQUALITY DISABILITY EQUALITY

HILL WEST PRIMARY SCHOOL EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Hill West Primary School promotes equal opportunities for all. All children have an entitlement to a broad and balanced education regardless of race, ability, gender or social deprivation. At Hill West Primary School we seek to promote equality of opportunity positively through everything that we do.

AIMS At Hill West Primary we aim to ensure that: •

Every individual achieves their full potential within a context of mutual respect, justice and equity

•

Equal access is achieved by everyone and for everyone

•

We inform and educate staff, parents and children that everyone is entitled to learn, teach or work in a supportive environment in which self-esteem is enhanced

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We break down prejudices and build positive attitudes

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We provide a consistent and continuous approach to equal opportunities

•

We maximise individual talents and resources

•

We improve the quality of life for all individuals

•

We promote understanding and mutual respect for all members of our community/society regardless of differences

•

We recognise and celebrate differences positively

•

Children and staff are encouraged to live in harmony and to operate in a just and fair school society

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•

We prepare children for life in our multi-cultural city, building on the strengths of our cultural diversity

•

We value and utilise home and community cultures and languages

•

We support bilingual speakers and promote the use of a variety of languages

HOW DO WE PROMOTE EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY? •

We give careful consideration to our recruitment procedures and endeavour to employ positive role models for our children.

•

We recognise that early pre-school experiences will differ from child to child and family to family. We celebrate diversity of experiences and cultural backgrounds and ensure that positive stereotypes are in evidence throughout school.

•

Any evidence of negative behaviour in regard to equality of opportunity is dealt with promptly by all staff. Children are made aware of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviours/attitudes

•

We develop teaching strategies that enhance positive self-image for all children taking into account issues of gender, disability, culture, religion, body size/shape etc.

•

We ensure that no child is alienated by the school system.

•

We ensure that all children have access to resources and literature that reflects the multi-ethnic society in which we live. We ensure that library books display positive stereotypes of as many different groups of people as possible.

•

We have high expectations for all children regardless of ability and ensure that all receive their entitlement to a full and balanced curriculum

•

We ensure opportunities for positive discrimination in class through for example differentiation of work, targeted intervention, gifted and talented provision.

•

We openly discuss people’s differing beliefs, cultures, religions and backgrounds. Children learn about the religious festivals of the five major faiths and have the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of cultural activities.

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RACIAL EQUALITY 1.

Introduction 1.1

Hill West Primary School is a safe and creative environment: a happy, positive, vibrant and forward-thinking community where each child and adult is valued and able to learn and achieve.

Our Commitment to Race Equality 2.1

This race equality policy enables our school to meet our statutory obligations under the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000). Through this policy the school is working in line with the Commission for Racial Equality Standards Learning for All (2000) and working towards meeting the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry (2000). This policy sets out our commitment to tacking racial discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity and good race relations, and explains what this means for the whole school community, parents and the wider community. We will actively promote race equality and oppose racism in all its forms and foster positive attitudes and commitment to an education for equality. Our commitment covers all aspects of school life and includes: •

Creating a school ethos, which promotes race equality, develops understanding and challenges myths, stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices.

•

Taking active measures to investigate report and act on incidents of racial abuse.

•

Monitoring progress, attainment and assessment and having high expectations of everyone.

•

Monitoring behaviour, discipline and exclusions, to remove all practices, procedures and customs, which are discriminatory.

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•

Personal development and pastoral care for our students.

•

Monitoring all aspects of teaching and learning and the wider curriculum.

•

Admissions and attendance.

•

Staff recruitment and professional development.

•

Partnership with parents and communities.

Taking active measures to investigate, report and act on incidents of racial abuse 3.1

All members of staff (including non-teaching and office staff) have a responsibility to promote racial equality and to report any incidents of discrimination, which may arise in the school.

3.2

Procedures are as follows: • Incidents involving students, are recorded in ‘Racist Incident’ book, and investigated thoroughly. Parents and the LA are notified and appropriate action is taken. The school sends a termly record to the LA of incidents recorded and actions taken. • Incidents involving staff, are recorded in ‘Racist Incident’ book, and investigated thoroughly. The LA is notified and appropriate procedures are followed. • Incidents involving parents, are mediated where possible, or parents are advised to seek advice from the appropriate authorities e.g. police.

Progress, attainment and assessment 4.1

4.2

The Senior Leaders undertake assessment analysis on a regular basis. Any findings related to the underachievement of any gender group is highlighted and they are targeted appropriately. Pupils’ attainment and progress in individual subjects is monitored by ethnic group (and by gender, language and disability).

