St Swithun’s VC Lower School

Single Equality Duty

Issue 1

February 2016

Author / Amended by / Date agreed by Governing Body / Next Review
Mrs A Whitehurst / Feb 2016 / Feb 2017

At St Swithun's VC Lower School we aim to provide a happy, secure, stimulating and Christian Values based environment in which children may develop positive attitudes to both living and learning.


Meeting the needs of all members of the school community.

School vision

At St Swithun’s VC Lower School our vision is to develop confident and independent learners who are able to communicate effectively with others. Our aim is for the children to be happy in all aspects of school life and for them to aspire to be the best they can be.

We will achieve this by creating a culture of independent learning and discovery that is stimulating and enjoyable for both children and staff. The children’s views will be sought and valued and high expectations will ensure that all children achieve.

Our mission statement and vision underpin every aspect of school life and our commitment to establish a community where everyone is treated fairly and with respect. We want everyone to reach their potential and we recognise that for some pupils extra support is needed to help them to achieve and be successful.

Our mission statement is ‘building the foundations for the future’

Schoolpolicystatementonequalityandcommunitycohesion

Ourschooliscommittedtoequalitybothasanemployerandaservice-providerandwecarryoutour daytodayworkthroughourembeddedvalues and ethos:

1. We trytoensurethateveryoneistreatedfairlyandwithrespect.

2. We wanttomakesurethatourschoolisasafe,secureandstimulatingplaceforeveryone.

3. We recognisethatpeoplehavedifferentneedsandweunderstandthattreatingpeopleequallydoesnot

alwaysinvolvetreatingthemallexactlythesame.

4. We recognisethatforsomepupilsextrasupportisneededtohelpthemtoachieveandbesuccessful.

5. We trytomakesurethatpeoplefrom differentgroupsareconsultedandinvolvedinourdecisions,for

examplethroughtalkingtopupils, staffandparents/carers,andthrough ourSchoolCouncil.

6. We aimtomakesurethatno-oneexperiencesharassment,lessfavourable treatmentordiscrimination

becauseoftheirage;anydisabilitytheymayhave;theirethnicity, colourornationalorigin;theirgender;their

genderidentityorreassignment;theirmaritalorcivilpartnershipstatus;beingpregnantorhavingrecentlyhad

ababy;theirreligionorbeliefs;theirsexualidentityandorientation.

  • We setourAccessibilityPlanObjectivesfora3yearperiodandreviewtheprogress annually.
  • We welcomeourgeneraldutyundertheEqualityAct2010toeliminatediscrimination,toadvanceequalityofopportunityandtofostergoodrelations,andourspecificdutiestopublishinformationeveryyearaboutourschoolpopulation;to explainhowwehavedueregardforequality;andtopublishequalityobjectiveswhichshowhowweplantotackle particularinequalities,andreduceorremovethem.
  • We alsowelcomeourdutyundertheEducationandInspectionsAct2006topromotecommunitycohesion.

We welcometheemphasisintheOfstedinspectionframeworkontheimportanceofnarrowinggapsinachievementwhichaffect,amongstothers:

  • Pupilsfromcertainculturalandethnicbackgrounds
  • Pupilswhobelongtolow-incomehouseholdsandpupilsknowntobeeligibleforFree SchoolMeals and the Pupil Premium Grant
  • Pupilswhoaredisabled,orwhoareintheprocessofbeingdiagnosedasdisabled
  • PupilswhohaveSpecialEducationalNeeds
  • Boysincertainsubjectsandgirlsincertainothersubjects
  • VulnerablePupils,wherehomecircumstancesareknownorbelievedtobeunsettledinsomeway,causingsomelevelofconcern.

Inadditiontothisshortstatement,wealsohaveafullschoolpolicystatementonequalityandcommunitycohesion.

