Equalities
As well our our accessibility plan which contributes to our public sector equality duties, below you can also find the single equalities scheme. Both the accessibility and equalities plans are reviewed regularly by governors and staff, and progress against each objective is evaluated annually.
We have a robust system in place to manage hate incidents in school, which are also logged with the local authority.
We have strong links with our Family of Schools, which has enabled joint work to promote Equality and Diversity.
Finally, you can also find our inclusion policy below which outlines how we meet our equality objectives.
We consult with pupils, parents, staff and community when reviewing our accessibility plan and inclusion policy.
Ashfield Primary School
Equality Information and Objectives
Public Sector Equality Duty
The Equality Act 2010 requires us to publish information that demonstrates that we have due regard for the need to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
Ashfield Primary School is an inclusive school where we focus on the well-being and progress of every child and where all members of our community are of equal worth.
We believe that the Equality Act provides a framework to support our commitment to valuing diversity, tackling discrimination, promoting equality and fostering good relationships between people. It also ensures that we continue to tackle issues of disadvantage and underachievement of different groups.
Our approach to equality is based on the following key principles:
- All learners are of equal value
- We recognise and respect difference
- We foster positive attitudes and relationships and a shared sense of cohesion and belonging.
- We observe good equalities practice in staff recruitment, retention and development.
- We aim to reduce and remove inequalities and barriers that already exist.
- We have the highest expectations of all our children.
Information on pupils by protected characteristics
The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics. Every person has several of the protected characteristics, so the Act protects everyone against unfair treatment.
In order to ensure that all pupils are protected from discrimination, the school collects information on protected characteristics.
Information on other groups of pupils
In addition to pupils with protected characteristics, we gather further information on the following groups of pupils:
- Pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)
- Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- Disadvantaged group
- Pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL)
- Young carers
- Looked after children
- Other vulnerable groups
Eliminating discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act
The information provided here aims to demonstrate that we give careful consideration to equality issues in everything that we do at Ashfield Primary School. ‘Due regard’ ensures that we work towards eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act.
We are committed to working for equality for all our staff, parents/carers and children to meet our duties under the Equality Act 2010.
We eliminate discrimination by:
- Adoption of the single Equality Scheme
- Our behaviour policy ensures that all children feel safe at school
- Our Anti Bullying Policy addresses prejudicial bullying
- Reporting, responding to and monitoring all racist incidents
- Regularly monitoring the curriculum to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of our pupils and that it promotes respect for diversity and challenges negative stereotyping
- Teaching is of the highest quality to ensure children reach their potential and all pupils are given equal entitlement to success
- Tracking pupil progress to ensure that all children make rapid progress, and intervening when necessary
- Listening to and monitoring views and experiences of pupils and adults to evaluate the effectiveness of our policies and procedures.
Advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
We advance equality of opportunity by:
- Using the information we gather to identify underachieving groups or individuals and plan targeted intervention
- Ensuring participation of parents/carers and pupils in school development
- Listening to parents/carers
- Listening to pupils at all times
Fostering good relations across all characteristics - between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
We foster good relations by:
- Ensuring that Ashfield Primary School is seen as a community school within our local community
- Ensuring that equality and diversity are embedded in the curriculum and in collective worship.
Equality Objectives
At Ashfield Primary School, we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers, irrespective of race, gender, disability, belief, religion or socio-economic background.
In order to further support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching, we have set the following objectives:
Objective 1
To monitor and analyse pupil achievement by race, gender and disability and act on any trends or patterns in the data that require additional support for pupils.
Objective 2
To raise levels of attainment in core subjects for vulnerable learners.
Objective 3
To review levels of parental and pupil engagement in learning and school life, across all activities to ensure equity and fairness in access and engagement.
Please also see our SEND pages where you can find information about special educational needs and disabilities.
Collaborative Learning Trust Equality and Diversity Charter
In June 2024, after a year-long process which began with our student leaders from the Trust coming together and collaborating, we launched our Trust Equality and Diversity Charter. This is a living document, which everyone in our Trust works together to embed in our daily practice. You can read about the launch here.
We want all schools in the Collaborative Learning Trust to be harmonious, inclusive places where every individual can thrive and reach their full potential because differences are celebrated, inequality is eradicated, and discrimination is systematically addressed.
Our Equality & Diversity Charter is underpinned by the values of our Trust and covers six key areas: an inclusive culture; opportunities for all to flourish; engaging the wider community; preventing/tackling bully ing/discrimination; a diverse, inclusive curriculum; leadership commitment. The Charter is available to download below.