Equality Objectives
Preface:
Whatever the nature of our local community, our students are growing up in a wider multicultural society where they are subject to various attitudes towards minority groups, certain images of these groups portrayed by the media and their own unconscious bias. The school’s Equality Objectives should be read in conjunction with the Accessibility Policy.
Churchdown School recognises that this pursuit of an equal and cohesive community is a process and involves regular reflection and learning in an ever-changing landscape and is committed to this pursuit.
Churchdown School Mission Statement
Our mission is to be a school where student development and learning are at the centre of everything we do. Students are expected to strive for personal excellence and demonstrate a commitment to learning as they fulfil their potential. Our community is a nurturing and caring one, where students are encouraged to show compassion, friendship and support towards one another. We aim to provide an education which is fully inclusive, where every child is valued for who they are and who they can become.
At Churchdown School the education we provide is guided by the values of integrity, resilience, respect, ambition and tolerance. These values are particularly important to us as we develop the students into lifelong learners and prepare them for a life beyond school. We are totally committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Ethos:
The School stands against all forms of discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability or ability.
This is achieved through the following objectives:
- Promotion of cultural understanding and awareness within our school community
- Monitoring the involvement of all groups of students in the extra-curricular life of the school, including leadership opportunities. School leaders will then act accordingly as a result of collecting this information.
- Actively close gaps in attainment and achievement between students and all groups of students; especially students eligible for pupil premium funding and students with special educational needs and disabilities
- Continue to improve accessibility across the school for students, staff and visitors with disabilities
- Reduce the incidence of the use of anti-social language by students in the school through the work and care of all pastoral leaders
In addition to the shared Equality Objectives above, Churchdown School Academy stands united in an unflinching ambition to tackle all anti-social behaviour in our communities.
To achieve this aim, the objectives are:
- Formally gathering the views of our student and staff community regarding their experience and acting on recommendations where possible. This is achieved through the work of our School Council and School Parliament
- Through robust reporting systems, clear consequences, education to increase empathy, INSET for staff and encouraging openness
- Through education, empathy, developing equalities visibility and the opportunity to explore and discuss in a secure environment.
- Embedding the teaching of Equalities in the curriculum, pastoral time, extra- curricular activities and through the House System
- Proactive celebrations including, but not limited to Pride Month, Black History Month, Anti-bullying week, Mental Health Awareness week and School’s Diversity week
- Opportunities to foster understanding, e.g. Tutor activities, PSHE lessons, Assemblies, guest speakers to address different year groups with age appropriate resources
- Support and development of understanding of Mental Health issues
- Working with local providers to seek speakers for students around equality issues
- Ensuring that incidents involving anti-social language are dealt with swiftly and sanctioned in accordance with the school's behaviour policy
- Meeting all victims of anti-social incidences to hear and record their views and to assure the victims that sanctions have been applied and to reinforce that the school will not tolerate this type of behaviour
Last reviewed: Autumn 2022
Next reviewed: Autumn 2024