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Equality and Diversity Statement 2024-25

Equality and Diversity

Objectives

Policy details

  • Date created - October 2024
  • Date reviewed - October 2024
  • Next review date - September 2025
  • Policy owner - G Shaw


  1. Introduction
  2. Statement
  3. Actions Taken
  4. Objectives
  5. Further information


Introduction

As part of the The Trust’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy, the Trust lists a number of things academies within the Trust will do. One of these is: “Each academy will publish their own equality, diversity and inclusion statement which ‘brings to life’ this Policy within their own setting. They will publish their own equality objectives, and review progress against these annually.”

The Co-op Academies Trust is committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination in both employment and education provision. This is an ‘active commitment’, and part of it involves regularly reviewing our policies and practices at all levels of the organisation - a regular cycle of setting and reviewing objectives is part of this.

The Public Sector Equality Duty applies to all schools, including academies.

The general equality duty has three elements. In carrying out their functions public bodies are required to have ‘due regard’ when making decisions and developing policies, to the need to:

  1. eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation 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 across all protected characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

For schools in England, there are two specific duties that they are required to carry out. These are:

  • to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the equality duty
  • to prepare and publish one or more specific and measurable equality objective.

Schools need to comply with these duties from 6 April 2012 and update yearly.

Academies are expected to operate an annual cycle of ‘plan, do, review’. Generally speaking this will run in line with the academic year.

At Co-op Academy Princeville, we’re committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination in both employment and education provision. We will create an inclusive environment, where everyone can contribute their best work and develop to their full potential. We will celebrate the fact that everyone is different yet valued, and make sure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

You can read more about this below; including the actions we have already taken to advance equality, diversity and inclusion in our academy and our community, and to comply with our equality duty. We’ve also set out our equality objectives, which are the things we’re going to be focusing on this year.


Statement

At Co-op Academy Princeville, we believe that some things matter more than others. We want to make the world a better place, so that everybody, regardless of similarity or difference, can play a valuable part in our future. So together, we accept our responsibility, to value everyone, to challenge prejudice, and to speak out for what we believe in: a world where we are all valued and where everybody can succeed. We are clear about ‘What Matters Most’.

Our school curriculum is unapologetically challenging: we teach our children about the world, as it is and as it was, and we share our learning with objectivity. Things happen in the world, and happened in the past, that are not just or fair, but by talking about things, we can learn to make the world a better place, and we can learn to take responsibility for shaping the future we hope for, for all of us.

Our academy community has the highest expectations of itself, and we have the same expectations of each other; this helps us to make sense of issues and inequalities in the world, helps us to grow our own perspective and identity, and empowers us to build a better future, where we feel proud of who we are. Our programmes of study support the tackling of stereotypes of all kinds, whilst celebrating the learning available to us, and promoting learning from each other.

We are a diverse community of pupils and colleagues from many backgrounds, from different places, speaking different languages, with different beliefs, who have experienced a wealth of different things, but we are united by our belief in inclusion, equality, compassion, empathy and humility, and we are not afraid to speak up for what is right, and to work together to make a positive difference.

Our shared journey will never be one that is complete, so every year we will reflect on our progress. We’ll celebrate our success, we’ll accept where we have fallen short, and we will plan to make ourselves and our community better. We will be guided by our Cooperative Values through our ‘Ways of Being’, and this will help us to:

  • Be ourselves always - unashamedly, authentically and without fear.
  • Do What Matters Most - challenging injustice and inequality, so that everyone feels like an important member of our community, because they are.
  • Show We Care - speaking out when we believe that something isn’t right, and sticking up for what we believe in
  • Succeeding Together - knowing that as one community and one world, we are stronger

Actions Taken 2023-24

We have worked hard over the past year to implement the actions identified in our revised Action Plan for 2023-24. The following is a summary of key steps:

The curriculum has continued to be redeveloped, and equality, diversity and inclusion has been woven through.

The school has worked to reduce incidents of prejudicial, racist or homophobic incidents

Independent scrutiny to identify Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as a significant aspect of the Academy’s curriculum.

The impact of the policy is measured annually by the Leadership and Management team, and an assessment will be made of the difference the policy is making in practice.

Leadership and Management activity ensure that procedures and practices within the academy reflect the objectives of this policy

Teachers ensure that their planning, teaching and learning takes account of this

policy and ensures that equity underpins all their work

Parents and Pupils are involved and consulted about the provision being offered by the school

Opportunities for demonstrating diversity and celebration of differences will be recognised as a rich and valuable resource for learning and driving equality standards

Assemblies have focussed regularly on key themes in relation to Protected Characteristics, promoting understanding.

Objectives

Equality objective

To achieve this objective we plan to:

Success criteria

To monitor and analyse pupil achievement by protected characteristics and act on any trends or patterns in the data that require additional support for pupils.