TheEqualityAct2010requiresustopublishinformationthatdemonstratesthatwehavedueregard fortheneedto:

  1. Eliminateunlawfuldiscrimination,harassment,victimisationandanyotherconductprohibitedbythe EqualityAct2010
  1. Advanceequalityofopportunitybetweenpeoplewhoshareaprotectedcharacteristicandpeoplewhodonotshareit
  1. Fostergoodrelationsbetweenpeoplewhoshareaprotectedcharacteristicandpeoplewhodonotshareit.

AtSt Swithun’s VC LowerSchoolwehaverigoroussystemsformonitoringstandardsandchallengingany underperformance;ourresponsibilityinthisequalitydutyisscheduledaspartofthisrigorousprocess.

Part1:InformationaboutthepupilpopulationandtheirachievementscomparedtoNational/Localaverages.

Numberofpupilsonrollattheschool: 173includingNursery (Jan 2016)

Informationonpupilsbyprotectedcharacteristics

TheEqualityActprotectspeoplefromdiscriminationonthebasisof‘protectedcharacteristics’.Every personhasseveraloftheprotectedcharacteristics,sotheActprotectseveryoneagainstunfair treatment.Ofstedinspectionslookathowschoolshelp"allpupilstomakeprogress,includingthosewhose needs,dispositions,aptitudesorcircumstancesrequireadditionalsupport."

Below is the schools profile as of January 2016.

Gender / Total / Percentage / SEN / Total / Percentage
Male / 86 / 51.19 / Yes / 33 / 19.64
Female / 82 / 48.81 / No / 135 / 80.36
FSM / Total / Percentage / Ever 6 / Total / Percentage
Yes / 19 / 11.31 / Yes / 28 / 16.66
No / 149 / 88.69 / No / 140 / 83.33
Ethnicity / Total / Percentage / Ethnicity / Total / Percentage
White - British / 154 / 91.63 / Any Other White Background / 2 / 1.19
Black Caribbean / 1 / 0.6 / Traveller of Irish Heritage / 3 / 1.79
Black African / 2 / 1.19 / Indian / 1 / 0.6
White and Asian / 1 / 0.6 / Any Other Mixed Background / 1 / 0.6
Gypsy / Roma / 1 / 0.6 / White and Black African / 1 / 0.6
White Irish / 1 / 0.6
First Language / Total / Percentage / SEND Provision / Total / Percentage
English / 159 / 96.95 / SEND Need / 34 / 20.23
Shona / 2 / 1.22 / No SEND Need / 134 / 79.76
Tamil / 1 / 0.61 / SEND Support / 22 / 13.10
Afrikaans / 1 / 0.61 / EHCP/Statement / 11 / 6.5
Other Language / 1 / 0.61

Disability

The Equality Act defines disability as when a person has a ‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities.’

Numberofpupilswithdisabilities:34 (SENDregisterJanuary 2016)

Therearepupilsatourschoolwithdifferent typesofdisabilitiesandtheseinclude:

  • PhysicalDisability
  • AttentionDeficit & Hyperacidity Disorder
  • Autistic Spectrum Disorder
  • GlobalLearningDelay
  • Speech and Language
  • Dyslexia
  • Cognitive Learning Disorder

2015 Data Evaluation

Pupil Data on SEND – Raiseonline/LA School Profile Results – Green shading highlights above National Average

