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St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School

St Peter ChanelCatholic Primary School

Inspire, Challenge & Empower so through Christ we make a difference

Equality Statement

School policy statement on equality, diversity and community cohesion

St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School was founded by and is part of the Catholic Church. The school is to be conducted as a Catholic school in accordance with Cannon Law and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and in accordance with the Trust Deed of the Archdiocese of Southwark and at all times the school is to serve as a witness for the Catholic faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our school is committed to equality both as an employer and a service provider:

We try to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect.
We want to make sure that our school is a safe, secure and stimulating place for everyone.
We recognise that people have diverse needs, and we understand that treating people equally does not always involve treating them all exactly the same.
We recognise that for some pupils extra support is needed to help them to achieve and be successful.
We try to make sure that people from different groups are consulted and involved in our decisions, for example through talking to pupils and parents/carers, and through our Pupil Parliament and Learning Council.
We aim to make sure that no-one experiences harassment, less favourable treatment or discrimination because of their age; any disability they may have; their ethnicity, colour or national origin; their gender; their gender identity or reassignment; their marital or civil partnership status; being pregnant or having recently had a baby; their religion or beliefs; their sexual identity and orientation.
We welcome our general duty under the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to foster good relations, and our specific duties to publish information every year about our school population; to explain how we have due regard for equality; and to publish equality and diversity objectives which show how we plan to tackle particular inequalities, and reduce or remove them.

We also welcome our duty under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to promote community cohesion. We welcome the emphasis in the Ofsted inspection framework on the importance of closing gaps in achievement which affect, amongst others:

pupils from certain cultural and ethnic backgrounds
pupils who belong to low-income households and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals
pupils who are disabled
pupils who have special educational needs
boys in certain subjects, and girls in certain other subjects.

For more information please contact:

Samantha Gower

(Member of staff with responsibility for equality issues)

Tel: 0208 302 6029 Email: head@st-peterchanel.bexley.sch.uk

Mary Townsend

(Member of governing body with responsibility for equality issues)

Tel: 0208 302 6029 Email: admin@st-peterchanel.bexley.sch.uk

The Equality Act 2010 requires us to publish information that demonstrates that we have due regard for the need to:

Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010
Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

Part 1: Information about the pupil population

Number of pupils on roll at the school: 196

Information on pupils by protected characteristics

The Equality Act protects people from discrimination on the basis of ‘protected characteristics’. Every person has several of the protected characteristics, so the Act protects everyone against unfair treatment.

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.’

Number of pupils with disabilities:

As these numbers are typically very low, the school feels it would be inappropriate to publish this information.

Pupil Special Educational Needs
(SEN) Provision	Number of pupils	Percentage (%) of school population
No Special Education Need	176	87%
SEN Support	25	13%
Statement/ EHC Plan	4	2%

Ethnic group
Asian + Any other	1	Gender
Bangladeshi	2	Boys	Girls
Black Ghanaian	4	92	104
Black Nigerian	16 (8%)
Black European	6	Religion
Black and any other	1	Roman Catholic	77 (39%)
Filipino	1	Christian	89 (45%)
Indian	6	Hindu	4
Italian	1	Muslim	7(4%)
Kurdish	1	No Religion	64 (33%)
Other Mixed	4	Other Religion	2
Pakistani	1	No Information	3
Sri Lankan Tamil	3
Traveller/Roma Gypsy	2
Turkish	1
Vietnamese	0
White English	110 (56%)
White Irish	0
White and any other ethnic group	4 (2%)	White + Indian	1
White and Black African	3	White western European	1
White and Black Caribbean	2	White other	3
White Eastern European	10 (5%)	Other Black African	3
Roma	1	Black _ Other	1
Information Not Yet Obtained	4	Chinese + other	1

Information on other groups of pupils

Ofsted inspections look at how schools help "all pupils to make progress, including those whose needs, dispositions, aptitudes or circumstances require additional support." In addition to pupils with protected characteristics, we wish to provide further information on the following groups of pupils:

Pupil with English as an additional language (EAL)
	Boys	Girls	Total	Percentage of school population
Number of pupils who speak English as an additional language	25	26	51	26%
Number of pupils who are at an early stage of English language acquisition	3			1.5%

Pupils from low-income backgrounds

Boys

Girls

Total

Percentage of

school

population

Number of pupils eligible for free school meals

15.3%

Looked after children

As these numbers are typically very low, the school feels it would be inappropriate to publish this information.

Young carers

The school does not collect any information in this area.

Other vulnerable groups

The school does not collect any information in this area.

