At The Stoke Poges 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.

At The Stoke Poges School, we believe that diversity is a strength which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit us.

The Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 was introduced to ensure protection from discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the grounds of specific characteristics (referred to as protected characteristics).  This means that schools cannot discriminate against pupils or treat them less favourably because of their sex (gender), race, disability, religion or belief, gender reassignment, sexual orientation or pregnancy or maternity.

The Act requires all schools to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty and two specific duties.

Public Sector Equality Duty requires us as a school to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• Advance equality of opportunity between different groups
• Foster good relations between different groups

The two ‘specific duties’ requires us to:

• Publish information to show compliance with the Equality Duty
• Publish Equality Objectives at least every 4 years which are specific and measurable

We recognise that these duties reflect international human rights standards as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and the Human Rights Act 1998.

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 methods 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 others 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

Staff and governors demonstrate our values and commitment to equality by:

• Ensuring acceptable behaviour
• Responding to incidents and complaints in a proactive way
• Providing access to services and facilities and information
• Recruiting and employing people fairly
• Meeting specific needs