Equal Opportunities Statement

Noak Bridge Primary School

Equality Act Statement

Noak Bridge Primary School is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity in line with the Equality Act 2010. We aim to reduce disadvantages, discrimination and inequalities of opportunity, and promote diversity in terms of our pupils, our workforce and the community in which we work.

We will assist our pupils in achieving to their very best potential. Where pupils experience barriers to their success we will work with them to address these in a sensitive and sympathetic way. We will teach our pupils the importance of equality and what forms discrimination can take and the impact discrimination can have.

We will not discriminate on any of the grounds listed below (known as the Protected Characteristics) save where such discrimination is permitted by law. Examples of permitted discrimination are:

1. The school may arrange pupils in classes based on age.

2. The school may take positive action to deal with particular disadvantages affecting pupils of one racial group if this is a proportionate means of dealing with the issue.

The Protected Characteristics that apply to schools are:

• Age (in relation to staff only);

• Disability;

• Gender re-assignment;

• Marriage and civil partnership (in relation to staff only);

• Pregnancy and Maternity;

• Race;

• Religion Faith or Belief;

• Sex; and

• Sexual orientation.

As a Governing Body and employer we will also not accept any of the following:

• Direct or Indirect Discrimination;

• Harassment; and

• Victimisation.

We will comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty giving due regard to that duty when making decisions, taking actions and developing policies. In line with its specific duties under the Equality Act 2010, we will publish our equality objectives and will publish information about how it is complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty. Published Information will be updated annually and objectives will be updated every four years. This information is available on our website.

Reviewed: Spring Term 2016

Date of next review: Spring Term 2017

Noak Bridge Primary School

Equality Objectives 2016 – 2020

There are a number of statutory duties that must be met by every school in line with legislation from the Race Relations Act (2000), Disability Equality Duty (2005) and Equality Act (2010).

Noak Bridge Primary School is committed to meeting its public sector duties and acknowledges that we have a statutory duty to:

Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
Promote equality of access and opportunity within our school and within our wider community.
Promote positive attitudes to difference and good relationships between people with different backgrounds, genders, cultures, faiths, abilities and ethnic origins.

The Leadership Team and Governors at Noak Bridge Primary School regularly review the progress we are making to meet our equality objectives with regard to the protected characteristics (race, disability, gender, gender re-assignment, age, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, sexual orientation, religion and belief) under the Equality Act (2010).

Equality Objectives

At Noak Bridge Primary School, we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers, irrespective of race, gender, disability, belief, religion or socio-economic background.

In order to further support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching, we have set the following objectives:

Objective 1: To improve progress for boys in writing.

Objective 2: To challenge more able pupils effectively in core subjects.

Objective 3: To increase awareness of and have in place processes to identify and remedy any incidences of bullying.

Objective 4: The environment and the new school building is safe and accessible for all groups of users.

Objective 5: To move beyond deterministic notions of fixed ability and to model teaching and learning behaviours that avoid labelling.

Objective 6: To promote positive attitudes to difference.

To see how we plan (in anticipation) to make reasonable adjustments to comply with Public sector Equality Duty please see:

Equality Policy
Accessibility Plan

Noak Bridge Primary School Equality Objectives Action Plan 2016 - 2019
Objective	Action	Responsibility	Time Scale	Success Criteria	Review / impact assessment
To improve progress for boys in writing.	Use Read, Write, Inc as an intervention to narrow the gap. Greater opportunities for writing across the curriculum. Staff to focus on boys’ performance during writing lessons providing texts of interest. Whole school consistent approach to planning for writing.	All staff RWI – VD	Ongoing	Boys’ progress (expected and better than expected) in writing is in line with girls.	Progress for writing monitored each term (October, February and May) using standardised tests and TT statements (TA).
To challenge more able pupils effectively in core subjects.	Identify academically more able pupils and create a register. Add identified pupils to Target Tracker. Identify pupils at the end of year 1 to focus on for year 2. KS2 pupils attend the G&T days within our cluster.	All staff Academically able co-ordinators Maths and English co-ordinators	Ongoing	All staff have extension tasks prepared to challenge more able pupils. Chn independently access tasks. Select pupils attend G & T days across Basildon
To increase awareness of and have in place processes to identify and remedy any incidences of bullying.	Audit views of stakeholders through discussion and questionnaires Provide awareness training for staff Promote positive attitudes through ‘Anti-bullying Week’ Ensure staff know the reporting and recording systems, and strategies for dealing with incidences of bullying Safeguarding leader to monitor records	All staff SENCO Safeguarding leader Head Teacher Governors	Audit Spring term 2016 Anti-bullying week Autumn 2016 – continue annually. Parent view survey collected at parents evening.	Staff are aware of and recognise incidences of bullying, advocating for pupils with communication or cognitive difficulties where necessary. Display created following anti-bullying week 2016. All pupils and staff know what to do if a bullying takes place. Systems are in place to record any incidents and records are monitored.
The environment and the new school building is safe and accessible for all groups of users.	Plan for safe movement and access around built environment through discussions with contractors Create systems for identifying, and addressing, accessibility issues that arise once established in the new building	SENCO (audit) Head Teacher Governors	Access Audit Summer term 2016 Ongoing	All staff and pupils have full access to all areas in the new building. Using the Essex Access Audit to identify and address accessibility issues.
To move beyond deterministic notions of fixed ability and to model teaching and learning behaviours that avoid labelling.	INSET training 3^rd & 4^th September - growth mindset, self challenge and effective feedback. Children to choose own level of challenge and develop independence to move between challenges. Mixed ability learning partners which change regularly. Create school ethos that mistakes are good and opportunities for learning. Self, peer and adult feedback to improve work. Clear learning objectives and success criteria.	SLT – INSET training. All staff.	INSET Autumn 2015 Implement Autumn 2015 Ongoing	Children do not work in ability groups. Children are self motivated to challenge themselves. Children realise that if they are getting everything correct, they are not challenging themselves and therefore not learning. A growth mindset is encouraged by whole school community. Pupils’ rates of progress increase – especially children who previously made little or slow progress. Learning is evident within a lesson or across a period of time. A consistent approach throughout the school, evident from book scrutiny.
To promote positive attitudes to difference.	Promote ‘Autism Awareness Week’ throughout the school. Racism workshops in KS2 led by ‘Show Racism the Red Card’. PSHE Basic Makaton taught weekly as part of whole school assembly. Visit / observe ‘special games’ at the Basildon Sporting Village. Deaf awareness week 4-10 May – ‘zip it’ activities to appreciate what it is like living in a world without sound.	SENCO to organise ‘Autism Awareness Week’. All staff	Autism Awareness Week March 2016. (repeat annually) Racism workshops March 2016. PSHE SEAL lessons (ongoing)	Pupils’ awareness and understanding of difference improved. Pupils’ understanding of Autism and hearing impairment improved. A reduction in the number of racist incidents recorded. Basic Makaton used throughout the school – in particular greeting people and ordering lunch.

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