  • Careful tracking of attainment and progress for pupils.
  • Ensure reasonable adjustments are in place for these children.
  • Work with outside agencies to achieve the best progress for our children.
  • SENDCo to support teachers in effective strategy development for individuals or groups.
  • Children can fully access the curriculum.
  • Children identified as needing support make equal, or accelerated progress in comparison to their peers.

To continue to promote understanding and respect for diversity within the academy and school community.

  • Ensure all staff are aware of our responsibility with regards to the Equality Act (2010) through effective training.
  • Ensure our academy curriculum supports pupils’ tolerance and understanding.
  • Ensure the academy curriculum embeds understanding of the Co-op values - Show you care, Be yourself always, Do what matters most, Succeed together.
  • To ensure that the teaching of RE and British Values each half term is covered comprehensively to facilitate the understanding of other religions and cultures.
  • To teach SCARF PSHE curriculum weekly.
  • Academy policies and procedures promote equality of opportunity.
  • Children are aware of a range of religions and cultures.
  • Children celebrate diversity and are tolerant to other religions, cultures and groups of people within society.
  • Children acknowledge, understand and celebrate the benefits of living in a culturally diverse community.

To review levels of parental and pupil engagement in learning and academy life, across all activities to ensure equity and fairness in access and engagement.

  • Identify where support and input are needed in order to encourage family engagement in learning and academy life.
  • Identify families of children that do not attend parent consultations or academy events. Family support worker to make contact with these families to encourage involvement and offer support if needed.
  • Gaps in engagement from all groups in academy life have been identified and addressed.

Over the next 2 years work towards the Leeds Beckett Anti-Racist School Award

  • Evaluate current practices and initiatives.
  • Evaluate the overall anti-racism support and strategies that exist within our academy, whilst also helping to give structure to the development plan for any improvements.

As the Award framework focuses on the following areas:

  • Governance, Leadership & Management
  • School Environment
  • Professional Learning & Development
  • Hidden Curriculum
  • Pedagogy & Curriculum
  • Parents/Carers & Community Partnerships

This tool will allow us to reflect further in order to strengthen practices.

Protected Characteristic

Priority

Actions

Expected Outcomes/Impact

Race Equality

Ensure that adult role models are reflective of a range of cultures.

Through the staff recruitment procedures, encourage candidates to apply from all backgrounds.

Ensure the curriculum provides opportunities to learn about different cultures nationally and globally.

Our academy reflects the diversity of our community and of the wider community.

A range of visitors in our academy represent differing races and cultures.

Our bespoke curriculum is fully revised to reflect race and equality awareness.

Our reading spine is representative of a diverse community.  Pupils can recognise themselves in the texts available in our academy.

Disability Equality

Break down barriers to perceptions of disability.

Ensure a range of visitors enable pupils to engage positively with disabilities.

Assemblies timetabled throughout the year.

Large text available for staff/pupils/visitors.  Accessible documents to be made available where appropriate.

Inclusion and diversity is celebrated throughout the year.  

Equality and diversity celebrated through assemblies.

Visitors have full access to our academy - site, resources etc.

Gender Equality

To promote gender identity.

Continue to create engaging learning opportunities that promote achievement for all..

Apply the principles of equal opportunities and gender equality to our recruitment process at all times.

https://www.gires.org.uk/

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/

Focus/audit provision of resources to ensure all groups are making good progress in all classes.

Have a balance of male, female and gender neutral role models throughout our academy.

Our reading areas are stocked with texts to support all genders.

Our academy ethos, ways of being and curriculum promotes respect for differences within our academy community.

Community Cohesion

Achieve a greater awareness of national and community identity.

Embed British Values through the curriculum.

To monitor and promote the involvement of all pupils in extra-curricular events/clubs.

Citizenship and RE subject reviews to audit community, national and global coverage.

PSHE - SCARF curriculum.

Monitor levels of engagement at extra-curricular events and clubs for specific groups and promote these to specific families.

The planned curriculum represents national and global community learning opportunities, as well as reflecting British Values.

Increased number of pupils attending clubs and events.

Sexual Orientation

To ensure that Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) represents and recognises diverse family structures.

Ensure all staff respond appropriately to questions raised by pupils.

Use ‘Dear Families’ rather than ‘Dear Parents and Carers’.

Protected characteristics are addressed during Rainbow Week.

Pupils and staff recognise that families are made from a range of gender and sexual orientations.

Religious Belief

To ensure respect and tolerance for all beliefs.

Staff policies and Induction procedures raise awareness of sensitivity towards diverse religious beliefs.

Pupils’ behaviour expectations are high in relation to tolerance of all differences.

Our academy ethos is recognised as being supportive of diversity.

Age

Ensure our academy profile is representative of all age groups.

HCC Employment guidelines are followed.

Employment Law adhered to.

Training/CPD

Provide CPD for all staff on Equality and Diversity.

Provide CPD time for Equality and Diversity - National College.

All staff aware of legislation and responsibilities as stakeholders.

Governors to access own training through GovernorHub.