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4.3 4.4

4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9

Behaviour discipline and exclusions 5.1

5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

Our procedures for disciplining pupils and managing behaviour are fair and applied equally to all students irrespective of ethnicity. All procedure for excluding and reintegrating students are free from racial discrimination. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s procedures for managing behaviour and disciplining pupils are fair and applied equally to all pupils, irrespective of ethnicity. The school identifies and adopts good practice strategies in order to reduce any differences in rates of exclusion between ethnic groups. The process of excluding a pupil is fair and equitable to all pupils. Strategies to reintegrate long-term truants and excluded pupils address the needs of pupils from all ethnic groups.

Personal development and pastoral care for our students 6.1

The school develops strategies for tackling differences in the attainment and progress of particular ethnic groups. Targets will be set for individual pupils by ethnicity, so teachers will be aware of the ethnic background of each child and will also be aware of current concerns regarding the underachievement of certain groups e.g. African Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani boys in particular. The school values the achievements and progress of pupils from all ethnic groups. All pupils have equal access to extra-curricular activities. Every pupil is offered the support and guidance they need. Staff challenge racism, stereotyping and promote racial equality in education, employment, training and career choice. Steps are taken to ensure that pupils on work experience are not subjected to racism or racial harassment.

We take every opportunity to celebrate the achievement of all our students in class and in our weekly assemblies. Through our PSHE, and Global Citizenship work, our pupils are comprehensively supported and guided.

All aspects of teaching and learning and the wider curriculum

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7.1

7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5

Admissions and attendance 8.1

Curriculum planning takes account of our commitment to race equality. The criteria used for setting and other grouping are fair for all ethnic groups. We endeavour to use assessment materials that are free from any unfair bias. Wherever possible we aim to celebrate cultural and racial diversity through the curriculum. Our aim is not only to encourage all pupils to oppose racial discrimination, but also to make sure they have the skills to challenge racism as and when it occurs. We use materials that reflect a range of cultural backgrounds, without stereotyping. We promote attitudes and values that will challenge racist behaviour. We provide opportunities for pupils to appreciate their own culture and celebrate the diversity of other cultures. We seek to involve all parents in supporting their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education.

We follow LA guidelines on admission, which are fair to all gender groups. The school monitors student attendance and uses data to develop strategies to address poor attendance. Wherever possible, and following LA guidelines, we accommodate staff and student needs to take time off for religious festivals.

Staff recruitment and professional development 9.1

9.2

9.3

Recruitment and selection procedures are consistent with the Race Relations legislation and operate within the framework provided by the LA. Steps are taken to identify, support and provide opportunities for the professional development of staff and governors from all ethnic groups. Individual staff effectiveness in dealing with racial equality issues is addressed through various line management mechanisms.

10. Partnership with parents and communities 10.1 All parents are encouraged to be part of the life of the school. 10.2 Parents are welcome and respected in school. 10.3 People from minority ethnic communities are encouraged to become school governors or join our parent council Equality Policy 21.10.13

10.4

Governors will be encouraged to play an active role in the life of the school in order to fulfil their monitoring duties.

11. Roles and Responsibilities 11.1 Promoting race equality is the responsibility of the whole school community, including support staff, pupils and parents. These duties are made clear in our policies which are made available to all staff. New and temporary staff to the school will be made aware of this school policy via the Induction Programme.

12. Leadership group 12.1

Will demonstrate through their personal leadership the importance of this policy. They will: â&#x20AC;˘

Ensure that all staff are aware of the policy and understand their role and responsibility in relation to it.

â&#x20AC;˘

Ensure that, where additional funding is available for raising the achievement of minority ethnic students, the additional resources are used appropriately and targeted on the basis of identified need for this purpose. E.g. for newly arrived and EAL students.

14. Curriculum and Subject Leaders and TLRs 14.1

Will be responsible for reviewing and monitoring curriculum policies and Schemes of Work to ensure that race equality is promoted.

15. Reviewing the Race Equality Policy 15.1

The following criteria will be the basis of our review procedures: â&#x20AC;˘

Promote equality of opportunity

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15.2

•

Eliminate unlawful discrimination

•

Eliminate racist harassment

•

Promote good relations between ethnic groups

The SLT will be responsible for updating and reviewing this policy and producing an action plan if necessary.

16. ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF OUR POLICY 16.1

As a school we will assess the impact of this and other policies on pupils, staff and parents from different ethnic groups. We will assess whether the policies have, or could have, an adverse impact on the attainment levels of pupils from different racial groups. We will assess the effectiveness of our policies through existing arrangements for developing and reviewing other school policies.