Reception – 30 Children
Number of children / Good Level of Development - % / LA Good Level of Development 2015- % / National Good Level of Development 2014 - %
No SEND Need / 27 / 78% / 68% / 66%
SEND Need / 3 / 0 / 22% / 22%
EHCP / 0% / 3%
Year 1 Phonics – 31 children
Number of children / School
Expected Standard - % / LA Expected Standard % / National expected - %
No SEND Need / 22 / 50% / 83% / 83%
SEND Need / 7 / 0% / 37% / 42%
Statement/EHCP / 2 / 50% / 23% / 18%
Key Stage 1 – 26 children
Number of Children / School Maths
APS / School Reading
APS / School Writing
APS / National
Maths
APS / National Reading
APS / National
Writing
APS
No SEND Need / 24 / 17.9 / 18.2 / 17.7 / 17.1 / 17.4 / 16.1
SEND Need / 2 / 12.0 / 13.0 / 13.0 / 13.2 / 12.8 / 13.2
Statement/EHCP / 8 / 7.8 / 6.9
Year 4 – 23 children
Number of Children / School Maths
% working at or above ARE / School Reading
% working at or above ARE / School Writing
% working at or above ARE / LA
Maths
% working at or above ARE / LA Reading
% working at or above ARE / LA
Writing
% working at or above ARE
No SEND Need / 16 / 94% / 88% / 100% / 77% / 87% / 76%
SEND Need / 5 / 60% / 80% / 40% / 33% / 42% / 24%
Statement/EHCP / 1 / 0% / 0% / 0% / 26% / 30% / 15%

Pupil Data on Gender – Raiseonline/LA School Profile Results – Green shading highlights above National Average

Reception – 30 Children
Number of children / Good Level of Development - % / LA Good Level of Development 2015- % / National Good Level of Development2014- %
Boy / 16 / 63% / 56% / 53%
Girls / 14 / 79% / 72% / 69%
Year 1 Phonics – 31 children
Number of children / School
Expected Standard - % / LA Expected Standard % / National expected - %
Boys / 17 / 53% / 73% / 73%
Girls / 14 / 21% / 81% / 81%
Key Stage 1 – 26 children
Number of Children / School Maths
APS / School Reading
APS / School Writing
APS / National
Maths
APS / National Reading
APS / National
Writing
APS
Boy / 11 / 16.8 / 15.5 / 15.2 / 16.4 / 16.1 / 14.6
Girls / 15 / 17.9 / 19.4 / 18.9 / 16.5 / 17.2 / 16.1
Year 4 – 23 children
Number of Children / School Maths
% working at or above ARE / School Reading
% working at or above ARE / School Writing
% working at or above ARE / LA
Maths
% working at or above ARE / LA Reading
% working at or above ARE / LA
Writing
% working at or above ARE
Boys / 12 / 75% / 67% / 67% / 71% / 77% / 62%
Girls / 11 / 91% / 100% / 100% / 69% / 83% / 74%

Pupil Data on Disadvantaged Children– Raiseonline/LA School Profile Results – Green shading highlights above National Average

Reception – 30 Children
Number of children / Good Level of Development - % / LA Good Level of Development 2015- % / National Good Level of Development 2014 - %
Non Disadvantaged / 27 / 78% / 66% / 64%
Disadvantaged / 3 / 0% / 41% / 45%
Year 1 Phonics – 31 children
Number of children / School
Expected Standard - % / LA Expected Standard % / National expected - %
Non Disadvantaged / 24 / 50% / 58% / 66%
Disadvantaged / 7 / 0% / 80% / 80%
Key Stage 1 – 26 children
Number of Children / School Maths
APS / School Reading
APS / School Writing
APS / National
Maths
APS / National Reading
APS / National
Writing
APS
Non Disadvantaged / 23 / 18.0 / 18.6 / 17.9 / 16.9 / 17.1 / 15.8
Disadvantaged / 3 / 13.0 / 11.7 / 13.0 / 15.1 / 15.2 / 14
Year 4 – 23 children
Number of Children / School Maths
% working at or above ARE / School Reading
% working at or above ARE / School Writing
% working at or above ARE / LA
Maths
% working at or above ARE / LA Reading
% working at or above ARE / LA
Writing
% working at or above ARE
Non Disadvantaged / 16 / 81% / 81% / 81% / 74% / 83% / 71%
Disadvantages / 6 / 83% / 83% / 83% / 58% / 66% / 53%

Part2:OurMainEqualityChallenges

Thisisasummaryoftheissuesthatwearemostconcernedabout.

