Equality Objectives

“The work of leaders to provide a tolerant and nurturing community is a very strong feature of the school. This is a school where pupils feel safe and difference is valued. Pupils are confident and supported to be who they want to be. The work that leaders have introduced to support pupils in understanding and valuing other faiths and cultures is highly effective”- OFSTED 2019.

The 2010 Equality Act requires that, in carrying out their functions, public bodies are required to have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a Protected Characteristic and people who do not share it.
• Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a Protected Characteristic and people who do not share it.

Protected Characteristics for school provisions are:

• age (for staff only)
• disability
• ethnicity and race
• gender (sex)
• gender identity and reassignment
• pregnancy, maternity and breast feeding
• religion and belief
• sexual orientation

The specific duties regulations require schools:

1. to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty, and
2. to prepare and publish equality objectives.

To demonstrate its compliance with its Public Sector Equality Duty, the Dean Trust has produced a Strategic Equality Plan for Dean Trust Schools which includes information about the background to and the process of creating the plan and also how Equality Impact Assessment data has been used to establish Equality Priorities and to set Equality Objectives (see below).

The Government Equalities Office has produced guidance on the Equalities Act, including how to make a complaint of discrimination. The relevant page on their website can be found here.