Equality Statement

Chillingham Road Primary School aims to ensure that people are treated solely on the basis of their abilities and potential, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, religious or political belief or affiliation, trade union membership, age, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, socio- economic background, or any other inappropriate distinction

We want all pupils and staff to achieve their full potential.

The school works to ensure that within the school expectations, attitudes, and practices do not prevent anyone from reaching their potential.

Positive attitude by teachers and children to gender equality, cultural diversity and special needs of all kinds must be actively promoted. The school recognises that a child’s self-perception can be influenced by his/her environment and the school aim’s to enhance children’s self-esteem and self-confidence by positively working to reduce any gender bias and promoting equality of opportunity. The school recognises that as children mature and their relationships with peers of both sexes develop, their perception of roles alters. Such perceptions are influenced by other factors including home, peer group and the media.

The school acknowledges its role through its policies and practices to promote equality and that people are treated solely on the basis of their abilities and potential, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, religious or political belief or affiliation, trade union membership, age, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic background, or any other inappropriate distinction.

Aims

To ensure that curriculum planning, organisation and delivery; school and classroom management, administration and organisation are guided by an “equal opportunities for all” policy.
To raise awareness of equal issues and to promote a change in attitudes and expectations between teacher-children, children-children, school-home, regarding equal opportunities in education and adult life.
To enable all to participate fully in the life of the school and to have equality of access to all areas of the curriculum and life of the school.
Classroom management and organisation will promote and reflect the school’s equalities policy.
School policies, procedures and organisation will promote and reflect the school’s equalities policy.

Guidance

Strategies are employed to ensure that the cross-curricular dimension of equal opportunity permeates all of the life and work of the school.

Strategies are also in place to ensure that all policies including staff related policies, recruitment procedures and school organisation and procedures reflect the principle of dealing with all equalities issues equally.

Children of both sexes have equal opportunity within and equal access to all areas of the whole school curriculum. This includes the curriculum; cross curricular links and areas such as extra-curricular activities. Boys and girls are encouraged to participate equally in the full range of activities both inside and outside the classroom.

Efforts are made to recognise and be aware of the possibility of gender bias in both our teaching and learning materials and our teaching styles and to avoid stereotyping
There will be flexibility in the classroom organisation to allow for differentiation in work patterns, groups, time allocation for tasks etc., to meet the needs of all the children in the class.
Materials, including displays are carefully selected for all areas of the curriculum so as to avoid sexual stereotypes and gender bias where these do occur in books, displays or conversation this will be used as an opportunity for discussion and learning.
Teacher time, attention and all resources are given equally to boys and girls
All children are encouraged to work and play freely with others of both sexes and to interact/co-operate across potential barriers of gender, culture, race and ability differences.
Opportunities are given for children to work with teaching and support staff of both sexes where possible
Boys/girls, children from minority groups and those with special needs will be treated fairly with regard to expected behaviour, discipline, standards of work.
The needs of bilingual children and their achievements in language learning will be recognised and valued by teachers and children.
The domination of equipment, activity, and conversation or teacher time by one group will be avoided.
Classroom job responsibilities will be equally allocated to girls/boys.
Teachers will avoid potential gender bias in assessing children’s work.
Curriculum planning will take into account and value equally the likely interests of boys and girls, children’s cultural background and different achievement levels.
Teaching and other groupings, such as dining table arrangements, assembly seating, classroom seating and playground areas are organised on the basis of criteria other than gender, for example, age, ability, friendship.
All adults working in the school will be encouraged to become aware of their own attitudes to equal opportunities with particular regard to learning and behavioural expectations of staff and children.
Teachers will deal promptly, and sensitively, with all racist and sexist incidents.
Pupil’s awareness will be raised relating to their own attitudes to sexism, racism and achievement differences and they will be encouraged to develop their own ways of dealing with them.
Teachers will show sensitivity to children’s cultural and religious backgrounds.
Discipline procedures - notably rewards and sanctions - are the same for both sexes
Our school uniform policy reflects equality of opportunity for all children
Children and all staff are encouraged to value each other and build up and maintain cooperative working relationships both within school and in the community, such relationships being based on mutual respect for each other
Staff are aware that all other policies such as anti-bullying, child protection and positive behaviour policies affect this policy and any discrimination or child protection issues should be dealt with following the correct procedure.
All staff and adults working in school are aware of the Whistle Blowing policy and who to inform if they are concerned about any matter in school.
All members of staff regularly review practices and approaches involving equal opportunity in terms of gender issues.

Conclusion

The school holds that differences are to be celebrated and a community is strong when it values and recognises these differences.

The school recognises its work on equal opportunities as part of the broader community cohesion.