In April 2011 the Public Sector Equality Duty came into force in England, Scotland and Wales. This duty replaces the existing race, disability and gender equality duties. All public bodies must publish a set of equality objectives by 6th April 2012.
The Equality Act specifies that Schools and other public bodies must:
A commitment to equality, diversity and community cohesion is a shared commitment to educational excellence and equality for all sections of our school community. It helps us to focus attention on improving planning, decision making, resource allocation and the monitoring and evaluation of our achievements.
Under the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 it is unlawful for a school to discriminate against a student or prospective student by treating them less favourably because of their:
These are known as the “Protected Characteristics”. The Act defines four kinds of unlawful behaviour – direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Beyond this we also consider both socio-economic and age related factors within our commitment to equality.
At Wirral Grammar School for Boys, we are committed to building a cohesive school community in which we:
We respect and value all individuals for their own abilities, beliefs, challenges, attitudes, background and experiences, and seek to actively engage all members of our school and local community in promoting equality, diversity and community cohesion.
We create an ethos which promotes and reflects equality, celebrates diversity, develops understanding and challenges myths, stereotypes and prejudices. Our ethos is underpinned by our Core Values which are specifically stated in our Parent Handbook
We provide experiences which broaden students’ horizons in terms of culture, religion and social background, and ensure equality of access to high quality teaching and learning, an inclusive curriculum and wider opportunities for learning and personal development. Our curriculum extends to wider activities that provide scope for enrichment. These include residential visits and various visits to other countries.
We identify and remove all practices and customs which are discriminatory and record, report and challenge all incidents of prejudice-based bullying and harassment.
We have high expectations of everyone involved with the school, monitor, evaluate and review outcomes for different learner groups and provide appropriate support and intervention to ensure that all students reach their full potential.
We ensure that all staff are able to recognise and challenge discriminatory behaviour and promote equality and diversity through their teaching and relationships with students, and that governors understand their statutory duties.
The impact of this policy will be measured through:
Governors will be able to monitor the impact of this policy through one-to-one link meetings with senior staff, particularly in the area of Pupil Well-Being, Pupil Safety and Pupil Achievement.