Wehavealreadydevelopedstrategiesandinterventionstotackletheseconcernsandaremonitoringtheirimpactcloselyaspartofourregularmonitoringcycleinschool.

Attainmentofallgroups

WeareprioritisingclosingthegaptoNationaland Local standardsofattainmentandprogressforallgroups,withparticularemphasisondisadvantaged children and children who on the SEND register.

FollowingthesuccessofthiswewillthenlooktoexaminetheattainmentofourMoreAblepupils.

Part3:Howwehavedueregardforequality

Theinformationprovidedhereaimstoshowthatwegivecarefulconsiderationtoequalityissuesineverythingwedo.

Schoolsarerequiredtohavedueregardtotheneedtoeliminatediscrimination,harassmentandvictimisationandotherconductthatisprohibitedbytheEqualityAct2010.

1.We are aware of the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 that it is unlawful to discriminate, treat some people less fairly or put them at a disadvantage.

2.Where applicable our policies make explicit that we aim to give careful consideration to equality issues and as policies are reviewed in line with the monitoring cycle they will be edited to reflect this requirement.

3.We try to keep an accurate record, when possible and appropriate, of the protected characteristics of our pupils and employees at whole school and year group levels.

4.We analyse our data to ensure we act upon any concerns in relation to the protected groups and this is reported termly to Governors through the Standards & Inclusion Committee.

5.We record any racist or homophobic incidents and act upon any concerns and report this to the Governing body on a termly basis.

6.The Senior Leadership Team of the school is concerned with closing gaps, this is reflected in the school’s values and Strategic plan

7.We give due regard for equality issues in decisions and changes we make.

8.We deal promptly and effectively with all incidents and complaints of bullying and harassment that may include cyber-bullying and prejudice-based bullying related to disability or special educational need, ethnicity and race, gender, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, religion and belief and sexual orientation. We keep a record of all such incidents and notify those affected of what action we have taken and importantly monitor the impact our provision has had.

9.We provide training to all staff in relation to dealing with bullying and harassment incidents.

10.We have a Special Educational Needs & Disability Policy that outlines the provision the school makes for pupils with special educational needs.

UndertheEqualityAct2010,wearealsorequiredtohavedueregardtotheneedtoadvanceequalityofopportunity andfostergoodrelations.Thisincludesstepswearetakingtotackledisadvantagesandmeettheneedsofparticularindividualsandgroupsofpupils. Below outlines how the school will promote equality.

Ethnicity & Race incl EAL Learners
We are committed to working for the equality of all ethnic groups
Howweadvanceopportunity / Howwefosterpromote communitycohesion / Impactwhatweplantodonext
  • Initialassessmentsarecompletedpromptly fornewarrivalsandlearningplansareputintoplace,thesemayincludetargeted intervention.
  • We identifyappropriateprovisionandthenmonitoritsimpact.
  • Asupportivenetwork,weuseavarietyofstrategiestosupportournewfamilies.
  • Childrenarebuddiedupwithachildwithin theirclass.
  • We settargetstoimprovetheattainmentandprogressionratesofparticular groupsofpupils.
  • We identifyandaddressbarrierstotheparticipationofparticulargroupsin learningandotheractivities.
/
  • WeuseICTtosupporttranslationsand translators from other local schools.
  • Aninformalopendoor policy.
  • We aredevelopingacurriculumthatsupportsallpupilstounderstand,respectandvalue differenceand diversity.
  • We provideallpupilswithopportunitiestolearnabouttheexperiencesand achievementsofdifferentcommunitiesandcultures.
  • We ensurethatthecurriculumchallengesracismandstereotypes.
/
  • Childrenexperienceapositivestart.
  • Parentsarekeptwellinformedandthey attendschoolevents.
  • Effective,positiverelationshipswithparents,schoolandhomeworkingin partnershiptosupportthechild.
  • Pupilvoiceismonitoredregularlyaspartofourcycleitshowsthatourchildren withEALarehappyinschool