Part 2: How we have due regard for equality

The information provided here aims to show that we give careful consideration to equality issues in everything we do. Schools are required to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.

The information below is a summary of how we are aware of this particular requirement and how we respond to it. Please contact us if you would like to see copies of any of our school policies.

The equality statement is referred to in all school policies as it is an intricate part of the running of the school. We deal promptly and effectively with all incidents and complaints of bullying and harassment 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. Our complaints procedure sets out how we deal with any complaints relating to the school.

Under the Equality Act 2010, we are also required to have due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. This includes steps we are taking to tackle disadvantages and meet the needs of particular individuals and groups of pupils.

Disability

We are committed to working for the equality of people with and without disabilities.

Summary information

The school building is compliant with the current DDA legislation requirements. All reasonable steps have been taken to ensure this meets the needs of staff, children and parents/visitors who are currently part of our community.

How we advance equality of opportunity:

We support disabled learners by meeting their individual needs, through meeting with parents and carers and with specialists, to draw up individual support plans and risk assessments. These needs are then cascaded to all staff who come into contact with the child to ensure their needs are fully met.

The school looks favourably on job applicants with a disability and always interviews disabled applicants for any advertised post. The school actively encourages parent helpers, including those with a disability.

How we foster good relations and promote community cohesion:

The school is good at promoting the spiritual, moral, social and culture development of all pupils, as was recognised in the OfSTED inspection in 2016. Pupils and visitors are fully included and catered for, in all aspects of school life- regardless of any disability. We ensure that the curriculum has positive images of disabled people.

What has been the impact of our activities? What do we plan to do next?

Pupils see other people, particularly those with disabilities, as equals.

Ethnicity and race (including EAL learners)

We are committed to working for the equality of all ethnic groups and to celebrating the diversity within our school community.

Summary information

Analysis of three year assessment trends between 2016 and 2018, indicate that children from other ethnic backgrounds perform at least as well, and frequently better than, national comparatives. White British children in the school are performing less well than their peers; this is being tackled through a core focus this year on developing British values and promoting positive role models for the children, to enhance aspirations.

All our children are valued for the diversity they bring to their community. The school uses national celebrations and events to enhance this, for example through the Olympic games, world cup and national saints days.

How we advance equality of opportunity:

We monitor the attainment and progress of all our pupils by ethnicity every half term and take actions to address any negative trends that may materialise.

How we foster good relations and promote community cohesion:

The school is good at promoting the spiritual, moral, social and culture development of all pupils, as was recognised by the OfSTED inspection in 2016. We ensure that the curriculum has positive images of people from a range of ethnic backgrounds. We harness national Celebrations such as royal events or sporting events including the Commonwealth Games to promote and celebrate the wonderful ethnic mix the UK has. All ethnic groups represented in our school community play an active role right across the life of the school. British Values and promoting role models is a core aim of the school. All groups of the school, from the staff, governing body, parliament and those involved in after school activities, reflect the diverse groups represented in the school.

What has been the impact of our activities? What do we plan to do next?

Pupils see other people, particularly those from other ethnic backgrounds, as equals.

Gender

We are committed to working for the equality of women and men.

Summary information

Analysis of three year assessment trends between 2016 and 2018, indicate that girls perform at least as well, and frequently better than, national comparatives. Boys are currently underperforming across the school but this is being addressed through the design and implementation of the new curriculum.

How we advance equality of opportunity:

We monitor the attainment and progress of all our pupils by gender every half term and take actions to address any negative trends that may materialise.

How we foster good relations and promote community cohesion:

The school is good at promoting the spiritual, moral, social and culture development of all pupils, as was recognised by the OfSTED inspection in 2016. We ensure that the curriculum has positive images of people, male and female. Parents and carers are invited in to talk about their jobs- Aspiration Day. Girls are actively encouraged to extend their knowledge in the sciences and boys are actively encouraged to develop their cooking and craft skills. We actively challenge stereotypes and install a self-belief in all children that they can achieve anything they put their mind to. This is carried out cross curricula but particularly in PHSE.

What has been the impact of our activities? What do we plan to do next?

Pupils see other people, male or female, as equals.

Religion and belief

We are committed to working for equality for people based on their religion, belief and non-belief.

How we advance equality of opportunity:

The school supports our pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging, which helps them to flourish within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society.

How we foster good relations and promote community cohesion:

The school is good at promoting the spiritual, moral, social and culture development of all pupils, as was recognised by the OfSTED inspection in 2016. The curriculum makes robust provision for the teaching of other faiths across the school. The children have opportunities to visit other places of worship, from their own and to reflect upon and appreciate the similarities and differences from their own faith.

