Equality Objectives
Opening statement
We welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010. The school’s general duties, with regards to equality are:
- Eliminating discrimination.
- Fostering good relationships.
- Advancing equality of opportunity.
We will not discriminate against, harass or victimise any pupil, prospective pupil, or other member of the school community because of their:
- Religion or belief.
- Sexual orientation.
- Gender reassignment.
- Pregnancy or maternity.
- Marriage and civil partnership.
- Sex
- Age
- Race
- Disability
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
We believe that a greater level of success from pupils and staff can be achieved by realising the uniqueness of individuals. Creating a prejudice-free 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 the benefits it can have.
- Adopting an inclusive attitude.
- Adopting an inclusive curriculum that is accessible to all.
- Encouraging compassion and open-mindedness.
We are committed to having a balanced 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. We will also respect the right of parents to withdraw their children from certain classes which pose conflicts to their own beliefs.
Dealing with prejudice
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, through our thorough reporting procedure, 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 cultural diversity.
- Eager to reach their full potential.
- Inclusive
- 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 employee’s will:
- Promote diversity and equality.
- Encourage and adopt an inclusive attitude.
- Lead by example.
Equality and dignity in the workplace
We do not discriminate against staff with regards 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.
Closing statement
Prejudice is not tolerated and we are continuously working towards a more accepting and respectful environment for our school community.
Objectives:
St Richard's is committed to ensuring equality of provision throughout the school community. To achieve this, our Equality Objectives 2023 - 2026 are as follows:
Objective 1: To ensure staff are appropriately delivering RSE (Relationships Sex and Health) statutory requirements from Summer 2021. With specific reference to the teaching of the protected characteristics.
Objective 2: To ensure that all pupils are more aware of the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of their peers and also have an increased understanding of the need to treat others fairly in line with our school beliefs.
Objective 3: To ensure fair access to the curriculum for those with different abilities/disabilities through promoting inclusive approaches to teaching and learning.