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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

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2023-24

Agreed/Review by Governors Sept 2023

Review Date: September 2024

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Policy Author: Catherine Kelly/Bob Thompson

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement - Academic Year 23/24

At Co-op Academy Bebington we focus on the well-being and progress of every child, and believe that all members of our community are of equal worth. This is reflected in the school’s core professional purpose and principles (see below). We believe that all students should be supported to take part as fully as possible in every part of school life by developing every child’s self-confidence, recognising their strengths and encouraging them to achieve their full potential.

We are committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination in both employment and education provision. To support this, we are working hard to create an inclusive environment, where everyone can contribute their best work and develop to their full potential. We celebrate the fact that everyone is different yet valued, and make sure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Co-op Academy Bebington’s policy is predicated on the Trust’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy which was approved by the Trust Board in March 2021.

Fundamental to the Trust and Co-op Academy Bebington’s vision is that by valuing diversity and being inclusive, the community we serve will achieve highly in an environment that embraces the co-operative values of:

Self – help
Self – responsibility
Democracy
Equality
Equity
Solidarity

We value and respect individuals’ differences; we do not tolerate any form of harassment, bullying or discrimination for students, staff or from outside the Academy. We celebrate the diversity of our community, welcome all, and recognise that our diverse community makes us richer.

At Co-op Academy Bebington, we recognise the importance of The Equality Act 2010 and The Human Rights Act 1998, and we therefore promote equality and work hard to eliminate discrimination in all its forms so that all in the Academy can achieve their dreams.

The Academy’s vision statement is ‘Shaping Exceptional Futures’ and we have eight principles that underpin how we will make our vision a reality. We do this by:

Placing our students at the heart of everything we do
Recognising and celebrating student achievement, academically, socially, physically, mentally and inclusively
Respecting everyone in the whole school and local community, so that we are recognised as a family school within an extended community, which supports and cares for each other
Encouraging everyone in the school community to excel and achieve, in whatever form that may take.
Removing the barriers to learning so that all students and staff are provided with a vision of what they can be, and are supported to achieve that vision
Providing our students with an aspirational vision for their future and the appropriate learning pathway
Embracing healthy living so that all are physically, emotionally and mentally enabled to excel and achieve their dreams
Being relentless in our determination for each others’ success

These principles clearly demonstrate our commitment to recognising and respecting our whole community, caring for each other, and removing barriers to learning and inclusion.

Action Plan 23/24

Objectives

Building on our achievements in 22/23, which are set out in annex A, we will continue to develop a curriculum and teaching and learning practices which support our equality, diversity and inclusion objectives:

Be inclusive – all pupils and staff are welcomed and valued
Show respect for and appreciation of one another as individuals
Prepare pupils for life in a diverse society by encouraging respect for the linguistic, cultural and religious diversity that exists in local communities and the wider world
Develop personal and cultural identity in all pupils
Widen educational and personal horizons of all pupils if limited by factors that compromise equality
Be proactive in tackling discrimination
Promote the benefits of diversity

Ways of working

To help achieve this we have set out ways of working which will ensure the recognition of equality, diversity and inclusion with regards to all staff, pupils and the wider school community. As part of this we will:

