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Sevenoaks Primary School

Equality & Inclusion

Public Sector Equality Duty

Equality Information and Objectives Statement

Our aim, through our values of kindness and team and our rules of being ready, respectful and safe, help us to establish a caring and inclusive environment, where children are valued equally and will be given the opportunity to develop academically, emotionally and socially to the best of their ability.

It is through the school and the home working together in partnership that we aim to raise the aspirations and expectations of all pupils.

We are committed to our duties under the Equality Act 2010. Our school aims to meet its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) by having due regard to the need to:

  • Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation 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 a relevant protected characteristic
  • Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it. We will not discriminate against or victimise any staff member, pupil, prospective pupil, or other members of the school community because of their:
  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender reassignment
  • Marriage or civil partnership
  • Pregnancy and maternity
  • Race
  • Religion or belief
  • Sex
  • Sexual orientation

In addition to pupils with protected characteristics, we gather information on the following groups of pupil:

  • Pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)
  • Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEND)
  • Disadvantage group
  • Pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL)
  • Young carers
  • Looked after children
  • Other vulnerable group

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 an inclusive 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 inclusion and the benefits it can have.
  • Adopting an inclusive attitude and ensuring that the whole school community understands what inclusive behaviour looks like in the school and how this aligns with the school’s values.
  • Adopting an inclusive curriculum that is accessible to all.
  • Encouraging compassion and open-mindedness.
  • Challenging bias in order to move the conversation forward.

We are committed to having a balanced, diverse 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.

Dealing with prejudice and celebrating diversity  

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, 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 diversity.
  • Eager to reach their full potential.
  • 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 employees will:

  • Promote diversity and equality.
  • Encourage and adopt an inclusive attitude.
  • Lead by example.
  • Seek training if they need to improve their knowledge in a particular area.

Throughout the year, the school provides a variety of opportunities to celebrate diversity, including:

  • Planning activities for key diversity awareness days.
  • Inviting guest speakers to talk to pupils about diversity.
  • Incorporating lessons about diversity into the curriculum.

Equality and dignity in the workplace

We do not discriminate against staff with regard to their:

  • Gender reassignment.
  • Marital or civil partner status.
  • Pregnancy or maternity.
  • Religion or belief.
  • 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.

Prejudice is not tolerated and we are continuously working towards a more accepting and respectful environment for our school community.