Equality Objectives

Equality objectives 2021 – 2025

Year 2 of 4 (2023) evaluation

Objective 1: To eliminate bias or discrimination due to Mental Health.

Why we have chosen this objective: Significant progress has been made in this area in the last two years, as part of the Mental Health for Schools Award, but we still feel that in our community, there is further work to do and that pupils and their families experience some degree of bias based on mental health difficulties.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

1. Become a menopause aware organisation.
2. Introduce wellbeing coaching buddies (for new staff to start with)
3. Become a trauma sensitive organisation.
4. Introduce a pupil mental health champion.
5. Strengthen Year 6 to Year 7 transition – nurture focus.

Progress we are making towards this objective: completed Summer 2023

1. We are now a menopause and endometriosis aware employer. The wellbeing committee led training in July 22 to raise awareness of both menopause and endometriosis – all staff attended the training, as did our wellbeing governor. During 2023/2023 personal risk assessments have been implemented as necessary to ensure that staff are supported appropriately. Emergency sanitary products are in place for all staff and pupils as needed.
2. Two members of education support staff have undertaken a wellbeing apprenticeship – offered by St Bart’s Trust, this will be completed in the next academic year.
3. Peer coaching triads and professional partnerships have been implemented across the school.
4. The inclusion team have taken part in the Beacon house trauma aware professionals training and emotional regulation training – this has been cascaded to staff (teachers and education-based support staff) in 4 PDMs. The behaviour regulation policy has been reviewed by a behaviour working group and significant changes made to ensure that we are a trauma sensitive organisation. The key change is the introduction of a new five step process for all staff to follow ( Prevent, Pre-empt, De-escalate, Consequence, Responsibility, Recover and Repair). Coaching has taken place with all staff across the school around behaviour regulation and good practice shared. Further training for staff will take place in September 2023.
5. An ambassador was appointed as pupil mental health champion and reviewed the SEMH policy – we will be moving to a wellbeing advocate model moving forward and using this group, alongside pupils surveys to capture pupil voice on the impact mental health support that we provide.
6. Transition activities resumed for all pupils, with additional visits for any vulnerable pupils. Class teachers, the Inclusion hub and safeguarding team meet with the new settings to ensure that all pertinent information is passed on to the new settings.

Next steps:

• Wellbeing advocate group to be elected by peers – led by Inclusion staff and wellbeing apprentices
• Wellbeing training for staff from Andrew Black – Autumn 2023
• Wellbeing committee to take a lead on wellbeing inset for staff
• An external coach will be accessed for the Principals and SBM next year.
• Additional behaviour regulation training September 2023 and Physical support from Andrew Black in September 2023 

Objective 2: To eliminate bias or discrimination due to culture or background.

Why we have chosen this objective: Progress has been made in this area, since the introduction of Jigsaw in 2016, but we still feel that in our community, there is further work to do and that some pupils use ‘casual’ comments that are of a discriminatory nature. When audited, school literature lacked a wide range of positive representation of all cultures, that challenged stereotypes.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

1. Invest in new literature for the school library, ensuring positive representation of a wide range of cultures.
2. Have a zero-tolerance policy of ‘casual’ comments that are of a discriminatory nature.
3. Sensitively, yet firmly challenge all stereotypical views expressed.

Progress we are making towards this objective: completed Summer 2023

1. The library has been updated and now contains sections of literature to represent each of the areas of the equality objectives, this ensure appropriate representation in our library – FOPs funded additional funding for further reading materials in Summer 2023.
2. Staff training Autumn 2022 on microaggressions – also attended by a governor.
3. ‘Casual’ comments have been addressed as teaching points by all staff this year and staff have been supported to consider any unconscious bias. All problematic comments are logged on CPOMs, reported to parents and the LGC.
4. Stereotypical views have been challenged when raised by pupils – this needs to continue as at times these views are from the home

Next steps:

• Continue to be mindful of equal representation in books purchased for the classrooms and in displays around the school, including representations of biblical figures in RE lessons.
• To continue to focus on unconscious bias and microaggressions.
• Continue to challenge stereotypical views that may be expressed.

Objective 3: To eliminate bias or discrimination due to gender

Why we have chosen this objective: Progress has been made in this area, since the introduction of Jigsaw in 2016 and through staff training, but we still feel that in our community, there is further work to do and that some pupils express stereotypical views or language that is discriminatory in nature. When audited, school literature lacked a wide range of positive representation of differing gender roles and the wide range of family types that are representative of our community.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

1. Invest in new literature for the school library, ensuring positive representation of a wide gender roles and family types.
2. Have a zero-tolerance policy of ‘casual’ comments that are of a discriminatory nature.
3. Sensitively, yet firmly challenge all stereotypical views expressed.
4. Staff and pupils to consider and implement changes to make the school more gender neutral e.g. Sport Day.

Progress we are making towards this objective: completed Summer 2023

1. The library has been updated and now contains sections of literature to represent each of the areas of the equality objectives, this ensure appropriate representation in our library.
2. ‘Casual’ have been addressed as teaching points by all staff this year and staff have been supported to consider any unconscious bias.
3. Stereotypical views have been challenged when raised by pupils – this needs to continue as at times these views are from the home.
4. A whole school gender neutral sports day is now in place.

Next steps:

• To continue to focus on unconscious bias and microaggressions.
• Continue to challenge stereotypical views that may be expressed.

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