Shire Oak School - A Science College - Racial Equality Policy - Updated September 2009
Shire Oak School – A Science College
Race Equality Policy
September 2009
Review
In order to ensure that it reflects current best practice, this policy will be reviewed every year.
The next review date is September 2010
Main reviewer: Head Teacher
In liaison with: The Pastoral Manager
Introduction
Although having only a small percentage of minority ethnic children, our following policy enables our school to meet our statutory obligations under the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000. Through this policy our school is working in line with the Commission for Racial Equality Standards “Learning for All” (2000) and working towards meeting the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry (2000).
Our commitment
Within Shire Oak we will, at all levels,
§ treat all as individuals with their own particular abilities, beliefs, challenges, attitudes, background and experiences.
§ have an ethos which promotes race equality, develops understanding and challenges myths, stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices.
§ encourage all to have a positive self image and high self-esteem.
§ have high expectations of all involved with the school.
§ promote mutual respect, value others’ similarities and differences and face equality issues openly.
§ have practices in place which are fair to all.
§ monitor, evaluate and review all the above to make sure that we continue to improve on all we do.
The above commitment will be displayed in all classrooms, offices and staff rooms from September 2002.
Our roles and responsibilities
Governors
To ensure the Governing Body can assess and monitor the impact of this policy, it will be reviewed annually (see Statement of Race Equality). A race equality link governor will be appointed.
The Headteacher is charged to effect duties in connection with our policy and will annually review an action plan. Where additional funding is available for raising the achievement of minority ethnic pupils the headteacher will ensure such additional resources are used appropriately and targeted for this purpose.
Race equality co-ordinator - Mrs. Smith
As Pastoral Manager, Mrs Smith has overall responsibility for ensuring our policy is effective as an aspect of her social inclusion responsibility.
Subject leaders/Heads of Year
All staff carrying allowances for specific areas or initiatives will be responsible for reviewing and monitoring curriculum or other policies and planning to ensure race equality is being promoted. From September 2002 and thereafter, this policy will form one aspect of each department’s action plan.
Teachers
All teaching colleagues will familiarise themselves with our policy and carry out their responsibilities to ensure our policy is effective.
Administrative, ancillary, supervisory and support staff
All colleagues will familiarise themselves with our policy and accept their responsibilities for ensuring it is implemented.
Pupils
All pupils will be made aware of the finalised policy and how it applies to them. All will be expected to treat each other with respect and be encouraged to continue to report any incidents of a racial nature to an adult.
Complaints
Anyone who feels this policy is being contravened should inform the Headteacher. The Headteacher will instigate appropriate action, which may, if warranted, include an investigation and report on the issue. Any formal complaint will be processed via the complaints procedure.
The next section details Shire Oak School’s Race Equality Policy, the key areas to promote Race Equality and our Action Plan.
A. Statement of race equality
Governors, staff and students of Shire Oak School make a commitment to eliminate any practices whereby one person is treated less favourably than another on racial grounds. (See Equal Opportunities Policy Statement and Multi-Cultural Policy Statement). Similarly, there will be no indirect racial discrimination where a person from a particular racial group cannot meet a general rule or condition, nor will victimisation be tolerated.
Governors accept their general statutory duty having “due regard” when carrying out all their functions the need to:
q eliminate unlawful discrimination.
q promote equality of opportunity and
q promote good relations between people of different racial groups and charge the Headteacher to ensure that their policy in this respect is adhered to within all aspects of school life.
As with all other policies approved by the Governing Body, this policy shall be reviewed annually, with governors re-affirming their commitment to promoting race equality as an aspect of their equal opportunities re-affirmation, made at the first meeting of the full Governing Body at the outset of the new academic year.
In effecting their duty, the Governing Body will ensure that there is equal opportunity irrespective of race in terms of monitoring:
q Pupils’ attainment and progress
q Curriculum, teaching and learning
q Care and assessment
q Staff recruitment and career development
q The school’s values
q Pupil behaviour, discipline and exclusion
q Racism and racial harassment
q Admission and transfer procedures and
q Membership of the Governing Body
Monitoring of the race equality policy will feature as an agenda item on the termly governors’ meeting, and in the first newsletter of each academic year parents will be informed of the policy. The statement of race equality will similarly be incorporated within the school prospectus basic information section which is updated annually.
As all policies are reviewed annually, the Headteacher will ensure that account is taken of racial equality, and governors will likewise have due regard for their duty when drawing up or considering new policies.
Staff and governors will continue to be encouraged to participate in INSET relating to equality of opportunity in its widest sense, multi-cultural education and, in respect of race equality in particular. Citizenship will provide additional training opportunities for staff and members of the governing body in their commitment to promoting racial equality.
In essence, the school’s race equality policy will pay particular attention to having in place mechanisms which will assist all pupils to achieve to the full, offer an entitlement curriculum to all based on each individual’s needs and conform with the aims as currently defined within the equal opportunities and multi-cultural education policies; following the guidelines for dealing with Racist Behaviour Policy as extant. In making this commitment, we are contributing to preparing its future citizens for life in a multi-ethnic society, promoting race equality and harmony and combating racism.
B. Mechanisms to monitor race equality and its impact on pupils’ attainment:
Current practices, as detailed below, will continue to measure the school’s performance and effectiveness.
Data maintained on the system will record, using the UPN, ethnic categories and pupil attainment. This will enable monitoring of progression between each key stage and will highlight under achievement of any particular ethnic
groups. Where under-achievement is highlighted, students, irrespective of race, will continue to receive additional support/intervention, whether formally via the SEN Code of Practice or informally via teaching and/or pastoral personnel, the involvement of external support agencies, or participation in specific programmes such as SuccessMaker. Parental involvement will continue to be invoked at an early stage to combat under-achievement of any pupil.
