Campsbourne in inclusive; we focus on the well-being and progress of every child and we are committed to ensuring all members of our community are of equal worth.

We believe that the Equality Act provides a framework to support our commitment to valuing diversity, tackling discrimination, promoting equality and fostering good relationships between people. It also ensures that we continue to tackle issues of disadvantage and underachievement of different groups.

We recognise that these duties reflect international human rights standards as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and the Human Rights Act 1998.

The Public Sector Equality Duty or “general duty” requires all public organisations, including schools to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• Advance equality of opportunity between different groups
• Foster good relations between different groups

We expect all members of the school community and visitors to support our commitment to promoting equalities and meeting the requirements of the Equality Act. We will provide training, guidance and information to enable them to do this.

Our approach to equality is based on 7 key principles:

1. All learners are of equal value. Whether or not they are disabled, whatever their ethnicity, culture, national origin or national status, whatever their gender and gender identity, whatever their religious or non-religious affiliation or faith background and whatever their sexual orientation.
2. We recognise, respect and value difference and understand that diversity is a strength. We take account of differences and strive to remove barriers and disadvantages which people may face, in relation to disability, ethnicity, gender, religion, belief or faith and sexual orientation. We believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here.
3. We foster positive attitudes and relationships. We actively promote positive attitudes and mutual respect between groups and communities different from each other.
4. We foster a shared sense of cohesion and belonging. We want all members of our school community to feel a sense of belonging within the school and wider community and to feel that they are respected and able to participate fully in school life.
5. We observe good equalities practice for our staff. We ensure that policies and procedures benefit all employees and potential employees in all aspects of their work, including in recruitment and promotion, and in continuing professional development.
6. We have the highest expectations of all our children. We expect that all pupils can make good progress and achieve to their highest potential.
7. We work to raise standards for all pupils, but especially for the most vulnerable. We believe that improving the quality of education for the most vulnerable groups of pupils raises standards across the whole school.

Equalities Objectives

Objective 1: To narrow the attainment gap for disadvantaged learners so that they attain in line with their peers.

Why we have chosen this objective:

Analysis of school attainment data shows that a disproportionate number of children who are defined as disadvantaged are attaining below their peers.

We want to ensure that the best possible provision is put in place for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, so they are supported and are able to access the learning, particularly those children who also have additional SEND. By targeting this group of children we intend to improve their rates of progress and reduce the attainment gap.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

• Provide support and professional development for staff in developing whole class provision for disadvantaged children
• Prioritise these groups when monitoring learning and setting performance management targets
• Ensure that pupil premium funding is used effectively for this group of children. This will include support for enrichment activities as well as academic support

Progress we are making towards achieving this objective:

To be reviewed in autumn 2025

Objective 2: To improve attendance of children so that attendance for disadvantaged learners is inline with their peers. 

Attendance is a national priority and focus for Campsbourne School. Good attendance is proven to have an impact on raising attainment, improving mental health and is an important protective factor for our most vulnerable children. We want every child to have the best possible chance to achieve their potential in their learning. By being at school every day, children are given an equal chance to achieve in their education and to keep up with their peers.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

• Monitor and track attendance regularly
• Create individualised plans for children with attendance below 90%. These plans must be agreed and supported by class teachers, pastoral team and senior leadership
• Create a greater sense of belonging by working closely with children and their families to address concerns

Progress we are making towards achieving this objective:

To be reviewed in autumn 2025

Objective 3: To review all policies in line with this Equality and Objectives Policy to ensure that all aspects of school life are free from discrimination.

Why we have chosen this objective:

We want to ensure that all aspects of school life are free from discrimination by reviewing the school’s policies against the aims, objectives, values and principles of this policy to ensure all measures are taken to eradicate discrimination and reduce disadvantage.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

• To review all policies as part of our annual cycle against this policy
• To provide governors with specific feedback about the reviews and where changes have been made accordingly

Progress we are making towards achieving this objective:

To be reviewed in autumn 2025

Please refer to the Equalities Policy for full details of our approach to promoting equality.

Equalities Policy: Equality Information and Objectives (Summer 2024)

Accessibility Plan: Equality and Accessibility Policy (Autumn 2022)