What has been the impact of our activities? What do we plan to do next?

Pupils understand and respect the authenticity and value of the beliefs of others.

Part 3: Consultation and engagement

We aim to engage and consult with pupils, staff, parents and carers, and the local community so we can develop our awareness and information, learn about the impact of our policies, set equality objectives and improve what we do.

Our main activities for consulting and engaging are:

Teachers and seniors leaders in the school are easily accessible to all pupils and parents.
High quality information is communicated through weekly newsletters, the school website, School Ping and DB Primary.
Important information is shared with parents and the wider community as soon as possible- inspection reports are shared in full and further feedback is requested at every opportunity.
Regular and meaningful consultation takes place with the Pupil Parliament and Learning Council.
Annual surveys of pupils, parents and staff are undertaken with statistical data published to the community and planned responses communicated.
Governors are present at Parents Evening to have conversations and take the views of parents.

Part 4: Record of how we have considered equality issues when making decisions

The Equality Act 2010 requires us to show due regard to equality issues when we make significant decisions or changes in our policies. This means we need consider what the impact of those decisions or policies will be on pupils and staff with protected characteristics before a decision is made or a policy is finalised.

Date	Policy or decision	Equality issues we considered	Action taken or changes made
September 2014	Redrafting of the School’s Mission.	Ensuring the whole-school community, particularly the children were involved in the formation of a new shared mission.	The three key words that summarise the mission: inspire, challenge and empower came from working with the all stakeholders.
September 2014	Enrolment in Challenge The Gap programme	Ensure children from vulnerable groups and/ or with protected characteristics are identified and tracked to ensure they make at least expected progress across the year.	Chn from low income backgrounds targeted for additional support and intervention.
October 2014, and every year after at this time.	Redrafted SEN, Safeguarding and Admissions policy in line with changes to legislation and Code of Practice. Reference to our equality and diversity statement included in them	Ensure that policy is applied to all people without prejudice, the wording of policies clearly showed commitment to equality.	All policy is compliant and ensures equality for vulnerable children
October 2014	Appointment of DHT	Appointed person had experience with and strong belief in equal opportunities and promoting equality in the school.	Interview questions drafted to ensure experience was identified so a positive appointment made.
October 2014	Appointment of SENCo	Appointed person had experience with and strong belief in equal opportunities and promoting equality in the school, particularly as they will be acting as school advocate for SEND.	Interview questions drafted to ensure experience was identified so a positive appointment made. Support and training given during induction.
November 2014	Developing policy and practice for sustained equality of opportunity and diversity in recruitment.	Training on Safer Recruitment ensured HT had all latest information in relation to equality of opportunity in light of recent changes to government advice and guidance.	School recruitment promotes equality of opportunity for all - based on ‘best person for the job’ against Job Description and Person Specifications.
November 2014	Forest School training	Opportunities to access the grounds enabled all children, regardless of protected characteristics.	Support given to ensure children’s barriers are removed to enable them to make good use of experience.
November 2014	Anti-bullying SLE Michelle Pollard	All children have a voice and concerns of all children valued and taken seriously.	Any child feeling bullied given time to talk and share feelings. School investigated all reports of bullying consistently taking all children’s views into consideration.
December 2014	Introduction of differentiated input approach	All children are able to achieve and make progress as they are being taught at their level, regardless of starting points. Chn are treating at individuals and learning is tailored to specific needs.	Chn given targeted input at level and scaffolds and tools used to remove barriers, particularly for children not achieving expected progress. Data analysis showed this to be SEN, FSM and WBB.
January 2015, reviewed annually from this time.	Re-drafted behaviour policy and introduced behaviour ladder.	Introduced behaviour system based on consultation with children and parents that was more positive and rewarded children equally. Focus on being visually positive to encourage child but also to have consistent sanctions so all children know what is expected of them.	Children consulted and action taken under their advice, consistently applied policy for all children, including those children with protected characteristics.
January 2015	Introduced Gymnastics training for teachers	All needs of children catered for including those with disabilities.	Teachers trained to ensure barriers are removed to enable all children to access lesson and participate fully. Training specifically tailored to individual classes.
May 2015, re-done annually	Election for Pupil Parliament representatives.	All children encouraged to take part regardless of ethnicity, gender, economic background, specific needs.	Specific talk about equality and voting system and how to vote for best candidate based on policies. Voting system set up as polling station for silent vote.