16.2

The main questions for assessing the impact of all our school’s policies – giving special attention to pupils’ attainment levels – will include the following: 1. Do we help all our pupils to achieve as much as they can, and get the most from what is on offer, based on their individual needs? 2. Which groups of pupils are not achieving as much as they can? Why not? 3. Are we making sure that our policies are not having an adverse impact on pupils, parents or staff from some racial groups?

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4. How do we explain any differences? Are the explanations justified? Can they be justified on non-racial grounds, such as English as an Additional Language issues? 5. Does each relevant policy include aims to deal with differences in pupilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attainments (or possible differences) between ethnic groups? Do our policies aims lead to action to deal with differences that have been identified (for example, extra coaching for pupils, or steps to prevent racist bullying)? 6. What are we doing to raise standards and promote equality of opportunity for pupils who seem to be underachieving and who may need extra support? 7. What are we doing as a school to prepare pupils for living in a multi-ethnic society, promote race equality and harmony and prevent or deal with racism? 8. Can any action we take be traced back to individual policy aims and related targets and strategies? 9. Is the action taken appropriate and effective? Are there any unexpected results? If so, how are they being handled? 10. Does each relevant policy include aims to promote race equality and harmony, prevent or challenge racial discrimination, and deal with differences (or possible differences) between racial groups? 11. Do the policyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aims lead to effective action? 12. What changes does the school need to make to relevant policies, their aims and any related targets and strategies?

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GENDER EQUALITY INTRODUCTION The aims of our school value the individuality of all our children. We are committed to giving all our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards. Within this ethos of achievement, we do not tolerate bullying and harassment of any kind. This policy helps to ensure that this school promotes the individuality of all our children, irrespective of ethnicity, attainment, age, disability, gender or background. We aim to reflect the diverse nature of our society and ensure that the education we offer fosters positive attitudes to all people. This policy reflects the general and specific duties on schools as detailed in The Gender Equality Duty. This policy must be read in conjunction with other related school policies – Anti-bullying, Equal Opportunities, Inclusion and Special Educational Needs, Racial Equality, Disability Equality. The general duty requires us to have due regard to the need to: • eliminate sexist and sexual harassment/discrimination; • promote equality of opportunity between girls and boys, men and women; • promote good relations between people of different gender groups. • promote community cohesion. The specific duty requires us to: • prepare a written policy on gender equality; • assess the impact of our policies, including this policy, on pupils, staff and parents of different gender groups including, in particular, the impact on attainment levels of these pupils; • monitor the operation of our policies through the impact they have on such pupils, staff and parents, with particular reference to their impact on the attainment levels of such pupils.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At Hill West Primary we will continuously strive to ensure that everyone in our school is treated with respect and dignity. Each person in our school will be given fair and equal opportunities to develop their full potential with positive regard to gender, ethnicity, cultural and religious background, sexuality or disability. In our school we aim to tackle gender discrimination and promote equality of Equality Policy 21.10.13

opportunity and good gender relations across all aspects of school life. We do this by: • • • • • •

• • • •

creating an ethos in which pupils and staff feel valued and secure; building self-esteem and confidence in our pupils, so that they can then use these qualities to influence their own relationships with others; having consistent expectations of pupils and their learning; removing or minimizing barriers to learning, so that all pupils can achieve; ensuring that our teaching takes into account the learning needs of all pupils through our schemes of work and lesson planning; actively tackling gender discrimination and promoting gender equality through our School Prospectus, School Profile, newsletters to parents and displays of work; regular consultation with parents/carers and members of the local community, so that they are well informed of our policy and procedures; making clear to our pupils what constitutes aggressive and discriminatory behaviour; identifying clear procedures for dealing quickly with incidents of gender harassment and discrimination; making pupils and staff confident to challenge gender discrimination and harassment.

TEACHING AND LEARNING STYLE We aim to provide all our pupils with the opportunity to succeed, and to reach the highest level of personal achievement. To do this, teaching and learning will: • • • • • • • •

ensure equality of access for all pupils and prepare them for life in a diverse society; use materials that have no gender bias or stereotypical images; promote attitudes and values that will challenge gender prejudices; provide opportunities for pupils to appreciate their own gender and celebrate the diversity of all groups; seek to involve all parents in supporting their child’s education; provide educational visits and extra-curricular activities that reflect all pupil groupings; take account of the performance of all pupils when planning for future learning and setting challenging targets; make best use of all available resources to support the learning of all groups of pupils.

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TACKLING GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT Any incident of gender harassment is unacceptable in our school. Incidents could take the form of physical assault, verbal abuse, damage to a pupil’s property or lack of cooperation in a lesson, due to the gender of a pupil. Any adult witnessing an incident or being informed about an incident must follow these agreed procedures: • • • • •

•

stop the incident and comfort the pupil who is the victim; reprimand the aggressor and inform the victim what action has been taken; if the incident is witnessed by other pupils, tell them why it is wrong; report the incident to the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher and inform her of the action taken; inform the class teacher(s) of both the victim and the aggressor and the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher, then they will record what happened in the relevant incident book (kept in the KS1 office); inform both sets of parents, if appropriate.