Encourage positive attitudes towards pupils and staff and expect everyone to treat others with dignity and respect.
Take reasonable and necessary steps to meet students’ needs by using a variety of approaches and planning reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils to enable them to play as full a part as possible in all the activities of the school. (See our Accessibility Plan)
Ensure that the school environment and its activities are as accessible and welcoming as possible for staff and visitors to the school.
Regularly consider the ways in which the taught and wider curricula will help to promote awareness of the rights of individuals and develop the skills of participation and responsible action.
Plan events throughout the year which raise awareness of equality and diversity. This may include a focus on disability, respect for other cultures, religions and beliefs, antihomophobia/gay pride, gender equality, developing community cohesion and an understanding of the effects of discrimination. (See our PSCHE and RSHE Curriculum on the website)
Celebrate the achievements of the school in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, both within the school and in the wider school community.
Ensure that the curriculum is accessible to all pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), or those for whom English is not their first language. Auxiliary aids and services will be provided for them, where reasonable adjustments are required.
Regularly consider the ways in which our teaching and the curriculum provision will support high standards of attainment, promote common values, and help students understand and value the diversity that surrounds them, and challenge prejudice and stereotyping.
Monitor the progress and achievement of pupils by the relevant and appropriate protected characteristics. This information will help the school to ensure that individual pupils are achieving their potential, the school is being inclusive in practice, and trends are identified which inform the setting of our equality objectives in the school.
Plan ahead to help ensure that all pupils are able to take part in extra-curricular activities and residential visits. We will monitor the uptake of these to ensure no one is disadvantaged on the grounds of a protected characteristic.
Ensure that pupil/parent/staff consultation is sought regularly in the development and review of these aims.
Regularly seek the views of pupils, parents, advisory staff and visitors to the school, to ensure that the school environment is as safe and accessible as possible to all school users. We will regularly review our accessibility plans.
Carefully monitor and deal effectively with bullying and prejudice related incidents. Both existing and new staff will be given regular training to ensure that they are aware of the process for reporting and following up incidents of prejudice related bullying.
Set an expectation that all staff will be role models for equal opportunities, deal with bullying and discriminatory incidents, and be able to identify and challenge prejudice and stereotyping.
Welcome a diverse range of candidates and encourage those who are currently under-represented to join.
Ensure that all staff are aware of their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010, the different forms of discrimination, and what ‘reasonable adjustments’ mean in practice.
Continue to commit to ensuring staff with a disability have equality of opportunity.
Maintain and update an equality page on the school website to show how we are complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in the Equality Act 2010 and advancing equality of opportunity.
When drawing up policies we will carry out Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) to ensure a policy does not, even inadvertently, disadvantage groups of pupils with protected characteristics. We will consider to what extent a new/revised policy, practice or plan meets the PSED (eliminates discrimination, advances equality and fosters good relations for all the protected characteristics) and recommend changes/mitigations where necessary.

The protected characteristics set out within equality law, and a list of prohibited unlawful acts, are set out in Annex B.

Specific actions

Governors and The Senior Leadership Team agreed that the above actions are in place and that specific actions will arise as a result of on-going analysis of any incidents that may arise. These are then addressed via PSCHE, PSHE or individual responses.

Further Information

Senior Leadership Team Member responsible for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Daniel Ridd (Assistant Headteacher)

Governor Link: Bob Thompson

The Coop Academies Trust’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy can be found here:

https://www.coopacademies.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Co-op-Academies-Equality_-Diversity-_-Inclusion-Policy.p

Annex A: Actions from 22/23

During 22/23 we took the following actions to advance equality, diversity and inclusion, and to comply with our equality duty:

Students

Feedback from Your Voice and Endurio Survey shows staff and students feel valued
Our Ofsted report stated ‘in this welcoming school, students are kind and tolerant towards each-other. They are clear that the school is a place where everyone is free to be themselves”
An LGBTQ group regularly report to the Head Teacher and make recommendations for whole school development.
We reviewed our Personal, Social, Careers and Health Education and our Relationship and Sex Education Programmes to ensure we fully comply with statutory guidance and meet our equality duty. The PSCHE programme includes Votes for Schools which encourages students to take a view of political and societal events and vote with other students nationally.
The school council met every half term. Minutes and suggestions go to the Head Teacher
As an Academy we supported local and national charities on an annual basis. In 22/23 we raised awareness for MIND, to reflect the work that we have undertaken to address student and staff mental health and well-being. We also supported Ward 31 at Arrowe Park Hospital and The Christie. This fundraising encourages students to think beyond themselves.
We continue to support students in recognising their own faiths and provide appropriate facilities
We established accessible for all toilets.

Colleagues

We continued to work with the staff well-being group and have actioned commitments in our Workforce Charter.
We continued to actively shortlisted candidates with protected characteristics in our recruitment processes
We constantly reviewed our policies and procedures to ensure we do not have unconscious bias articulated with them

Our Community

Our Academy Governing Council has equal gender representation
Supporting charities, we actively ensured they promoted equality, diversity and inclusion.
We continue to support churches of all faiths in the community, and we invite religious leaders from all communities into assemblies to address our young people

Annex B: Actions from 21/22

During 21/22 we took the following actions to advance equality, diversity and inclusion, and to comply with our equality duty:

Students

● We established an LGBTQ group who will report to the Head Teacher and make recommendations for whole school development.

● We achieved Stonewall accreditation

● We reviewed our Personal, Social, Careers and Health Education and our Relationship and Sex Education Programmes to ensure we fully comply with statutory guidance and meet our equality duty

● We reviewed our curriculums and asked Curriculum Coordinators to highlight opportunities to directly teach and address equality and diversity opportunities

● Post Covid, we re-established our school council. Minutes and suggestions go to the Head Teacher

● As an Academy we supported local and national charities on an annual basis. In 21/22 we raised money for MIND, to reflect the work that we have undertaken to address student and staff mental health and well-being. We also supported our local St John’s Hospice. This fund raising encourages students to think beyond themselves.