Gender
We are committed to working for the equality of both sexes
Howweadvanceopportunity / Howwefosterpromote communitycohesion / Impactwhatweplantodonext
  • We monitortheattainmentandprogressofallourpupilsbygender.
  • Wetakethe sameapproachtoaddressunderachievement:neitherboysnorgirls aretreateddifferently.
  • We settargetstoimprovetheattainmentandratesofprogressofparticulargroups ofboysandgirls.
  • TheSchoolCouncilensuresbothboysand girlsviewsareequallyrepresented.
  • Sportsteams:theseareequally representedbyboysandgirls.
  • We continuouslyreviewourprovisiontoensurethatweaddressbarrierstothe participationofboysandgirlsinactivities.
/
  • We supportallourchildrenintheirinterestsbyrunninga variety of clubs.
  • Events for parents and Grandparents are hosted throughout the year.
  • We trytoensureweincludepositive,non-stereotypicalimagesofmenandwomenin thecurriculum.
/
  • Children’sattainmentdoesnotshowanysystematicdifferencesinattainment.
  • Thecurriculumisenhancedbyincreased pupilvoice.

Disability
Wearecommittedtoworkingfortheequalityofpeoplewithwithout special needs or a disability
Howweadvanceopportunity / Howwefosterpromote communitycohesion / Impactwhatweplantodonext
  • We setchallengingtargetstoensureourchildrenwithdisabilitiesmake goodprogress.
  • We providegoodqualitytrainingforourstaffoninclusion.
  • Whenrequiredwegainexternal adviceandsupportformany differentprofessionals.
  • We promotepositivelinkswithourparents.
  • SENDdesignatedGovernor
  • Specifictargetedsupportwhere appropriate.
  • Annualreviews.
  • Liaisingandworkinginpartnership withanumberofprofessional organisations.
/
  • Ourschooladmissionscriteriawhich welcomesallpupils.
  • We workwithprivateNurseriesensuringtransferintoReceptioniseffectiveassmoothaspossible.
  • We liaisewithspecialschoolsinthelocal arearegarding effectiveprovision
  • Regularmeetingswithparents.
  • We enableallpupilstolearnabouttheexperiencesofdisabledpeopleand thediscriminatoryattitudestheyoften experience.
  • We ensurethatthecurriculumandresourcesshowspositiveimages of people who are disabledor have a special need.
/
  • Childrenexperienceapositivestart to school life.
  • Parentsarekeptwellinformed and given support.
  • Effective,positiverelationshipswithparents,schoolandhomeworkingin partnershiptosupportthechild.
  • Effectiveinclusionofchildrenwith special needs or a disability.
  • Pupilvoiceshowsthatourchildrenwith additionalneedsarehappyinschool.

Disadvantaged
We are committed to working for the equality of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils
Howweadvanceopportunity / Howwefosterpromote communitycohesion / Impactwhatweplantodonext
  • We monitortheattainmentandprogressofpupils who receive the Pupil Premium Grant.
  • The Pupil Premium Champion monitors the provision and attainment of disadvantaged children
  • All opportunities, events and activities are open to disadvantaged and non- disadvantaged children.
  • The Pupil Premium Grant is used to ensure that disadvantaged children have access to the same opportunities as those children who are not from disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • We settargetstoimprovetheattainmentandratesof progressofdisadvantaged children.
  • TheSchoolCouncilensuresthat all viewsareequallyrepresented.
  • We continuouslyreviewourprovisiontoensurethatweaddressbarrierstothe participationofdisadvantaged pupilsinactivities.
  • We have a robust PPG Policy which is monitored and outcomes evaluated by the Standards & Curriculum Committee under the guidance of the Pupil Premium Champion.
/
  • We supportallourchildrenintheirinterestsbyrunninga variety of clubs.
  • We ensure that all children can experience trips and visits by using the Pupil Premium Grant.
  • We aredevelopingacurriculumthatsupportsallpupilstounderstand,respectandvalue each other.
  • We ensurethatthecurriculumchallengesany views about pupils who live in areas of deprivation.
/
  • Children’sattainmentdoesnotshowanysystematicdifferencesinattainment.
  • Thecurriculumisenhancedbyincreased pupilvoice.
  • Disadvantaged pupils have access to the same experiences at school.