June 2015, carried out annually	Aspirations Day	Chn given the opportunity to view professionals by choice. Access arrangements made where appropriate for children with mobility issues.	Adult distributed around school taking into consideration mobility of students wishing to listen to talk. All children able to choose who they went to see. Range of professionals from different backgrounds as speakers.
July 2015, carried out annually	Sports Day	Event changed this year. Evaluations took into account all children in the school so they would all be able to actively participate. This will occur every year so arrangements are made to cater for all children of differing abilities.	Range of races to allow for all children to participate and succeed. Seating on chairs and out of sun to ensure all children were able to stay outside and enjoy day together.
July 2015	Appointment of pupil premium teacher.	Appointed person had experience with and strong belief in equal opportunities and promoting equality in the school, particularly as they will be acting as school a FSM6.	Interview questions drafted to ensure experience was identified so a positive appointment made. Support and training given during induction.
August 2015	ICT suite built	All chn able to access computers and enter and exit the room with ease.	Building fully DDA compliant- fire door access, ramp exit, heights of doors, lights, computers at approximate height for any child to access.
November 2015, carried out for 2 years	Big Book Brunch	All families welcome in school regardless of background, particularly men and families form WB backgrounds.	Specific invitation to dads and grandads. Time chosen based on feedback about best time for families. Support and training given so all families know and understood how to participate regardless of their own literacy.
November 2015, , carried out annually	School nurse provided training for medical concerns.	All children have the right for education regardless of medical conditions.	Training given for conditions in school. Medical booklet updated.
December 2015, reviewed annually	PSHE curriculum introduced	Curriculum drafted to ensure all children are educated on the risks they face and how to safeguard themselves.	Advice sought form police to ensure appropriate content, consulted with staff and governors. All children able to access regardless of experience.
December 2015, reviewed annually	RM Maths program bought for all children.	All children from all backgrounds have the right to thrive in their education.	Some children may not have access to internet due to economic background; some children may not be able to access content due to visual or learning difficulties. Program caters for this with visual and auditory questions. Lunch time club for children to use product if they unable to at home.
January 2016, reviewed annually	Introduced new SEN guidance in school	All children treated fairly and given provision required to ensure equality in accessing learning.	Staff all trained in new guidance, instruction in ensuring equality of opportunity for all children. Resources purchased to support access to learning for children with specific need.
February 2016, reviewed annually	Accessibility Plan	Ensure all children can access education equally because school makes all reasonable measures to make sure the school is DDA compliant	Surveyed all areas of the school using a questionnaire created by H&S specialist. Drafted plan with clear timeframes to enhance accessibility where reasonable and realistic.
April 2016, reviewed annually	Educational visits	Accessibility for all children on school trip regardless of needs to ensure equality of opportunity.	Developed EV planning to take into account specialist needs for individuals and include on RA how will enable all chn to access trip.
July 2016	Appointment of Behaviour Support Mentor	Appointed person had experience with and strong belief in equal opportunities and promoting equality in the school, particularly as they will be acting as the school advocate for disaffected children.	Interview questions drafted to ensure experience was identified so a positive appointment made. Support and training given during induction
August 2016	Installation of new playground equipment	When choosing equipment, care taken to ensure enabled children with a range of different needs.	Team swing for children with reduced movement selected and equipment with a range of difficulty levels to be inclusive for all children. Musical instruments selected to support children with sensory needs and hearing impairments.
September 2016, carried out annually	Inset and staff training	Ensure that all children are treated fairly by all staff.	Discussion held and CPD delivered to enable all children to be treated fairly and can access learning at their level. Also that expectations of all children are high enough so they can fulfil their potential.
September 2016	New library installed	Ensure all children could access the appropriate shelves, move around the room and access a number of appropriate books.	Books shelved low to ground to allow chn to access, selection of books in furniture can access for all directions, seating included for those who need to sit regularly.
December 2016	Changed school journey venue	Ensure all children able to access visit and attend to activities.	Chose a range of activities based on the needs and interests of the class, considering children with less mobility.
February 2017, and on every trip and experience throughout the year	Reviewed school trip procedure to support children with reduced mobility to attend.	Ensure all children able to access visit and attend to activities.	Changed transport method to attend some trips to enable all children to attend, including those with reduced mobility.
May 2017	Reviewed assessment procedures.	Ensure tests were accessible for all children and enabled them to achieve their best.	Changed timetable for tests to make them, accessible to all children, increased number of children requiring adult support.
June 2017	Reviewed lunchtime football tournament	Ensure girls feel they are able to participate fully in lunchtime football.	Changed timetable and set up of football so girls had specific football sessions so they felt more comfortable to play.