● We supported all students in recognising their own faiths and provide appropriate facilities

● We established a gender-neutral W.C

Colleagues

● We established a staff well-being group and have developed a Workforce Charter which is underpinned by a commitment to support staff well-being and promoting equality of opportunity

● We actively shortlisted candidates with protected characteristics in our recruitment processes

● We constantly reviewed our policies and procedures to ensure we do not have unconscious bias articulated with them

Our Community

● Our Academy Governing Council has equal gender representation

● Supporting charities, we actively ensured they promoted equality, diversity and inclusion.

● We supported churches of all faiths in the community, and we invite religious leaders from all communities into assemblies to address our young people

Annex C: Protected Characteristics and prohibited conduct

Protected characteristics:

Age - a person of a particular age (e.g., 32-year-old) or a range of ages (e.g., 18 - 30-year-olds). Age discrimination does not apply to the provision of education, but it does apply to work.
Disability - a person has a disability if s/he has, or has had, a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. It includes discrimination arising from something connected with their disability such as use of aids or medical conditions. HIV, Multiple Sclerosis and cancer are all considered as disabilities, regardless of their effect.
Gender reassignment - a person (usually with ‘gender dysphoria’) who is proposing to undergo, is undergoing or has undergone gender reassignment (the process of changing physiological or other attributes of sex, therefore changing from male to female, or female to male). ‘Trans’ is an umbrella term to describe people with this ‘Gender Identity.’ ‘Intersex’ or ‘Third Sex’ is not covered by the Act, but the school will treat Intersex children with the same degree of equality as children with gender dysphoria. Children as young as five may begin to show signs of gender dysphoria and therefore it is relevant in any school environment.
Marriage and civil partnership - marriage and civil partnership discrimination does not apply to the provision of education, but it does apply to work.
Pregnancy and maternity - maternity refers to the period of 26 weeks after the birth (including still births), which reflects the period of a woman's Ordinary Maternity Leave entitlement in the employment context. In employment, it also covers (where eligible) the period up to the end of her Additional Maternity Leave.
Race - a person’s colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin. It includes Roma, Travellers and Gypsies, as well as White British people.
Religion and belief - religious and philosophical beliefs including lack of belief. Generally, a belief should affect your life choices or the way you live for it to be included in the definition. Religion and belief discrimination does not prevent a school from carrying out collective worship or other curriculum-based activities, but pupils may withdraw from acts of collective worship.
Sex - a man or a woman.
Sexual orientation - a person's sexual orientation towards the same sex (lesbian or gay), the opposite sex (heterosexual) or to both sexes (bisexual). Although children may not identify as gay or lesbian when very young, promotion of sexual orientation equality is as relevant in a primary school environment, as it is in a secondary school. For example, a child may have an older sibling or parent who is gay. Children may experience friends ‘questioning’ or ‘coming out’ when they are in secondary school or college. Schools with a particular religious ethos cannot discriminate against lesbian, gay or bisexual pupils. It is also unlawful to discriminate because of the sex, race, disability, religion or belief (or none), sexual orientation or gender reassignment of another person with whom the pupil is associated. So, for example, a school must not discriminate by refusing to admit a pupil because his parents are gay men or lesbians. It would be race discrimination to treat a white pupil less favourably because she has a Black boyfriend.

Prohibited conduct:

Direct discrimination - less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic.
Indirect discrimination - a provision, criteria or practice that puts a person at a particular disadvantage and is not a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
Harassment - conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It includes harassment by a third party (e.g., customer or contractor) in the employment context.
Victimisation - subjecting a person to a detriment because of their involvement with proceedings (a complaint) brought in connection with this Act.
Discrimination arising from disability - treating someone unfavourably because of something connected with their disability (such as periods of absence from work or medical conditions) and failure to make reasonable adjustments.
Gender reassignment discrimination - not allowing reasonable absence from work for the purpose of gender reassignment in line with normal provision, such as sick leave).
Pregnancy/maternity related discrimination - unfavourable treatment because of pregnancy or maternity. It includes unfavourable treatment of a woman or girl because she is breastfeeding.
Discrimination by association or perception - for example, discriminating against someone because they “look gay”, or because they have a gay brother; discriminating against someone because they care for a disabled relative.

In addition to these, schools are allowed to treat disabled pupils more favourably than non-disabled pupils, and in some cases are required to do so, by making reasonable adjustments to put them on a more level footing with pupils without disabilities.