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Part4:Consultationandengagement

Weaimtoengageandconsultwithpupils, staff,parentsandcarers,andthelocalcommunitysowecandevelopourawarenessandinformation,learnabouttheimpactofourpolicies,setequality objectivesandimprovewhatwedo.

Ourmainactivitiesforconsultingandengagingare:

  • Annual Questionnaire - pupils & parents
  • Headteacher tea-parties
  • Whole school meetings
  • Consultation Evenings
  • Informal morning/end of day meetings with teachers, Head & Deputy
  • School Council
  • Governor monitoring
  • Staff feedback and questionnaires

Part5:OurequalityObjectives

TheEqualityAct2010requiresustopublishspecificandmeasurableequalityobjectives.Our equalityobjectivesarebasedonouranalysisofdataandotherinformation.Ourequalityobjectives focusonthoseareaswherewehaveagreedtotakeactiontoimproveequalityandtackle disadvantages;wefeltitappropriatetohaveanobjectiveforeachgroup.Wewillregularlyreviewtheprogresswearemakingtomeetourequalityobjectives.

EqualityObjectives
Dateset / Type of Group / Objective / Measure / Evaluation
May15 / Disability / To maintain the progress of children on the SEND register and be in line with National outcomes. / EYFS, Year 1 Phonics and KS 1 data
May15 / Disability / To develop systemic assessment system to monitor rates of progress of children on the SEND register. / Rate of progress to individual targets rather than Age Related Expectations.
May15 / Gender / Toclosetheattainmentgapbetween boys and girls. / Increase % of boys achieving a GLD at the end of EYFS
Increase number of boys passing the Yr 1 phonics check.
Boys and girls achievement is broadly in line.
May15 / Ethnicity / Todevelopasystematicschoolapproachtomonitoringsignificantethnicgroupsattainmentandprogress. / Dataismonitored termly.
May15 / Religion / TohaveayearlycycleinplaceforWorshipallowingforlinkswithallhalf termly Christian Valuestobeplannedalsoin linewith SMSC. / Monitoringshows appropriatelinksto assemblythemesreligionslinkedto SMSC
May15 / Religion / Toensure that RE is well taught and there are opportunities for visitors of different religions and faiths to visit the school. / Monitoringshows the RE syllabusis well taught with books demonstrating children’s learning and knowledge.
Dateset / Type of Group / Objective / Measure / Evaluation
May15 / Disability / Toensurethateffectiveness of specialist SEND staff is successful and supports learning needs. / Feedback from pupils, staff and parents. Objectives on children’s IEP’s are well supported and clear progress is made.
May15 / Disadvanta-ged / To ensure that there is no performance gap between PPG and non PPG pupils and PPG progress at the same rate as non PPG pupils. / Pupil Premium Champion to monitor and report on provision, interventions and outcomes of PPG pupils.
May15 / More Able / To provide pupils who are assessed as being More Able opportunities to extend their learning further and provide them with experiences to utilize their talents and gifts. / Increase out of school opportunities with local schools and improve provision by teachers in lessons to extend these pupils learning further.
May 15 / All pupils / Tobetterassesschildrenwhoareworkingbelow NationalCurriculum ARE,ensuringthattheirsmall steps arerecognised. / Clearcriteriafor progressinlearning forchildrenbelow NCARE.
May 15 / All pupils / Rigorousandvalidatedassessments ofpupilsonentryintoReceptionand Nursery–inlinewithexistingwhole schoolpractices. / Clearand robustattainmentandprogressmeasures inplaceforEYFS. Introduction of new EYFS Baseline Assessment.