Single Equalities Policy

Statement of Principles

This policy outlines the commitment of the staff, pupils and governors of Park High School to ensure that equality of opportunity is available to all members of our 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
Multi-agency staff linked to the school
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.

Our Ethos

We are a school committed to raising aspirations and bringing out the best in all students.

Our students will strive to attain exceptionally high levels of academic achievement and personal development. Teachers and other staff will unfailingly reassure students that by working together there are no barriers that they cannot overcome to achieve their full potential. Students will leave Park High School with the skills, confidence and drive to achieve their future aspirations and to make a lasting contribution to the communities they live in.

Our mission is to develop young people with active and creative minds, a sense of understanding and compassion for others, and the courage to act on their beliefs. We stress the total development of each young person: morally, socially, intellectually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Extracts from our November 2010 Ofsted Inspection report

“There is effective action to promote equality of opportunity, notably in the reduction in the gap between the achievement of different groups, and students understand that discrimination of any kind is not tolerated”

“[Pupils] feel safe in the school and most students are respectful of each other and polite to visitors.”

“The curriculum provides a good level of flexibility to meet individual needs.”

“Well-organised arrangements for care, guidance and support ensure the well-being of students and successfully support their learning.”

“Effective work takes place to promote a harmonious culture within the school and with the local community”

“[Parents] feel that their child is safe and making good progress, and that the school is led and managed well.”

“[Pupils] raise money for charity and some take part in international links and an Amnesty International group”

Our School and the community and area it serves in context

Please see separate documents which cover.

Number and gender of pupils on the school roll
Ethnic make-up of the pupils registered at our school
Minority ethnic groups represented in the school staff and governing body
The linguistic profile of the school
Pupils with a known disability on roll
Number of staff and governors who have a disability
Physical accessibility provision
Demographic trends in the local area
Children in Care
Ethos and Atmosphere

Our commitment:

All members of Park High community, in whatever role and whether they be pupils or adults, will demonstrate mutual respect towards each other.
We will be open and welcoming to all who visit, work and study here and we expect all who visit, work and study here to show respect for and understanding of our values and expectations.
All of us, staff and pupils and other stakeholders alike, are encouraged to challenge any type of discriminatory and/or bullying behaviour. [Please refer to our Anti-Bullying and Behaviour policies]
The displays around the school will be of a high quality and reflect the way we celebrate human diversity
Policy Development

This policy has been discussed by members of the school community including staff, governors and children.

Monitoring and Review
Park High is an inclusive school committed to work towards greater equality, mutual respect and understanding between all individuals. Our curriculum and how we teach it are intended to enhance the self-esteem of all our learners and to encourage them to fulfill their potential. The same ethos applies to our rich and inclusive extra-curricular provision.
We collect and analyse a range of equality information for our pupils. [Please refer to additional analyses such as Pupil Voice, FFT, and our own Self Evaluation documents.]
We make regular assessments of pupils’ learning and use this information to track their progress. As part of this process, we regularly monitor the performance of different groups, to ensure that all of them 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:
Attendance
Exclusions and truancy
Racism, disablist, sexism, homophobia and all forms of bullying
Parental involvement
Participation in Extended Learning Opportunities
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.
Park High 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.
We collect and analyse a range of profile information for our staff and governors: Due regard is given to the promotion of equality in the School Improvement Plan. The Governing Body and the SLT are responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of all our policies and action plans.
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:

provide equality of access for all pupils and prepare them for life in a diverse society;
use materials that reflect a range of cultural backgrounds, without stereotyping;
use materials to promote a positive image of and attitude towards disability and disabled people;
promote attitudes and values that will challenge discriminatory behaviour;
provide opportunities for pupils to appreciate their own culture and religions and celebrate the diversity of other cultures;
use a range of sensitive teaching strategies when teaching about different cultural and religious traditions;
develop pupils advocacy skills so that they can detect bias, challenge discrimination, leading to justice and equality;
ensure that the whole curriculum covers issues of equality and diversity;
all subject leaders' departments, where appropriate, promote and celebrate the contribution of different cultures to the subject matter;
seek to involve all parents in supporting their child’s education;
provide educational visits and extended learning opportunities that involve all pupil groups; xii] take account of the performance of all pupils when planning for future learning and setting challenging targets;
make best use of all available resources to support the learning of all groups of pupils;
identify resources and training that support staff development.

Learning Environment

Park High School has 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. Teacher enthusiasm is a vital factor in achieving a high level of motivation and good results from all pupils. Adults in the school will provide good, positive role models in their approach to all issues relating to equality of opportunity
Our school will place a very high priority on the provision for special educational needs and disability. We will meet all pupils’ learning needs including the more able by carefully assessed and administered programmes of work. We will aim to provide an environment in which all pupils have equal access to all facilities and resources.
All pupils are encouraged to be actively involved in their own learning. A range of teaching methods are used throughout the school to ensure that effective learning takes place for all pupils
We give consideration to the physical learning environment – both internal and external, including displays and signage.

