In the Summer term of 2023, the Head teacher, Peter Phillips, attended two webinars led by Deepa Vasudevan – Achievement & Equality consultant for the Local Authority. These webinars were part of a three part course called ‘Developing Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in School’ during which we considered the school's current provision for developing equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the school.
From this work, we re-wrote our 3 school Equality Objectives which can be found below.
Deepa also came to visit Beckingham to see what our provision looked like 'first-hand' - speaking with pupils and staff.
Equality Statement and Objectives
Equalities Statement
At Beckingham Primary School, in fulfilling our legal obligations, we will be guided by seven core statements:
Statement 1: All learners are of equal value.
Statement 2: We recognise, welcome and respect diversity.
Statement 3: We foster positive attitudes and relationships, and a shared sense of belonging.
Statement 4: We observe good equalities practice, including staff recruitment, retention and development.
Statement 5: We aim to reduce and remove existing inequalities and barriers.
Statement 6: We consult and involve widely
Statement 7: We strive to ensure that society will benefit.
The Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 replaces previous anti-discrimination legislation with a single Act. The Equality Duty is set out in section 149 of the Act. It replaces the three previous public sector equality duties – for race, disability and gender – and covers the following protected characteristics:
We ensure that we have due regard to the need to:
The Governing Body will ensure, that in the cycle of policy reviews, that policies and practices are scrutinised to identify the effects they have on individuals or groups of people in relation to equality.
Our school aims to be an inclusive school. We actively seek to include all our children in our school community. We do not exclude individual pupils, or groups of pupils. This means that equality of opportunity must be a reality for our children and we make this a reality through the attention we pay to the different groups of children within our school with consideration of the following protected characteristics:
Values and Beliefs
We are an inclusive school where pupils, parents, staff, governors, the local authority and local services work in partnership to meet the needs of the community. We celebrate the positive contribution made by different social, ethnic and linguistic groups.
One of our Core Values at Beckingham is RESPECT - respectful of our friends, our family, our teachers, but most importantly respecting ourselves by living our school values each day.
At Beckingham, we ensure that every child THRIVES by ensuring all individuals follow and embody the following core values:
Staff and governors demonstrate our values and commitment to equality by:
The Equalities policy outlines the commitment of the staff, pupils and governors of Beckingham Primary School to ensure that equality of opportunity is available to all members of the school community. For our school this means not simply treating everybody the same but understanding and tackling the different barriers which could lead to unequal outcomes for different groups of pupils in school, whilst celebrating and valuing the achievements and strengths of all members of the school community. These include:
• Pupils
• Staff
• Parents/carers
• The governing body
• Visitors to school
• Students on placement
We believe that equality at our school should permeate all aspects of school life and is the responsibility of every member of the school and wider community. Every member of the school community should feel safe, secure, valued and of equal worth.
At Beckingham School, equality is a key principle for treating all people fairly and creating a society in which everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential - irrespective of their sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, gender re-assignment or any other recognised area of discrimination including pregnancy and maternity.
School in Context
The school is made up of an imbalance of boys and girls, with girls outnumbering boys, though this differs slightly in each cohort of children. There are a small number of children from different ethnic heritage (just under 10%) with the vast majority of pupils from white English speaking backgrounds, so every effort is made to ensure an inclusive family atmosphere prevails. There are a small number of children with medical conditions and learning difficulties. The school is easily accessible for parents and governors with physical disabilities. At present, the school has a number of children who are looked after or have previously been looked after.
Ethos and Atmosphere
At Beckingham Primary School, the leadership of the school community demonstrates mutual respect between all members of the school community
Monitoring and Review
Beckingham Primary School is an inclusive school, working towards greater equality in the whole school community. We use the curriculum and teaching to enhance the self-esteem of all those it serves and to provide a learning environment in which each individual is encouraged to fulfil their potential.
We collect and analyse a range of equality information for our pupils:
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 local authority 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:
Our monitoring activities enable us to identify any differences in pupil performance and provide specific support as required, including pastoral support. This allows us to take appropriate action to meet the needs of specific groups in order to make necessary improvements.
Beckingham Primary School is also committed to providing a working environment free from discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation. We aim to recruit an appropriately qualified workforce and establish a governing body that is representative of all sections of the community in order to respect and respond to the diverse needs of our population.
Information may be collected regarding
Due regard is given to the promotion of equality in the School Improvement Plan. The person responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the policy and any action planning is the head teacher.
Their role is to:
Developing Best Practice
Learning and Teaching
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:
Learning Environment
There is a consistently high expectation of all pupils regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or any other recognised area of discrimination. All pupils are encouraged to improve on their own achievements and not to measure themselves against others. Parents are also encouraged to view their own children’s achievements in this light.
Curriculum
At Beckingham Primary School, we aim to ensure that:
Resources and Materials
The provision of good quality resources and materials within Beckingham Primary School is a high priority but also an area for development. These resources should:
Language
We recognise that it is important at Beckingham Primary School that all members of the school community use appropriate language which:
Extended Learning Opportunities
It is the policy of this school to provide equal access to all activities from an early age. We undertake responsibility for making contributions to extended learning opportunities and are aware of the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity (e.g. sports helpers, coach drivers) by providing them with written guidelines drawn from this policy. We try to ensure that all such non staff members who have contact with children adhere to these guidelines.
Provision for Bi-lingual Pupils
We undertake at Beckingham Primary School to make appropriate provision for all EAL/bi-lingual children/groups to ensure access to the whole curriculum. These groups may include:
Personal Development and Pastoral Guidance
Staffing and Staff Development
We recognise the need for positive role models and distribution of responsibility among staff.
Staff Recruitment
Partnerships with Parents/Carers/Families and the Wider Community
We will work with parents/carers to help all pupils to achieve their potential.
Roles and Responsibilities
Commissioning and Procurement
Beckingham Primary School will ensure that we buy services from organisations that comply with equality legislation. This will be a significant factor in any tendering process. All contractors will be provided with relevant information on expectations while on school property.