Equality
Schools, along with all other public bodies in the UK, are rightly expected to offer an equal opportunity to pupils. This doesn’t always mean equal experiences for all children, but in schools one of the key priorities is to ensure that children make equal progress during their time with us.
Equality Information and Objectives Statement – July 2024
Glenmere Primary School is committed to promoting the welfare and equality of all of its staff, pupils and of the school community.
We welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010. The school’s general duties with regard to equality are:
- Eliminating discrimination.
- Fostering good relationships.
- Advancing equality of opportunity.
We will not discriminate against, harass or victimise any staff member, pupil, prospective pupil, or other member of the school community because of their:
- Sex.
- Age.
- Race.
- Disability.
- Religion or belief.
- Sexual orientation.
- Gender reassignment.
- Pregnancy or maternity.
- Marriage and civil partnership.
We aim to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, with special emphasis on promoting equality and diversity, and eradicating prejudicial incidents for pupils and staff. Our school is committed to not only eliminating discrimination, but also increasing understanding and appreciation for diversity.
Aims to eradicate discrimination
In accordance with our Ethos and School Values, we aim to:
- to respect the equal human rights of all our pupils;
- to educate them about equality; and
- to respect the equal rights of our staff and other members of the school community.
To achieve this, we will adopt the following methods:
- Embedding equality within teaching and resources.
- Promoting community cohesion.
- Promoting parental engagement.
- Investing in regular staff training.
- Using key data, such as measures of wellbeing, to monitor the progress of pupils with protected characteristics.
- Regularly reviewing our equality policy to ensure it reflects current trends and issues.
We believe that a greater level of success from pupils and staff can be achieved by realising the uniqueness of individuals. Creating an inclusive environment where individuals feel confident and at ease is a commitment of the school. This environment will be achieved by:
- Being respectful.
- Always treating all members of the school community fairly.
- Developing an understanding of diversity and inclusion and the benefits it can have.
- Adopting an inclusive attitude and ensuring that the whole school community understands what inclusive behaviour looks like in the school and how this aligns with the school’s values.
- Adopting an inclusive curriculum that is accessible to all.
- Encouraging compassion and open-mindedness.
- Challenging bias and calling it out in order to move the conversation forward.
We are committed to having a balanced, diverse and fair curriculum. We believe that our pupils should be exposed to ideas and concepts that may challenge their understanding, to help ensure that pupils learn to become more accepting and inclusive of others. Challenging and controversial concepts will be delivered in a way that prevents discrimination and promotes inclusive attitudes.
Dealing with prejudice and celebrating diversity
At Glenmere, we do not tolerate any form of prejudice-related incident. Whether direct or indirect, we treat discrimination against all members of our school with the utmost severity. When an incident is reported, our school is devoted to ensuring appropriate action is taken and a resolution is put into place which is both fair and firm.
Our pupils are taught to be:
- Understanding of others.
- Celebratory of diversity.
- Eager to reach their full potential.
- Inclusive, accepting and tolerant.
- Aware of what constitutes discriminatory behaviour.
The school’s employees will not:
- Discriminate against any member of the school community.
- Treat other members of the school community unfairly.
The school’s employees will:
- Promote diversity and equality.
- Encourage and adopt an inclusive attitude.
- Lead by example.
- Seek training if they need to improve their knowledge in a particular area.
Throughout the year, the school provides a variety of opportunities to celebrate diversity, including:
- Planning activities for key diversity awareness days (Multi-faith day, Protected characteristics day, No Way days).
- Books written about diversity and by diverse authors
- Incorporating lessons about diversity into the curriculum (Everyone Welcome, British values curriculum).
Equality and dignity in the workplace
We do not discriminate against staff with regard to their:
- Age.
- Disability.
- Gender reassignment.
- Marital or civil partner status.
- Pregnancy or maternity.
- Race.
- Religion or belief.
- Sex.
- Sexual orientation.
Equality of opportunity and non-discrimination extends to the treatment of all members of the school community. All staff members are obliged to act in accordance will the school’s various policies relating to equality.
We will guarantee that no redundancy is the result of direct or indirect prejudice. All disciplinary procedures are non-prejudicial, whether they result in warnings, dismissal, or any other disciplinary action.
Diversity and representation
At Glenmere we develop our curriculum to be as representative of the world and our community as possible. We aim to celebrate diversity and promote acceptance and respect. We want a curriculum that allows our children to regularly learn about, and be inspired by, individuals of all abilities from all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexualities, religions and ethnicities. We aim that the celebration of differences is embedded in our lessons and discussed frequently at every opportunity possible throughout the year.
Significant Individuals
We want to focus on how the persistence and determination of significant individuals, from all backgrounds, have positively influenced the world in which we live and celebrate their achievements and contributions. We have considered how we can represent a variety of people in all of our subjects.
Challenging Stereotypes
We want to make sure that we challenge assumptions to broaden our children’s thinking. At Glenmere we use carefully chosen images, stories and activities throughout the curriculum to allow the chance to dispel stereotypes.
Diverse Visuals
We ensure that the visuals we choose are inclusive and diverse throughout the curriculum. Varied visuals also give our children opportunities to raise and discuss ideas that are important to them. This allows our children to explore the world and ask questions in a safe space.
Diverse Texts
It is really important that children get to ‘see themselves’ in books, both fiction and non-fiction. Not only should they see themselves but they should also be given the opportunity to see a wide range of people in all sorts of roles including that of the main characters and authors. We have committed to buying new books that continue to diversify our library, class libraries and chosen teaching texts to be more inclusive and challenge stereotypes.
Inclusion
At Glenmere we believe passionately that every child, of every ability, should have equal opportunities to develop and achieve, and that every child should believe that they can do and be anything they wish. Through high quality first teaching, careful identification and targeted support at Glenmere we strive to meet the needs of all children in an inclusive environment. Teaching, training, expert external support, apt resourcing and highly positive relationships between staff and children all help our children to make progress, particularly for those who may find the curriculum challenging.
Prejudice is not tolerated and we are continuously working towards a more accepting and respectful environment for our school community.
The school’s Equality Information and Objectives Policy, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Inclusion Policy further outline the school’s policies regarding equality.
To meet all of these duties:
The school has an Equal Opportunities Policy which is reviewed annually.
Each of the Governing Body committees – Finance, Staffing & Pay; Safeguarding & Premises; Curriculum and the Full Governing Body – take account of Equality issues in their monitoring, evaluating and strategic decision-making.
The Governors’ Curriculum Committee meet termly, and receives a report from the Senior Leadership Team on the progress which has been tracked within the school. Areas for development are identified and then revisited at the following meeting to look for improvements. Any significant issues arising are then reported to the Full Governing Body meeting.
The school has previously had a Disability Equality Scheme and a Gender Equality Scheme, along with action plans and an Accessibility Action Plan. These have now all been brought together under the Equal Opportunities Policy, in line with developing government legislation.
The school has many policies and ensures that our commitment to equality is reflected in these e.g. Anti-bullying Policy and Behaviour Policy. Under the Equality Duty, targets will be set each year to address equality issues which have been identified and to ensure that the school is constantly striving to improve.
To see our current Equal Opportunities Policy, see the Policies page.
If you have a concern about an equality issue, and you are a pupil or parent, please speak to the class teacher in the first instance.
If you are a member of staff, please speak to the Headteacher, Mrs S Conlon.
If you are a member of the wider community please speak to the Headteacher, Mrs S Conlon.
Equality Information and Objectives Policy
Equality Information and Objectives