Equality Statement

At St Margaret's Church of England Junior School, we are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers irrespective of race, gender, disability, belief, sexual orientation, age or socio-economic background. We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and ability to participate fully in school life.

We tackle discrimination through the positive promotion of equality, by challenging bullying and stereotypes and by creating an environment which champions respect for all.

We believe that diversity is a strength which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit us.

Equality in Teaching and learning

We provide all our pupils with the opportunity to succeed and to reach the highest level of personal achievement. We do this by:

• Ensuring equality of access for all pupils and preparing them for life in a diverse society
• Using materials that reflect the diversity of the school, population and local community without stereotyping
• Promoting attitudes and values that challenge any discriminatory behaviour or prejudice
• Providing opportunities for pupils to appreciate their own culture and celebrate the diversity of other cultures
• Seeking to involve all parents in supporting their child’s education
• Utilising teaching approaches appropriate for the whole school population which are inclusive and reflective of our pupils.

Equality in Admissions and Exclusions

Our admissions arrangements are fair and transparent and do not discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, religion, belief, disability and/or socio-economic background.

Equal Opportunities for Staff

All staff appointments and promotions are made on the basis of merit and ability and in compliance with the law. We are keen to ensure that the staffing of the school reflects the diversity of our community.

The school has a full and separate Equality Policy. Please consult this for further details if you wish.

How do we promote the 9 protected characteristics?

Below are some of the ways that we promote the 9 protected characteristics:

Our school vision statements, SIP, and SEF

Our school values, British values

Our school behaviour policy

Conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community

Active engagement and communication with parents and carers

Acts of Worship

Discussion within curriculum subjects, taking a cross-curricular approach

Variety of books

Promoting articulation by building appropriate language and a coherent vocabulary

Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) sessions

Religious Education (RE) lessons, RSE lessons and Protected Characteristic talks

Sporting, Art and Cultural Events

Pupil Voice

Educational visits, Real-life learning outside the classroom

Developing links with local, national and international communities

Extra-curricular activities, after-school clubs, charity work and work within the local community

Below is a list of legislation that was considered when preparing our policy:

The Equality Act (2006 and 2010) amended the requirements of the Equal Pay Act (1970(and the Sex Discrimination act

The Disability Discrimination Act (2005) • The Race Relations Act (1976)

The Race Relations Amendment Act (2000)

The Human Rights Act (2000)

The Children’s Act (2004) The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003

Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003.