Transcript Race Equality Training Shene School

Equalities Training
for Schools and Governing Bodies
Velia Hartland
Adviser for Vulnerable Pupils & Ethnic Minority Achievement
The Equality Act 2006 brings together all recent
equality legislation in six key areas:
1. Age
4. Race
2. Disability
5. Religion & Belief
3. Gender
6. Sexual Orientation
The implementation of the Equality Act will be
overseen by the new Commission for Equality
and Human Rights (CEHR)
For more information on the CEHR, please visit:
www.equalityhumanrights.com
What are the duties on schools?
Race (obligatory):
Since the introduction of the Race Relations Act, 1976
(amended 2000), schools have to have due regard to
•promote the elimination of unlawful racial
discrimination
•to promote equality of opportunity
•to promote good relations between persons of
different racial groups.
Race (obligatory):
In order to meet the requirements of this duty, schools
must:
•Maintain a race quality policy with an action plan
•Assess the impact on pupils, staff and parents of
different racial groups
•Report on progress annually (to Governing Body)
•Review and revise the policy every three years
Disability Discrimination Act (obligatory):
Since September 2002/2005 it has been unlawful for
any school to discriminate against disabled pupils in:
•Admissions
•Education and associated services
•Exclusions
Disability (obligatory):
The Disability Equality Duty (DED), came into force for
schools in December 2006.
This was brought in to ensure the elimination of
unlawful discrimination on the grounds of disability
and to promote equality of opportunity for disabled
people, including accessibility to buildings, resources
and publications.
Disability (obligatory):
The specific duty on schools means they must:
•Publish a disability equality scheme and action plan
and involve disabled people, where possible, in
producing these
•Demonstrate actions and outcomes
•Report on progress and review every three years
Gender (obligatory):
The Gender Equality Duty (GED), came into force in
March 2007. It requires all public authorities, including
schools, to:
•Promote gender equality
•Eliminate sex discrimination
Gender (obligatory):
The specific duty on schools means they must:
•Publish a gender equality scheme and action plan
and involve stakeholders in producing these
•Demonstrate actions and outcomes
•Report on progress and review every three years
The remaining 3 equality duties, although
not yet obligatory, should be monitored
through:
•anti-bullying reporting and the
implementation of the school’s anti-bullying
policy
•recruitment procedures and protection of
staff:
Sexual Orientation
The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation)
Regulations 2007 outlaw discrimination on the
grounds of sexual orientation in relation to
employment and in the provision of goods and
services.
Religion & Belief :
Parliament approved a bill on 31 January 2006
(Racial and Religious Hatred Act, 2006) that
made it a criminal offence to use threatening
words or behaviour with the intention of stirring
up hatred against any group of people defined
by their religious beliefs or lack of religious
beliefs.
Age :
The Equality Act in 2006 (Employment
Equality (Age) Regulations 2006) prohibits
unlawful discrimination on the grounds of age.
This is in place to protect staff.
Community Cohesion:
From September 2007 schools have been under a
new duty to promote Community Cohesion
From September 2008 OFSTED will inspect this.
“The curriculum for all maintained schools should promote the
spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of
pupils at the school and of society, and prepare pupils at the
school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences
of later life”
(Education Act 2002, Section 78)
Most schools already consider this part of their role.
By community cohesion, the DCSF means
working towards a society in which there is a
common vision and sense of belonging.
A society in which the diversity of people’s
backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated
and valued.
A society in which similar life opportunities are
available to all.
For schools, the term ‘community’ has a number of
dimensions:
•the school community – the pupils, their families
and the school’s staff
•the community around the school –the local
community of people who live and work there
•the wider community of Britain
•the global community – formed by EU and
international links.
Must schools have an equality policy
and action plans?
Yes - it is obligatory for Race, Disability &
Gender and we recommend an overall
Equalities Policy for all 6 equality strands as
this will soon become statutory
Who in my school is responsible for the
equality policy?
The Governing Body
The Head teacher
All staff are responsible for ensuring all aspects
of the policy are carried out in practice.
What should my school’s equality policy
look like?
This is up to each school, however, when
drawing up the policy, you should consider the
age and understanding of your pupils and any
particular needs in your school community
How can my school use the data collected
to assess and monitor our equality policy?
The data your school collects will help
prioritise the most important issues in disability,
gender and race equality, e.g. to see whether
any group is at a disproportionate risk of
exclusion, or to measure attainment gaps, or to
monitor incidents of bullying
Must organisations allow the pupils, the staff
and the public to see their equality policy?
Yes. It is a legal obligation on schools to
ensure that parents and others can have
access to their equality policy. Schools must
also monitor the impact of its policies on pupils,
parents and staff from different groups and in
particular on pupil attainment levels.
What inspectors look for:
How inclusive is the school and how does it meet
the needs of individual pupils, including those with
disabilities and international new arrivals?
Is there equality of opportunity for disabled people,
including accessibility to buildings and publications?
What is the level of pupil mobility?
What inspectors look for:
What is the profile of pupils & the proportion of
ethnic minority groups represented in the school,
including pupils from refugee, Traveller or Gypsy
families?
What are the numbers of pupils for whom English is
an additional language?
How is equality of opportunity promoted through
teaching and the curriculum?
What inspectors look for:
Are pupils treated with respect & are their
contributions valued and encouraged?
Are teaching styles and resources free from
stereotyping and matched to the needs of individual
pupils?
Is sensitivity shown to pupils’ individual
circumstances, beliefs & cultures?
What can your school do to effectively
monitor that it is compliant to the duties?
Check that policies are in place
Check that action plans are in place
Check that they are being monitored
Know who monitors them
Ensure that reviewing your Equality Policy is part of
your school’s self review
Let it be know where you will publish either your
single equality policy or your individual policies.
Make sure all staff and visitors to school are aware
of the policies and the General Duties
Where can my school get help and advice?
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/forbusinessesandorgan
isation/educationandtrainingproviders/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/equality/
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/disabilityandthed
da/guidancedisabilityequalityinschools/
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/equality/race/
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ethnicminorities/raising_achie
vement/
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/equality/genderequal
ityduty/
Contact:
Velia Hartland
(Adviser for Vulnerable Pupils & Ethnic Minority
Achievement)
020 8891 7700
[email protected]