At Priestmead Primary School, we ensure equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers receiving services from the school, irrespective of age, race, gender (re-assignment), disability, religion and belief, sexual orientation, marital/cohabiting status or socio-economic background. We develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and able to participate fully in school life.

The achievement of pupils is monitored by race, gender and disability and we use this data to support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching. We tackle discrimination by the positive promotion of equality, challenging bullying and stereotypes and creating an environment which champions respect for all. We believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here.

WE CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY!

We teach the children of Priestmead to enjoy being different and we ensure all differences are equally recognised and celebrated – it is what makes our school and our world an exciting place to be

What is our School Population like?

• Priestmead Primary School is predominantly multicultural; the percentage of the school population with other than English believed to be a child’s first language is consistently above the national percentage
• Children are able to speak approximately 33 different languages with Gujarati, Tamil and Urdu being the most widely spoken
• The population consists of over 10 different ethnicities
• During the last 3 years there has been an increase in the number of children from the European Union
• Our population represents approximately 9 different religions across the 800+ children
• The staff population is becoming increasingly multicultural; staff are able to speak approximately 17 different languages

How does Equality come into Staffing and Governance?

• We adhere to statutory equal opportunities and safeguarding procedures when recruiting and promoting staff
• The Inclusion Team, alongside the Leadership Team,  have responsibility for overseeing and reviewing equality procedures
• A member of the Governing Body has a delegated responsibility for equality procedures within Priestmead
• We have staff who also come from similar cultures to many of our children and can speak about 17 different languages that assist families when it comes to translating information (Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, French, Portuguese for example)

How is Equality reflected in our Policies and Procedures?

• Before introducing important new policies or measures, we carefully assesses their potential impact on equalities
• We have rigorous safeguarding policies in place including procedures to tackle bullying in all forms
•  We have an accessibility plan in place and as we start building works to accommodate our expanding school, this will become even higher profile
• All our policies are linked with and make reference to the Equality Act 2010; every policy starts with Safeguarding and Equality statements to remind us of our focus and commitment to Priestmead families

Is Equality taught through the Curriculum?

• There is coverage within the curriculum to promote each child’s understanding of equalities issues including community cohesion,  gender roles, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• Curriculum resources represent a wide variety of ethnicities, religions and cultural backgrounds
• We partake in anti-bullying week and actively promotes UNICEF’s  Rights of a Child
• Our values which promote equality are also taught through the curriculum
• All reasonable adjustments are made to ensure the our physical environment is suitable for all students.

How is the Priestmead Community Consulted and Involved in Ensuring Equality Policy is Practice?

• We have procedures for finding out how pupils think and feel about the school and have due regard for the Equality Act when responding
• We have procedures for consulting and involving parents and carers in all aspects of school life and have due regard for the Equality Act when responding
• Senior staff are always on the playground before and after school and every newsletter reminds parents/carers the door is open – come and talk to us!

How do you Measure Equality at Priestmead?

• Our children have the confidence to tell us if they feel something is unfair and through School Council, Prefects and Playground buddies, we have ways to hear their voice over time and see if we are getting it right for them
• Priestmead uses a variety of data sources to rigorously track the attainment and achievement of all groups of children including but not limited to gender, ethnicity and disability/ SEN
•  If we identify an underachieving group of children, additional measures are put in place to enable each child to reach their potential

More Information

Click below for our Equalities Policy: