Richard Cloudesley School

Equality statement

At Richard Cloudesley School, we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers at the school irrespective of race, gender, disability, faith or religion 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 able to participate fully in school life.

The achievement of pupils will be monitored by race, gender and disability and we will use this data to support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching. We will tackle discrimination by the positive promotion of equality, challenging bullying and stereotypes and creating an environment which champions respect for all.

Legal Duties
As a school we welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010. The general duties are to:

• eliminate discrimination
• advance equality of opportunity
• foster good relations.

We understand the principal of The Equality Act and the work needed to ensure that those with protected characteristics are not discriminated against and are given equality of opportunity.

A protected characteristic under the act covers the groups listed below:

• age
• disability
• race
• sex (including issues of transgender)
• gender reassignment
• maternity and pregnancy
• religion and belief
• sexual orientation
• Marriage and civil partnership

In order to meet our general duties, listed above, the law requires us to carry out some specific duties to demonstrate how we meet the general duties. These are to:

• Review Equality Information – The DfE guidance ‘The Equality Act 2010 and Schools’ states, ‘It is probably helpful to consider what kind of information will be relevant’. As we are a small school and diving information into groups is likely to identify individuals, will not publish any information. Instead, governors will keep this under review.
• Prepare and publish equality objectives which we will review on an annual basis
• Consult the school community in the development of our equality objectives and report on progress against our objectives on an annual basis

We also recognise that our work on equality is central to the successful promotion of fundamental our values, especially in relation to the values of respect and acceptance and the rule of law. We will therefore ensure that our curriculum helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain and that we work proactively to address all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including derogatory and discriminatory language.

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.

In fulfilling our legal obligations, we will:

• Recognise and respect diversity
• Foster positive attitudes and relationships, and a shared sense of belonging
• Observe good equalities practice, including staff recruitment, retention and development
• Aim to reduce and remove existing inequalities and barriers
• Consult and involve widely
• Strive to ensure that society will benefit

Addressing Prejudice Related Incidents
This school is opposed to all forms of prejudice and we recognise that children and young people who experience any form of prejudice related discrimination may fair less well in the education system. We provide both our pupils and staff with an awareness of the impact of prejudice in order to prevent any incidents. If incidents still occur we address them immediately and may seek support from the Local Authority Equality Team.

Breaches
Breaches to this statement will be dealt with in the same ways that breaches of other school policies are dealt with, as determined by the headteacher and governing body, i.e., using the school disciplinary policy.

Objectives for 2025-26
1) Enhance Diverse Community Representation: Further integrate diverse community representation into the curriculum, resources, and activities. This includes ensuring that teaching materials, including those generated by AI, reflect a variety of cultures and perspectives, and organizing events that celebrate the diversity within the school community.

2) Support Non-English-Speaking Parents: Use workshops and AI translation to help parents understand the curriculum and support their child's education.

3) Address Mental Health Stigma: Recognize that staff roles often expose them to indirect trauma and provide support to address mental health stigma. Implement programs and initiatives that promote mental health
awareness, signpost counselling services, and promote a supportive environment for staff to discuss and manage their own mental well-being.