The diversity of our society is addressed through our schemes of work that reflect the programmes of study of the National Curriculum. Teachers are flexible in their planning and offer appropriate challenges to all pupils, regardless of gender. All incidents of harassment or discrimination are now recorded and reported to the governing body by the Head Teacher.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES This gender equality policy outlines the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved and connected with the school, so that each individual knows what is expected of them. Promoting gender equality and raising the achievement of minority ethnic pupils is the responsibility of the whole school staff, including support staff. Governors The governing body of the school has agreed this policy and will assess and monitor the impact of this policy. The Governing Body will receive progress reports from the Head Teacher and other school staff on a termly basis, as part of the Head Teacher’s report to Governors. Diversity and equality will also be an agenda item at each full meeting of the governing body.

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Headteacher The Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher will demonstrate through their personal leadership the importance of this policy. They will ensure that all staff are aware of the policy and understand their role and responsibility in relation to this policy. The Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher will assess and monitor the impact of the policy. Where additional funding is available for raising the achievement of selected groups, the Head Teacher will ensure that the additional resources are used appropriately and targeted on the basis of identified need for this purpose. Gender Equality Lead The gender equality Lead is the Deputy Head Teacher and she is involved in action planning and policy development and monitoring and evaluation. The role will also include keeping up to date with current thinking, being familiar with literature and resources, attending appropriate training courses and feeding back to colleagues. Teachers Teachers will familiarise themselves with this policy and know what their responsibilities are to ensure that the action plan is implemented. They will know the implications of the policy for their planning, teaching and learning strategies as well as for behavioural issues. Support Staff All staff will familiarise themselves with this policy and know what their responsibilities are in ensuring that it is implemented. Pupils Pupils will influence the development of the gender equality policy and be made aware of how it applies to them. They will learn to treat each other with respect and report incidents of a discriminatory nature to an adult.

POLICY INTO PRACTICE KEY AREAS IN PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY The ethos of the school â&#x20AC;˘ This gender equality policy reflects the ethos of the school and is explicit in all the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policies.

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• The school has an additional policy for dealing with discrimination/behaviour which clearly sets out the procedures for handling and reporting complaints and incidents. • Steps are taken to ensure that everyone associated with the school is kept informed about this gender equality policy and behaviour policies and procedures, and abides by them. • The policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and their effectiveness evaluated, taking into account the views of all sections of the school community. • Reflection of gender groups should be included in all marketing strategies. Pupils achievements and progress • • •

• • • • •

Pupils’ attainment and progress in individual subjects is monitored by gender group (and by ethnicity, language and disability). The school develops strategies for tackling differences in the attainment and progress of particular genders in particular ethnic groups. Targets will be set for individual pupils by gender, so teachers will be aware of current concerns regarding the underachievement of certain groups e.g. boys in particular. The school values the achievements and progress of pupils from all gender groups. All pupils have equal access to extra-curricular activities. Every pupil is offered the support and guidance they need. Staff challenge discrimination, stereotyping and promote gender equality in education, employment, training and career choice. Steps are taken to ensure that pupils on work experience are not subjected to gender discrimination or harassment.

Curriculum, teaching and learning (including language and cultural needs)

• • • • • •

This school promotes an inclusive curriculum which reflects the diverse nature of our society. Gender equality and diversity are promoted and racism and discrimination challenged in all areas of the curriculum. Curriculum planning takes account of the gender, ethnicity, background and language needs of all pupils. Phase leaders provide guidance and examples of good practice for colleagues. The school monitors and evaluates its effectiveness in providing an appropriate curriculum for all pupils. The allocation of pupils to teaching groups and optional subjects is fair and equitable to pupils from all ethnic groups.

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• • •

Assessment outcomes are used to: identify the specific gender needs, inform policies, planning and the allocation of resources. Teaching methods and styles take account of the needs of pupils and encourages positive attitudes to gender, cultural diversity and racial equality. The school takes active steps to ensure that resources in all areas of the curriculum are inclusive. It promotes a greater understanding of gender equality. There is acknowledgement of the importance of challenging gender discrimination in all areas of the curriculum.

Guidelines on working with pupils who have English as an Additional Language (EAL) • • • • •

The school recognises and values Bilingualism. The language and learning needs of bilingual pupils are clearly identified and appropriate support identified and used. The school will reflect and develop pupils’ and communities’ languages and cultural backgrounds through resources and displays throughout the school. The school will draw on the skills of parents and local communities in producing resources. The school will seek to provide high quality interpretation and translation across all areas of the school’s work as appropriate.

