Equal Opportunities

Aims

1. Bourne Grammar School is committed to the promotion of equality within all the School’s policies and activities.
2. The School seeks to build a community based on tolerance and respect for diversity and aims to meet its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) by having due regard for the need to:
   1. Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010;
   2. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it;
   3. Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

Legislation and guidance

This document meets the requirements under the following legislation:

1. The Equality Act 2010, which introduced the public sector equality duty and protects people from discrimination;
2. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, which require schools to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the public sector equality duty and to publish equality objectives;
3. This document is also based on Department for Education (DfE) guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.

Roles and responsibilities

The Governing Body

The Governing Body will:

1. Ensure that the equality information and objectives as set out in this statement are published and communicated throughout the School, including to staff, students and parents, and that they are reviewed and updated at least once every four years;
2. Delegate responsibility for monitoring the achievement of the objectives on a daily basis to the Headteacher;
3. The Governing Body will also agree the Equality Statement and objectives.

The Headteacher

The Headteacher will:

1. Monitor success in achieving the objectives and report back to the Governing Body;
2. Promote key messages to staff, parents/carers and students about equality and what is expected of them and can be expected from the School in carrying out its day to day duties;
3. Ensure that the whole School community receives adequate training to meet the needs of delivering equality, including student awareness;
4. Ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities to record and report prejudice related incidents;
5. Delegate responsibilities to other staff.

All staff

All Staff will:

1. Assist in delivering the right outcomes for students;
2. Uphold the commitment made to students and parents/carers on how they can be expected to be treated;
3. Design and deliver an inclusive curriculum, where appropriate;
4. Support the School and the Governing Body in delivering a fair and equitable service to all students, parents/carers and colleagues;
5. Ensure that they are aware of their responsibility to record and report prejudice related incidents.

All Students

All Students will:

1. Support the School to achieve the commitment made to tackling inequality;
2. Uphold the commitment made by the Headteacher on how students and parents/carers, staff and the wider School community can be expected to be treated.

Equality Objectives

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), introduced as part of the Equality Act 2010 requires schools to:

1. Publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the PSED – schools must update this published information at least every year
2. Prepare and publish equality objectives – schools must update these objectives at least once every 4 years

Bourne Grammar School's objectives are to:

1. Provide a secure environment in which all our students can flourish in a learning environment where all individuals feel a sense of belonging.
2. Prepare students for life in a diverse society.
3. Provide positive and non-stereotyping information about different groups of people regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and religion.
4. Ensure that employment opportunities are available to all and that no applicant is disadvantaged
5. Plan systematically to improve our understanding and promotion of diversity; actively challenge discrimination and disadvantage.
6. Make inclusion a priority in all our activities.

To achieve these objectives we will:

1. Ensure the Governors have oversight of the development, review and evaluation of all relevant improvement plans, policies and procedures.
2. Publish and share our policies, where appropriate.
3. Collect and analyse data to ensure all groups are progressing well and no group is subject to disadvantage.
4. Use all available information to set suitable learning challenges for all, respond to students’ diverse needs and overcome any potential barriers to learning.
5. Ensure that the wider school curriculum makes explicit and implicit provision to promote and celebrate diversity.
6. Have high expectations of behaviour which promotes and demonstrates respect to others.

Links with other policies

This document links to the following policies:

1. School Accessibility Plan
2. Behaviour for Learning
3. SEND
4. Anti-Bullying

Ownership and Date of the next Review:

1. Policy owned by: Curriculum and Personnel committee
2. Last Reviewed and Approved: 08 June 2022
3. Date of Next Review: June 2024