July 2017	Redeveloped school playgrounds	Ensure everyone is able to access the school and grounds.	Resurfaced all playground s to develop entrance and exit to both school and grounds to make accessible for all people, including those using a wheelchair.
October 2017	Introduction of additional clubs including art and gardening	Ensure equality of opportunity for all children in school from all vulnerable groups.	Ensure a range of types of activity to cover a range of abilities and interests, making sure all children have equal access, making adjustments as necessary.
March 2018 and during all parent events and occasions from then on.	Supporting families with furniture to support where necessary and with accessibility.	Parents are able to access all school evets and are comfortable ensuring no-one is penalised for any characteristics that may act as a barrier.	Ensure seating reserved, specific chairs allocated, seating available
March 2018	New gates and fences installed	Ensure accessibility easy for all members of the school community, particularly those who have reduced mobility.	Ensured timings for gates allowed enough time for people to enter, safety measure in place to ensure it opens again on contact, entrance buttons at appropriate height for wheelchair users.
April 2018	Purchase and installation of new outdoor gym equipment	All children can use equipment to some degree regardless of any barriers.	Range of types of equipment to suit different abilities, training given to support all children in the class to use, targeting where needed for anyone who may struggle or neds adjustments
August 2018	New playground markings and equipment	All children can use equipment to some degree regardless of any barriers.	Range of types of equipment/ markings to suit different abilities, training given to support all children in the class to use, targeting where needed for anyone who may struggle or neds adjustments
September 2018	Drafted a new recruitment policy	Ensure all people have equality of opportunity and access to jobs in the school and adjustments are put in place to support this process.	Policy written to clearly reflect equality act.
September	Review of Afterschool and breakfast club activities.	Ensure interesting and appropriate activates offered to all children and adjustments made for children who may have barriers.	Range of art, sport and academic style activities, support identified for specific children, clear planning written with specific children’s needs met where appropriate.
September 2018	Reviewed use of PTA funds to support memorable events in school	Range of opportunities to ensure all pupils included and able to access regardless of characteristics that may make this difficult.	Changed how spend money raised by PTA to provide memorable experiences for all chn so all chn have access to events such as circus skills and music workshops.
November 2018	Reviewed medical procedures	Ensure all children able to attend school and not penalised by medical condition.	Took advice from nurse to ensure procedures reflect best practice, reviewed policy and care plans redrafted and in place, shared with staff
April 2019	Emergency release button moved	Individuals in wheelchairs can still leave premises in the event of an emergency.	Moved button higher so cannot be used unless in a nonemergency. Identified alternative exits more suitable to quick exit.
May 2019	PEEP and GEEP procedures reviewed, fire evacuation reviewed	Ensure that all individuals with temporary or permanent reduced mobility are able to evacuate the building in an emergency	Create a plan for evacuation for all and to be adapted for specific individuals as appropriate to ensure everyone able to leave the premises in an emergency.
June 2019	Reviewed wider curriculum	Range of opportunities to ensure all pupils included and able to access regardless of characteristics that may make this difficult.	Range of activities identified including no coat and reduced travelling options, workshops to school- researched to ensure suitable for all abilities, adjustments made where necessary to allow all to enjoy.
August 2019	Redevelopment of Reception outside area and allotments	Ensure area accessible to all and ensure that learning space is utilised to ensure all children thrive	Develop sensory garden to support learners who require greater multi-sensory approach, wheel chair access to garden for pupils with reduced mobility.
September 2019	New signing in system at the school office.	Accessible to all regardless of mobility and learning ability	Installed on pivot so all able to move to suitable height, office staff talk visitors through first use and when needed, each time.
September 2019	Development of additional classroom to become an inclusive SEN classroom, including building a sensory room.	Room accessible to all learners and reflects the best possible environment to support most vulnerable learners	Individual workstations, time out zone, sensory room, visuals and tools to support learners who are finding hard to access mainstream environment.

Part 5: Our equality objectives

The Equality Act 2010 requires us to publish specific and measurable equality objectives. Our equality objectives are based on our analysis of data and other information. Our equality objectives focus on those areas where we have agreed to take action to improve equality and tackle disadvantages.

Equality objective 1: To ensure children from White British backgrounds achieve at least in line with their peers nationally.-

Equality objective 2: To expose children to role models that are from a variety of different cultural backgrounds and/ or who have overcome difficulties.

We will regularly review the progress we are making to meet our equality objectives.

Part 6: Information about our employees

If we have more than 150 employees we are required to publish information about them.

The school has 32 employees at present.

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