Pupil behaviour, discipline and exclusion • • • •

The school’s procedures for managing behaviour and disciplining pupils are fair and applied equally to all pupils, irrespective of gender. The school identifies and adopts good practice strategies in order to reduce any differences in rates of exclusion between gender groups. The process of excluding a pupil is fair and equitable to all pupils. Strategies to reintegrate long term truants and excluded pupils address the needs of pupils from all gender groups.

Discrimination / Harassment •

•

There is a clear policy and established procedures for dealing with incidents of gender discrimination and harassment which is understood by everyone in the school community. The monitoring system used by the school enables the school to report the relevant details to Birmingham Local Authority on request.

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Admissions and transfer procedures •

• •

Hill West Primary School and The Learning Partnership take active steps to ensure that the admission process is fair and equitable to pupils from all gender groups. The school monitors pupil attendance by gender group and uses the data to develop strategies to address poor attendance. Provision is made for pupils to take time off for religious observance, leave of absence and authorised absence.

Staff recruitment and career development • • •

• •

Recruitment and selection procedures are consistent with the statutory Gender Relations Code of Practice in Employment and other Equality legislation. Everyone involved in recruitment and selection adheres to this Code. The recruitment and selection process is monitored and reviewed to ensure that discrimination is not taking place and to identify examples of good practice. The school monitors the employment and professional development of staff by gender group. Individual staff effectiveness in dealing with gender equality issues is addressed through various line management mechanisms.

Parents, governors and community partnership • • • •

• • • •

Parents are welcome and respected in school. Parents and community leaders are encouraged to become school governors or join our parent council Governors will be encouraged to play an active role in the life of the school in order to fulfil their monitoring duties. The school seeks to support all governors in performing their role, for example, through school induction procedures for new governors and through regular access to school via Governor Weeks. All parents are regularly informed of their child’s progress. Proactive steps are taken to encourage gender equality awareness for parents in the school. The school’s premises and facilities are equally available for use by all irrespective of gender. The school encourages community groups to use its facilities for after school activities and for holiday schemes.

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COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE If anyone in the school feels that this policy is not being followed then they should raise the matter with the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher who will facilitate the appropriate action, which may include an investigation and report on the issue. If there is a formal complaint then the school’s complaints procedure will be used. Gender equality will also be an agenda item at each full meeting of the governing body. When policies are reviewed in future, governors will ensure that due regard is given to the promotion of gender equality within each policy.

POLICY IMPACT We have a rolling programme for reviewing our school policies. We regularly review the impact of our policies on the needs, entitlements and outcomes for pupils, staff and parents from different gender groups. We pay specific reference to the impact that our policies have on the attainment of pupils from different gender groups. We make regular assessments of pupils’ learning and use this information to track pupils’ progress, as they move through the school. As part of this process, we regularly monitor the performance of different gender groups, to ensure that all groups of pupils are making the best possible progress. We use this information to adjust future teaching and learning plans, as necessary. Resources are available to support groups of pupils where the information suggests that progress is not as good as it should be. The governing body receives regular updates on pupil performance information. School performance information is compared to national data and LEA data, to ensure that pupils are making appropriate progress when compared to all schools, and to schools in similar circumstances. As well as monitoring pupil performance information, we also regularly monitor a range of other information. This relates to: • • • •

exclusions; incidents of gender harassment and bullying; parental involvement; community involvement.

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Our monitoring activities enable us to identify any differences in pupil performance. This allows us to take appropriate action to meet the needs of specific groups and to set targets in our strategic plan, in order to make the necessary improvements. To monitor our pupils attainment, we will collect information about pupils performance and progress, by gender group, analyse it and use it to examine trends. To help interpret this information we will monitor other areas that could have an adverse impact on pupils’ attainment such as: • • • • • • • •

Exclusion Race, racial harassment and bullying Curriculum, teaching and learning (including language and cultural needs) Punishment and reward Membership of the governing body Parental involvement Working with the community Support, advice and guidance

Monitoring information will help us to see what progress we are making towards meeting our gender equality targets and aims. In particular it will help us to: • • • •

• • •

Highlight any differences between pupils from different gender groups. Ask why these differences exist and test the explanations given. Review the effectiveness of current targets and objectives. Decide what further action will be necessary to meet particular needs and to improve the performance of pupils from different gender groups (which might include positive action). Rethink and set targets in relevant strategic plans. Links will be made with Performance Management objectives which will include qualitative information as well as quantitative data. Take action to make improvements.

