Equality (Public Sector Equality Duty)
Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)
The Equality Act 2010 introduced a single, general duty for public bodies, including schools, and which extends to all ‘protected characteristics’ – race, disability, sex, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment.
There are three main elements within the act and in carrying out our functions, as a school, we must have regard for the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the act.
- 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.
It should be noted that age is a relevant characteristic for schools when considering their duties as an employer but not in relation to pupils. The PSED replaces the previous three sets of separate duties to promote disability, race and gender equality. All schools must have ‘due regard’ to the three elements. Therefore whenever significant decisions are being made, or policies being developed or reviewed, the school will consider carefully the equalities implications.
How does Hollinhey Primary School comply with the PSED?
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 dealing with equality of opportunity are:
- Equality Objectives Information Policy
- SEND Policy
- Behaviour Policy and Anti-Bullying Code
- Accessibility Plan
Our Equality Objectives
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.
The school is committed to promoting the welfare and equality of all its staff, pupils and other members of the school community.
To achieve this, the school has established the following objectives:
Objective 1: To narrow the gap between the progress made by ‘all’ children and that made by ‘groups’ of children such as those eligible for the Pupil Premium.
Objective 2: To ensure that future reviews of all school policies include information about, and links to our Equality and Diversity Policy. In order to eliminate discrimination all school policies will be reviewed and revised to ensure that where relevant the importance of avoiding discrimination, victimisation or harassment is expressly noted.
Objective 3: To ensure that staff induction includes raising awareness of, and staff understanding their responsibilities under, the Equality Act.
Objective 4: To further develop the Spriritual, Moral, Social and Cultural aspects of school life.
Objective 5: To eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.
Objective 6: To advance equality of opportunity/fostering good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
Objective 7: To consult and involve those affected by in-quality in the decisions the school takes to promote equality and eliminate discrimination (affected people could include parents, pupils, staff and members of the local community)