Equal Opportunities

Purpose

To ensure that the school’s ethos, policies and practices respect and protect the rights of all individuals so that all staff and pupils are enabled to make the most of their abilities and qualities.

Roles and responsibilities of head, other staff, governors

Governors and headteachers need to ensure that legislation is complied with, whether or not there is a formal equal opportunities policy.

The policy of this school is to:

• set targets to challenge all children to achieve to their potential
• deploy resources effectively and efficiently to ensure that all children receive appropriate support
• minimise the effect on pupils’ learning of social and economic deprivation
• celebrate racial and cultural diversity
• plan the curriculum and its delivery to take into account the age, ability, gender, ethnicity, background and SEN of pupils
• prevent discrimination on the basis of gender or ethnicity
• provide information in home languages to inform parents and carers of issues affecting their children’s education
• prevent racial or sexual harassment or bullying
• ensure an inclusive approach to children with disabilities
• ensure that staff understand what constitutes direct and indirect discrimination
• provide training in equal opportunities and anti-discrimination issues
• review recruitment and selection processes for potential discriminatory practice
• ensure that official guidance (such as from the LEA) on employment issues, including staff disciplinary and dismissal procedures, is followed.
• Governing bodies are required to publish in their annual report to parents information on the following arrangements for disabled pupils:
• arrangements at the school for the admission of pupils with disabilities
• the steps to prevent those pupils being treated less favourably than other pupils
• the facilities to assist access to the school by pupils with disabilities.

Arrangements for monitoring and evaluation

The head should report to the governing body, at least annually, on any breaches of the policy, and subsequent action taken. The governing body should analyse and evaluate data on pupil achievement, attendance and exclusions to satisfy itself that all children are achieving to their potential. It should also monitor information on staff appointments and complaints.