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF OUR POLICY As a school we will assess the impact of this and other policies on pupils, staff, parents and other stakeholders. We will assess whether the policies have, or could have, an adverse impact on the attainment levels of pupils from different gender groups. We will assess the effectiveness of our policies through existing arrangements for developing and reviewing other school policies.

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The questions which follow below will be used by us to assess our policies in most areas, including: • Employment, Promotion, Training and Career Development; • Involving Parents and Guardians in the school • Making sure that the curriculum prepares pupils for life in a diverse society • Dealing with gender discrimination incidents The main questions for assessing the impact of all our school’s policies – giving special attention to pupils’ attainment levels – will include the following: 13. Do we help all our pupils to achieve as much as they can, and get the most from what is on offer, based on their individual needs? 14. Which groups of pupils are not achieving as much as they can? Why not? 15. Are we making sure that our policies are not having an adverse impact on pupils, parents or staff from some gender groups? 16. How do we explain any differences? Are the explanations justified? Can they be justified on non-gender grounds? 17. Does each relevant policy include aims to deal with differences in pupils’ attainments (or possible differences) between gender groups? Do our policies aims lead to action to deal with differences that have been identified (for example, extra coaching for pupils, or steps to prevent gender discrimination and harassment)? 18. What are we doing to raise standards and promote equality of opportunity for pupils who seem to be underachieving and who may need extra support? 19. What are we doing as a school to prepare pupils for living in a diverse society, promote gender equality and harmony and prevent or deal with gender discrimination? 20. Can any action we take be traced back to individual policy aims and related targets and strategies? 21. Is the action taken appropriate and effective? Are there any unexpected results? If so, how are they being handled?

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22. Does each relevant policy include aims to promote gender equality and harmony, prevent or challenge gender discrimination, and deal with differences (or possible differences) between gender groups? 23. Do the policy’s aims lead to effective action? 24. What changes does the school need to make to relevant policies, their aims and any related targets and strategies? To answer these questions we as a school will consider the following: • • •

Collecting and analysing relevant monitoring and other data Talking to pupils, parents and staff to find out their needs and opinions Carrying out surveys or special research

We will use the results of these assessments to; • •

Rethink our gender equality aims, targets and strategies (where necessary) Influence and guide their planning and decision making

We as a school will consider the views and needs of pupils, staff, parents and other stakeholders. We will explain to the groups concerned what the school is doing and why. We will look at how we could communicate better (formally and informally) with pupils, parents, staff, and other stakeholders and involve them in planning and decision-making.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT All members of staff are entitled to appropriate training, in order that they can play their full part in ensuring that our school promotes gender equality. Training is linked to priorities within the school’s strategic plan. Induction for new staff includes an element on gender equality. Members of the governing body identify their own training needs in relation to equality each year when the policy is reviewed and adhere to the gender equality policy. The school is required to supply the LEA with employment data related to gender groups employed by the school.

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DISABILITY EQUALITY INTRODUCTION Our Disability plan sits in our SIP and this is updated and reviewed annually. This plan sets out how we will work to promote disability equality. Please see SIP. The aims of our school value the individuality of all our children. We are committed to giving all our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards. Within this ethos of achievement, we do not tolerate bullying and harassment of any kind. This policy helps to ensure that this school promotes the individuality of all our children, irrespective of ethnicity, attainment, age, disability, gender or background. We aim to reflect the diverse nature of our society and ensure that the education we offer fosters positive attitudes to all people. Definition of Disability. “Someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities”. The definition includes a wide range of impairments, learning disabilities, dyslexia, diabetes, epilepsy, where the effect of the impairment to carry out day-to-day activities is adverse, substantial and long-term (long-term is 12 months or more). This policy reflects the general and specific duties on schools as detailed in the SEN and Disability Act 2001 and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. The general duty requires us to have due regard to the need to: • • • • •

eliminate discrimination and harassment related to a disability; promote equality of opportunity between disabled persons and other persons; promote positive attitudes to disability; to encourage participation by disabled people; take steps to meet disabled people’s needs even where this involves treating disabled people more favourably than other people

The specific duty requires us to: • not treat disabled children “less favourably”; • make reasonable adjustment to ensure that disabled children are not at a substantial disadvantage; Equality Policy 21.10.13

•

to draw up plans to show how over time we will increase access to education for disabled children (school accessibility plans).