External examination reports KS3 to KS5 compiled by Heads of Department will continue to record the performance of different racial groups. This practice will in respect of all students as defined under Section 13 (Social Inclusion) of the Equal Opportunities Policy (see also Subject Leaders’ Manual for example of report format)
As part of the Head of Department’s report, strategies for implementation to improve students’ performance will continue to be an aspect of the monitoring process.
Mentoring systems currently operative will continue in the drive to raise pupil attainment.
Additional extra coaching sessions for students highlighted as underachieving will be arranged.
Heads of Year will maintain data on the numbers of students by ethnic background placed on work and progress reports. A written report will be included in the Head’s termly report to governors. Similarly, appearance before the Pupil Welfare Committee will be monitored.
Heads of Year in Key Stage 4 will maintain data relating to representatives from different racial groups participating in alternative education programmes, including work related learning.
Heads of Year will compile data to reveal different racial groups being placed in school detention for failing to
a) submit work set or produce work of a standard commensurate with their target grade.
b) are subjected to disciplinary measures for an infringement of the school rules.
The member of the SLT in charge of monitoring school attendance will:
a) maintain attendance data by teaching set according to different racial groups to assess the impact of setting arrangements on pupils’ attainment levels. A full report will constitute an aspect of the Head’s report.
b) Provide, in addition to the current termly attendance report included in the Head’s report to governors, a breakdown by year group of the authorised and unauthorised absence rate by ethnic group split into boys and girls.
Awards assembly recipient data will be maintained revealing presentations made to different racial groupings.
Heads of Year will extend the current monitoring of attendance at consultative evenings to include parental representation of different racial groups.
The governing body recognises that other factors can have an adverse effect upon pupils’ attainment. To this end they will continue to ensure that:
q data relating to exclusions is maintained to reveal different racial groups as per the practice extant.
q the control and restraint log records reference to racial groups.
q the racist log includes the exact ethnic category of both the victim and the aggressor.
q the bullying log records the ethnic category of the victim and the aggressor.
q All formal complaints from parents will be recorded by racial group.
q Attendance at extra curricular activities will be monitored by racial group.
With respect to membership of the Governing Body all governors will complete an ethnic category monitoring form and submit such with their Declaration of Interest and Statement of Commitment forms.
To ensure that any information relating to the school is accessible to all parents, irrespective of ethnic grouping, Governors will ensure the words “If you require this information in a language other than English please contact the school” is added.
With respect to support advice and guidance to enable the school to maintain accurate data on Year 11 and Year 13 students moving into Further and Higher Education the Careers Officer, will be requested to provide information according to racial groups. This is obviously dependent upon a time scale as defined by Connexions.
C. Ensuring race equality within the curriculum
The school’s curriculum policy statements reflect that Shire Oak promotes an inclusive curriculum, reflective of the multi-ethnic nature of our society.
q Racial equality and ethnic diversity are promoted and racism and discrimination challenged.
q Curriculum planning takes account of the ethnicity, background and pupils’ language needs.
q Subject leaders and departmental heads provide guidance and examples of good practice for colleagues and the school monitors and evaluates its effectiveness in providing an appropriate curriculum for all pupils.
q The allocation of pupils to teaching groups and options is fair and equitable.
q Assessment outcomes are used to identify the specific needs of minority ethnic pupils, inform policies and the planning and allocation of resources.
q Teaching methods and styles take account of the needs of pupils from different ethnic groups and encourage positive attitudes to ethnic differences, cultural diversity and racial equality.
q In school active steps are taken to ensure resources in all areas of the curriculum are inclusive and that a greater understanding of cultural diversity and racial equality is promoted. Across all areas of the curriculum there is an acknowledgement of the importance of challenging racism and racial discrimination.
q Resources are available to meet the specific needs of pupils from different ethnic groups and the school makes full use of the resources available within its local ethnic communities.
D. Ensuring we meet the needs of pupils having english as an additional language.
Although on roll currently there are few minority ethnic pupils (11 with EAL), the school recognises and values bilingualism. In the event that EAL needs are required, the following would operate:
q The language and learning needs of bilingual children would be clearly identified and appropriate support mounted.
q The school would ensure pupils’ communities languages and cultural backgrounds were reflected e.g. multi-lingual signs and notices.
q The school would extend the range of ICT programmes, audio, video tapes, games etc. to support and encourage the maintenance and development of home/community language skills and cultural heritage.
q The school would seek to provide community languages and dual language texts (fiction and non-fiction) to enable pupils and communities to have access to developing their literacy in the first language.
q The skills of parents and local communities would be drawn upon to provide resources.
q The school would seek to provide high quality interpretation and translation across all areas of work as appropriate.
E. Ensuring race equality in terms of behaviour, discipline and exclusion
The school has always and will continue to ensure that:
q there are fair and equitable procedures in place for managing and disciplining pupils irrespective of ethnicity.
q there are identified and good practice strategies in place to reduce any differences in rates of exclusion between different groups.
q re-integration strategies in respect of long term truants and excluded pupils address the needs of pupils from all ethnic groups.
F. Combating racism and racial harassment
All associated with the school will continue to abide by our already well established and monitored Anti-Racist policy.
G. Ensuring race equality in terms of admissions and transfer procedures
As the school utilises the services of Walsall Children’s Services their admission process is fair and equitable to pupils from all ethnic groups. In effecting their duties the Admissions Committee ensures its admissions criteria is followed to the letter and is fair and equitable to all ethnic groups.
H. Specific duties as employers
To enable governors to effect their duty as “the authority”, and to facilitate them in supplying the LA with appropriate employment data, the following will be in place.