EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY

INTRODUCTION

Birkenhead Sixth Form College is committed to the principles of equality and diversity for everyone. The College’s existence and activities are determined by a belief in, and a desire to ensure that all members of the College have an equal opportunity to maximise their potential and are equally valued and treated with respect. It seeks to provide employment, education and services in an environment in which diversity is valued.

The belief in equality and diversity underpins and impacts on all areas of activity and influences how the College works and what it does. The College is opposed to any form of unlawful discrimination and commits itself to eliminating any inequalities by taking positive action wherever possible.

This document should be read in conjunction with the College’s Single Equality Scheme and Action Plan which provides the framework and context to demonstrating the College’s commitment to:

·  proactively promoting equality of opportunity for current and prospective students and staff;

·  remove barriers to access, achievement and progression;

·  value the diversity and differences of everyone that studies and works at the College;

·  meet individual needs to enable the fulfilment of potential;

·  create an environment free from discrimination,

·  provide a high quality learning experience for students and a supportive working environment for students and staff.

Kathryn Podmore

Principal

June 2012


HUMAN RESOURCES DATA

The College is based on the Wirral which has a diverse socio-economic population of over 325,000. The ethnic mix is predominantly White British (98%).

At the time the audit data was gathered the College employed 179 staff (excluding casual, short term contracts).

PROFILE OF WORKFORCE

Number of staff broken down by protected characteristic and category

Daytime Provision (16-19 years)

Staff Category / No
Staff / FTE / % BME / %
Male / %
Female / %
Disability / %
Age
18-24 / %
Age
25-29 / %
Age
30-39 / %
Age
40-49 / %
Age
50-59 / %
Age
60+
Support / 67 / 51.6 / 0 / 31.3 / 68.7 / 3 / 3 / 13.9 / 13.9 / 21.5 / 33.9 / 13.8
Teaching / 63 / 49.1 / 4.8 / 30.2 / 69.8 / 3.2 / 0 / 11.5 / 29.5 / 29.5 / 27.9 / 1.6
Management / 31 / 31.0 / 0 / 43.8 / 56.2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 15.2 / 51.5 / 30.3 / 3
Total / 161 / 131.7 / 1.9 / 33.3 / 66.7 / 2.5 / 1.3 / 10.1 / 20.1 / 30.8 / 31.2 / 6.5

Adult Community Training Provision

Staff Category / No
Staff / % BME / %
Male / %
Female / %
Disability / %
Age
18-24 / %
Age
25-29 / %
Age
30-39 / %
Age
40-49 / %
Age
50-59 / %
Age
60+
Adult Tutors / 18 / 0 / 38.9 / 61.1 / 0 / 0 / 11.1 / 5.5 / 27.8 / 16.7 / 38.9

FULL AND PART TIME CONTRACTS BY GENDER

Staff Category / No
Staff / No FT
Male Staff / No Pt Male Staff / No FT Female Staff / No PT Female
Staff
Support / 67 / 10 / 10 / 16 / 31
Teaching / 63 / 16 / 3 / 15 / 29
Management / 31 / 13 / 1 / 14 / 3
Total / 161 / 39 / 14 / 45 / 63

NUMBER OF JOB APPLICATIONS FROM PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT PROTECTED CHARACTERISTICS

Number of external job vacancies from 01.04.11 – 31.03.12 = 19

Protected Characteristic / Number of Applicants / Appointed Applicants
Disabled Applicants / 12 / 1
Gender Breakdown
Male/Female / 82 Male
147 Female / 8 Male
10 Female
BME Applicants / 11 / 1
Age 18 – 24 / 59 / 6
Age 25 – 29 / 42 / 2
Age 30 – 39 / 35 / 1
Age 40 – 49 / 45 / 2
Age 50 – 59 / 33 / 5
Age 60+ / 1 / 1


LEAVERS

Number of employees with different protected characteristics who have left the College from 01.04.11 to 31.03.12 = 33

Protected Characteristic / Number of Leavers
Disabled Applicants / 0
Gender Breakdown
Male/Female / 9 Male
24 Female
BME Applicants / 0
Age 18 – 24 / 4
Age 25 – 29 / 2
Age 30 – 39 / 5
Age 40 – 49 / 8
Age 50 – 59 / 10
Age 60+ / 4

GRIEVANCES / COMPLAINTS

No grievances or complaints were raised by employees relating to equality issues, harassment or discrimination.


