Our school aims to meet its obligations under the public sector equality duty by having due regard of the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is 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 across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
•  

What is the Public Sector Equality Duty (the PSED)?

The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to promote equality.  The relevant protected characteristics are-

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

Legislation and guidance

• The Equality Act 2010, which introduced the public sector equality duty and protects people from discrimination
• The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, which require schools to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the public sector equality duty and to publish equality objectives

Department for Education (DfE) guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.

All school staff are expected to have regard to this document and to work to achieve the objectives as set out in section 7.

Eliminating discrimination

The school is aware of its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and complies with non-discrimination provisions.

Where relevant, our policies include reference to the importance of avoiding discrimination and other prohibited conduct.

Staff and governors are regularly reminded of their responsibilities under the Equality Act, for example during meetings.

 

Advancing equality of opportunity

As set out in the DfE guidance on the Equality Act, the school aims to advance equality of opportunity by:

• Sharing attainment data each academic year showing how pupils with different characteristics are performing
• Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people which are connected to a particular characteristic they have (e.g. pupils with disabilities)
• Taking steps to meet the particular needs of people who have a particular characteristic (e.g. enabling Muslim children, on request of parents, to be withdrawn from Religious Education)
• Encouraging people who have a particular characteristic to participate fully in any activities (e.g. encouraging all pupils to be involved in the full range of school activities)

In fulfilling this aspect of the duty, the school will:

• Analyse data to determine strengths and areas for improvement.  Implement actions in response.
• Make evidence available identifying improvements for specific groups (e.g. declines in incidents of homophobic language being used or racist incidents)

How does Conway Primary School comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty?

The school has a range of policies which make explicit the school’s long-established commitment to actively promoting equality of opportunity for all. The main policies that deal with equality of opportunity are:

• British Values
• Accessibility plan
• Equality policy
• SEND policy
• Behaviour and anti-bullying policy
• Religious Education Policy
• Curriculum Policy
• Termly Reports to Governors 

Conway Primary School prides itself on being an inclusive school that cares for every individual child.  In doing so, we promote and deliver a range of strategies to ensure that we comply to the Public Sector Equality Duty.  Some of these are;

• Active promotion of all religions and celebrations whilst remaining inclusive
• Promoting the rights of each individual as outlined in the United Nations Charter through our ethos, behaviour policy and curriculum content.
• Promoting tolerance, individual liberty, friendship and understanding by actively promoting British Values through assemblies and workshops
• Promoting tolerance, mutual respect and understanding through termly world religion days and assemblies.  Working with the community by inviting in leaders of local faith groups to speak in assemblies and deliver class workshops.
• Promoting tolerance and mutual respect through black history month projects and celebration
• Taking steps to meet the needs of individuals – for example, withdrawal from RE sessions and promoting friendship groups
• Promoting inclusion, tolerance, friendship and understanding through different aspects of our curriculum.  This includes teaching in RE, PSHE and other subjects.  In English, a variety of text from a range of cultures will be used.   Scientists, historians, artists, poets, engineers and designers who represent the protected characteristics will be embedded within the updated curriculum.
•  Disabled access (where possible) to the school premise and building eg toilets.
• Leading on assemblies to explore and deal with relevant issues; assemblies to support social teachings
• Fundraising for many charities
• Monitoring and evaluating the attainment and progress of all pupils; looking at the performance of particular groups who share a protected characteristic to compare their performance with those who do not share it.
• Supporting all staff and children to reach their potential
• Targeted Interventions to maximise the progress of all groups of children
• Targeted out of school hours interventions to maximise the progress of all groups of children
• Easter and Summer school targeted learning programmes to maximise the progress of all groups of children
• Encouraging children who have a particular character to participate fully in all activities – for example; after school clubs, sport lunchtimes, choir etc
• Curriculum trips that meet the needs of all children
• Active promotion of the Conway Primary Behaviour policy
• Active promotion of the Conway Primary Anti-bullying policy
• Restorative justice – supporting any tensions between different groups of pupils within the school
• Service level agreement with a child counselling service
• Service level agreement with Speech & Language Therapy
• Service level agreement with Play therapy
• Pupil participation in school activities such as the School Council, sports ambassadors; ensuring that is formed of pupils from a range of backgrounds.

Equality objectives (2022-2026)

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) the school is required to set Equality Objectives.

Our published information must be updated annually and objectives published at least once every four years.

Objective 1: Undertake an analysis of attainment data and trends with regard to White British and Romanian Pupils. 

Why we have chosen this objective: Our Data indicates this cohort do not perform as well as other groups.

To achieve this objective we plan to: Seek to engage and support directly with parents, and provide interventions to help them access and progress in the curriculum.

Objective 2: Ensure the curriculum for pupils with SEND is accessible and of a high standard, with a specific focus on quality first teaching,  sensory provision and social and emotional needs.

Why we have chosen this objective: We have an increasing number of pupils with sensory needs, social and emotional needs, have  a diagnosis of ASD and /or ADHD.

To achieve this objective we plan to: We will develop an Inclusion team managed by our SENCo and trainee SENCo.  We will ensure we further develop the training and development of our SEN teaching assistants and Inclusion Team via internal and external CPD. We will further develop our new sensory room as we recognise appropriate resources and tools for learning are important.

Objective 3: To ensure that our children know that difference, diversity and neuro diversity are valued, accepted and are not a hindrance to achievement.

Why we have chosen this objective: We have a widening range of children within our school that have specific SEN needs or EAL, and we seek to provide a learning environment that caters for every individual  learning need.

To achieve this objective we plan to: Review and renew our SEN Policy and ensure all staff have training on targeted and purposeful differentiation that caters for individual learning needs.  We plan to look at current SEN resources and ensure they are fit for purpose and update where required across all phases.

Objective 4:  To ensure catch-up of Pupil Premium (deprived) cohort who had fallen further behind in their attainment and progress compared to other groups during Covid-19

Why we have chosen this objective: Our current data shows whilst there has been significant progress and attainment improvement in our deprived cohort, they are still some way behind other groups within the school and need further targeted intervention to ensure catch-up.

To achieve this objective we plan to: Ensure targeted and purposeful  intervention and catch-up sessions within the school day and outside usual school hours (tutoring groups/boosters).  Utilise Breakfast Club and after-school club for further learning opportunities.  Ensure that teachers have fully individual differentiated planning with specific learning outcomes for children that require the catch-up.