Curriculum

At Park High School we aim to ensure that:

planning reflects our commitment to equality in all subject areas and cross curricular themes promoting positive attitudes to equality and diversity;
pupils will have opportunities to explore concepts and issues relating to identity and equality;
steps are taken to ensure that all pupils have access to the mainstream curriculum by taking into account their cultural, backgrounds, linguistic needs and learning styles;
all pupils have access to qualifications which recognise attainment and achievement and promote progression.

Resources and Materials

The provision of good quality resources and materials is a high priority for us. These resources will: i] reflect the reality of an ethnically, culturally and sexually diverse society

reflect a variety of viewpoints
show positive images of males and females in society
include non-stereotypical images of all groups in a global context v] be accessible to all members of the school community

Language

Park High School recognises the importance of all members of the school community using appropriate language which:

does not transmit or confirm stereotypes; ii] does not offend;
creates and enhances positive images of particular groups identified at the beginning of this document;
creates the conditions for all people to develop their self esteem;
uses accurate language in referring to particular groups or individuals and challenges in instances where this is not the case.

Extended Learning Opportunities

It is the policy of our school to provide, wherever possible, equal access to all activities from an early age.

We are committed to making a contribution to extended learning opportunities.

We try to ensure that all such non staff members who have contact with children adhere to these guidelines.

Provision for Bi-lingual Pupils

Park High School is committed, within the constraints of our school finances, to making appropriate provision for all EAL/bi-lingual children/groups to ensure access to the whole curriculum. These groups may include:

Pupils for whom English is an additional language
Pupils who are new to the United Kingdom
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children
Advanced bi-lingual learners
Use first language effectively for learning

Personal Development and Pastoral Guidance

Our staff will take account of gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or any other recognised area of discrimination and the experience and needs of particular groups such as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller, refugee and asylum seeker pupils.

All of our pupils are encouraged to consider the full range of career opportunities available to them with no discriminatory boundaries placed on them due to their disability, gender, race or sexual orientation [whilst acknowledging that a disability may impose some practical boundaries to some career aspirations].

All pupils/staff/parents/carers are given support, as appropriate, when they experience discrimination

We recognise that perpetrators may also be victims and require support.

We use positive role models throughout the school to ensure that different groups of pupils can see themselves reflected in the school community.

We place emphasis on the value that diversity brings to the school community rather than the challenges.

Staffing and Staff Development

i] We recognise the need for positive role models and distribution of responsibility among staff. ii] This must include pupils' access to a balance of male and female staff at all key stages where possible.

We encourage the career development and aspirations of all school staff.
It is our policy to provide staff with training and development, which will increase awareness of the needs of different groups of pupils.
Access to opportunities for professional development is monitored on equality grounds.

Staff Recruitment i] All those involved in recruitment and selection are trained and aware of what they should do to avoid discrimination and ensure equality good practice through the recruitment and selection process.

Equalities policies and practices are covered in all staff inductions.
All temporary staff are made aware of policies and practices.
Employment policy and procedures are reviewed regularly to check conformity with legislation and impact.

Note: Under the Equality Act 2010, in very limited circumstances, an employer can claim that a certain religious denomination or belief is considered to be a genuine occupational requirement of that role. An aided school may be able to rely on this for some roles in school, particularly those roles that provide spiritual leadership. However this would not apply for all staff. In addition, there are also instances in which a job will qualify for a genuine occupational requirement on the grounds of gender. However, only in very few instances would this be permissible, for example, where the job is likely to involve physical contact with members of the opposite sex, where matters of decency or privacy are involved.

Partnerships with Parents/Carers/Families and the Wider Community

We will work with parents/carers to help all pupils to achieve their potential.

All parents/carers are encouraged to participate in the full life of our school.
Members of the local community are encouraged to join in our school activities
Roles and Responsibilities
Our Governing Body will ensure that the school complies with statutory requirements in respect of this policy and action plan
The headteacher is responsible for the implementation of this policy, and will ensure that staff are aware of their responsibilities, that they are given necessary training and support and report progress to the Governing Body
The headteacher has day-to-day responsibility for coordinating the implementation of this policy
Our staff will promote an inclusive and collaborative ethos in the school, challenge inappropriate language and behaviour, respond appropriately to incidents of discrimination and harassment, ensure appropriate support for children with additional needs and maintain a good level of awareness of equalities issues
All members of the school community have a responsibility to treat each other with respect, to feel valued, and to speak out if they witness or are subject to any inappropriate language or behaviour
We will take steps to ensure all visitors to the school adhere to our commitment to equality
Commissioning and Procurement

Park High School will ensure that we buy services from organisations that comply with equality legislation. This will be a significant factor in any tendering process.

The Measurement of Impact of the Policy

This policy will be evaluated and monitored for its impact on pupils, staff, parents and carers from the different groups that make up our school. An action plan will be published to enable an impact assessment to be undertaken at the appropriate time within a given timescale.

Availability of this Policy

This policy is available on our website www.park-high.lancs.sch.uk under the Policies section.

Annual Review of Progress

Taking this single equality approach, we will review progress in one annual report which meets the requirements of the new legislation and which will formulate the basis for our annual action plan.