STUDENT DATA

a) Students at risk

This group includes looked-after children, students with mental health issues, teenage pregnancies, students living independently, those with schooling interrupted, dependency (drugs / alcohol), students who are full-time carers and students with parental responsibility.

Retention was 84%, as six students left College. The success rate of these students was 77%, which is slightly lower than the College rate, due to lower retention. The achievement rate was, however, 92%.

b) Students receiving regular learning support / having learning difficulties and/or disabilities

The overall value added of this group (achievement compared to their incoming target grades) was +31 (an average of 2 grades above target). ALIS standardised residuals: these students had an average residual of +0.667 (2/3 of a grade above expected). Of the wider group of 212 students (10-11) known to the Learning Support Team, retention was 94%, 5% above overall College retention.

The success rate for daytime students with learning difficulties / disabilities / health problems was 83%, which matched the whole College figure. For daytime students with dyslexia, the success rate rose by 10% to almost match the full College rate. For students with autism (daytime), success rate was slightly lower (68%), due to lower retention. For Asperger’s students the success rate dramatically improved last year to 92%, well above the College rate.

Therefore, for students with learning difficulties or disabilities, success rates improved, with most groups doing better than the whole College figure.

c) Students receiving Educational Maintenance Allowance or other funding to enable them to continue in full-time education

Students receiving EMA in 10-11 had and 9% better retention and 10% better success rate than those who did not receive EMA last year. The success rate of students receiving EMA has risen compared to 08-09 by 15%.

d) Students from ethnic minorities

There are very small numbers of students from a number of ethnic minority groups in College, contributing only 0.012% of starts in 10-11. Most ethnic minority groups had a retention figure of 100% and no groups had a retention rate lower than for the College as a whole. Success rates in ethnic minority groups were outstanding. In 10-11 all had a success rate of 100% except “white / black Caribbean”.

e) Gender

By 2010-11 the success rate gap between males and females had narrowed to 1%, with male success rate being higher, however the female pass rate was higher.

For the College as a whole, male value added was significantly (statistically) above the ALIS cohort in both 09-10 and 10-11 and female achievement, although not as good, more than matched expectations. There were large differences in gender value added in some curriculum areas at A2, including Computing, English, History, Politics, Maths and Sociology. At AS these included Biology, Computing, English and Physics, with higher male vale added. In Health and Social Care and BTEC Medical Science female value added was higher than male.

f) Students from areas entitled to Widening Participation Uplift

Those students entitled to ward participation uplift had a lower retention and success rate (7% lower).

g) Students from disadvantaged postcodes

Some areas in west and south Wirral have success rates well above the whole College figure. The two main Birkenhead postcode areas (CH42 and CH43), from which large numbers of students originate, had success rates which matched the College success rate. Wallasey and Upton / Woodchurch areas had lower success rates.

Summary

Overall the data for vulnerable groups indicates that the support provided by the College and, where relevant other outside agencies, is having a positive effect on both retention and success rates.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

The College’s Equality & Diversity Committee shown below comprising staff, governors and students meets on a regular basis to formally review current practices, aiming to set targets and agree actions.

Equality & Diversity Management Structure

All staff and students undertake an induction session which includes comprehensive training in equality and diversity with supporting documentation. The induction includes an explanation of:

·  Legislation governing equality and diversity, relevant definitions and protected characteristics

·  Discrimination

·  Bullying and harassment

·  College’s expectations of behaviour

Events and information are regularly provided to foster and promote cultural understanding and awareness of the different protected characteristics such as:

·  Black History Month

·  LGBT History Month

·  LGBT Quiz

·  Holocaust Memorial Day

·  International Women’s Day

·  Chinese New Year

·  Gender Identity

·  Cyber Bullying

·  Religious and Cultural Festivals

·  Bullying and Harassment (including homophobic and transphobic bullying) and IADHO (International Day against Homophobic and Transgender Bullying

·  World Cultural Diversity Day


EQUALITY OBJECTIVES

The College has set two Equality Objectives as follows:

§  To promote cultural understanding and awareness of equality and diversity across the College.

§  To increase staff’s understanding and awareness of equality and diversity.

Progress towards the achievement of these objectives will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Equality & Diversity Committee, the Senior Management Team and by Governors at regular Employment Committee meetings.

JAR June 2012