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES In our school we aim to tackle disability discrimination and promote equality of opportunity across all aspects of school life. We do this by: • • • • • •

• • • •

creating an ethos in which pupils and staff feel valued and secure; building self-esteem and confidence in our pupils, so that they can then use these qualities to influence their own relationships with others; having consistent expectations of pupils and their learning; removing or minimizing barriers to learning, so that all pupils can achieve; ensuring that our teaching takes into account the learning needs of all pupils through our schemes of work and lesson planning; actively tackling disability discrimination and promoting equality through our School Prospectus, School Profile, newsletters to parents and displays of work; regular consultation with parents/carers and members of the local community, so that they are well informed of our policy and procedures; making clear to our pupils what constitutes discriminatory behaviour; identifying clear procedures for dealing quickly with disability discrimination incidents; making pupils and staff confident to challenge disability discrimination.

ensure equality of access for all pupils and prepare them for life in a diverse society; use materials that reflect a range of disabilities and impairments, without stereotyping; promote attitudes and values that will challenge disability discrimination; provide opportunities for pupils to appreciate their own culture and celebrate the diversity of others; seek to involve all parents in supporting their child’s education; provide educational visits and extra-curricular activities that reflect all pupil groupings; take account of the performance of all pupils when planning for future learning and setting challenging targets;

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•

make best use of all available resources to support the learning of all groups of pupils.

TACKLING DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION Any incident of disability discrimination is unacceptable in our school. Incidents could take the form of physical assault, verbal abuse, damage to a pupil’s property or lack of co-operation in a lesson, due to the disability of a pupil. Any adult witnessing an incident or being informed about an incident must follow these agreed procedures: • • • • •

•

The diversity of our society is addressed through our schemes of work that reflect the programmes of study of the National Curriculum. Teachers are flexible in their planning and offer appropriate challenges to all pupils, regardless of any disabilities or impairments. All disability discrimination incidents are now recorded and reported to the Governing Body by the Head Teacher.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES This disability equality policy outlines the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved and connected with the school, so that each individual knows what is expected of them. Promoting disability equality and raising the achievement of disabled pupils is the responsibility of the whole school staff, including support staff. Governors The governing body of the school has agreed this policy and will assess and monitor the impact of this policy. The Governing Body will receive progress reports from the Head Teacher and other school staff on a termly basis, as part of the Head Teacher’s report to Governors. Disability equality will also be an agenda item at each full meeting of the governing body.

Equality Policy 21.10.13

Headteacher The Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher will demonstrate through their personal leadership the importance of this policy. They will ensure that all staff are aware of the policy and understand their role and responsibility in relation to this policy. The Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher will assess and monitor the impact of the policy. Where additional funding is available for raising the achievement of disabled pupils, the Head Teacher will ensure that the additional resources are used appropriately and targeted on the basis of identified need for this purpose. Disability Equality Lead The disability equality Lead is the Deputy Head Teacher and she is involved in action planning and policy development and monitoring and evaluation. The role will also include keeping up to date with current thinking, being familiar with literature and resources, attending appropriate training courses and feeding back to colleagues. Teachers Teachers will familiarise themselves with this policy and know what their responsibilities are to ensure that the action plan is implemented. They will know the implications of the policy for their planning, teaching and learning strategies as well as for behavioural issues. Support Staff All staff will familiarise themselves with this policy and know what their responsibilities are in ensuring that it is implemented. Pupils Pupils will influence the development of the disability equality policy and be made aware of how it applies to them. They will learn to treat each other with respect and report incidents of a racial nature to an adult.

POLICY INTO PRACTICE Disability equality will also be an agenda item at each full meeting of the governing body. When policies are reviewed in future, Governors will ensure that due regard is given to the promotion of disability equality within each policy.

Equality Policy 21.10.13

KEY AREAS IN PROMOTING DISABILITY EQUALITY The ethos of the school • This disability equality policy reflects the ethos of the school and is explicit in all the school’s policies. • The school has an additional policy for dealing with behaviour/harassment which clearly sets out the procedures for handling and reporting complaints and incidents of disability discrimination. • Steps are taken to ensure that everyone associated with the school is kept informed about this disability equality policy and behaviour / harassment policies and procedures, and abides by them. • The policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and their effectiveness evaluated, taking into account the views of all sections of the school community. • Promotion of disability groups should be included in all marketing strategies. Pupils achievements and progress • • •

• • • • •

Pupils’ attainment and progress in individual subjects is monitored by disability (and by gender, language and ethnic group). The school develops strategies for tackling differences in the attainment and progress of disabled pupils. Targets will be set for individual pupils by disability, so teachers will be aware of the disability background of each child and will also be aware of current concerns regarding the underachievement of certain groups. The school values the achievements and progress of pupils from all disabled groups. All pupils have equal access to extra-curricular activities. Every pupil is offered the support and guidance they need. Staff challenge discrimination, stereotyping and promote disability equality in education, employment, training and career choice. Steps are taken to ensure that pupils on work experience are not subjected to disability discrimination or harassment.

Curriculum, teaching and learning (including language and cultural needs)

• •

This school promotes an inclusive curriculum which reflects the diverse nature of our society. Disability equality is promoted and discrimination challenged in all areas of the curriculum.

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• • • • • • •

• •

Curriculum planning takes account of the disability, ethnicity, background and language needs of all pupils. Phase leaders provide guidance and examples of good practice for colleagues. The school monitors and evaluates its effectiveness in providing an appropriate curriculum for all pupils. The allocation of pupils to teaching groups and optional subjects is fair and equitable to all pupils. Assessment outcomes are used to: identify the specific needs of disabled pupils, inform policies, planning and the allocation of resources. Teaching methods and styles take account of the needs of disabled pupils and encourages positive attitudes to disability equality. The school takes active steps to ensure that resources in all areas of the curriculum are inclusive. It promotes a greater understanding of cultural diversity and disability equality. There is acknowledgement of the importance of challenging disability discrimination in all areas of the curriculum. Resources available to meet the specific needs of disabled pupils. The school makes full use of the resources available within its local disabled communities.

Guidelines on working with pupils who have English as an Additional Language (EAL) • • • • •

Pupil behaviour, discipline and exclusion • • • •

The school’s procedures for managing behaviour and disciplining pupils are fair and applied equally to all pupils, irrespective of disability. The school identifies and adopts good practice strategies in order to reduce any differences in rates of exclusion between disability groups. The process of excluding a pupil is fair and equitable to all pupils. Strategies to reintegrate long term truants and excluded pupils address the needs of pupils from all disability groups.

Equality Policy 21.10.13

Discrimination / Harassment •

•

There is a clear policy and established procedures for dealing with incidents of discriminatory behaviour / harassment which is understood by everyone in the school community. The monitoring system used by the school enables the school to report the relevant details to Birmingham Local Authority on request.

Admissions and transfer procedures •

• •

Hill West Primary School and The Learning Partnership take active steps to ensure that the admission process is fair and equitable to pupils from all disability groups. The school monitors pupil attendance by disability group and uses the data to develop strategies to address poor attendance. Provision is made for pupils to take time off for leave of absence and authorised absence.

Staff recruitment and career development •

• •

Recruitment and selection procedures are consistent with the SEN and Disability Act 2001 and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and other Equality legislation. Everyone involved in recruitment and selection adheres to this Code. The recruitment and selection process is monitored and reviewed to ensure that discrimination is not taking place and to identify examples of good practice. The school monitors the employment and professional development of staff by disability group. Individual staff effectiveness in dealing with disability equality issues is addressed through various line management mechanisms.

Parents, governors and community partnership • • • •

Parents are welcome and respected in school. People from disabled communities are encouraged to become school governors or join our parent council Governors will be encouraged to play an active role in the life of the school in order to fulfil their monitoring duties. The school seeks to support all governors in performing their role, for example, through school induction procedures for new governors and through regular access to school via Governor Weeks.

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• • •

All parents are regularly informed of their child’s progress. The school’s premises and facilities are equally available for use by all disabled groups. The school encourages community groups to use its facilities for after school activities and for holiday schemes.

POLICY IMPACT We have a rolling programme for reviewing our school policies. We regularly review the impact of our policies on the needs, entitlements and outcomes for pupils, staff and parents from different groups. We pay specific reference to the impact that our policies have on the attainment of pupils from different groups. We make regular assessments of pupils’ learning and use this information to track pupils’ progress, as they move through the school. As part of this process, we regularly monitor the performance of different groups, to ensure that all groups of pupils are making the best possible progress. We use this information to adjust future teaching and learning plans, as necessary. Resources are available to support groups of pupils where the information suggests that progress is not as good as it should be. The governing body receives regular updates on pupil performance information. School performance information is compared to national data and LEA data, to ensure that pupils are making appropriate progress when compared to all schools, and to schools in similar circumstances. As well as monitoring pupil performance information, we also regularly monitor a range of other information. This relates to: • • • •

exclusions; incidents of racism, gender bias, disability discrimination; parental involvement; community involvement.

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STAFF DEVELOPMENT All members of staff are entitled to appropriate training, in order that they can play their full part in ensuring that our school promotes disability equality. Training is linked to priorities within the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic plan. Induction for new staff includes an element on disability equality. Members of the governing body identify their own training needs in relation to disability equality each year when the policy is reviewed and adhere to the disability equality policy. The school is required to supply the LEA with employment data related to racial groups employed by the school.

Signed

A. Staples

Date

21st October 2013

Signed

B.M. Clarke

Date

21st October 2013

(For the Local Governing Body)

(Head Teacher)

Equality Policy 21.10.13