Equality Objectives

Equality Statement and Framework

Coalway Junior School is an inclusive school where we focus on the well-being and progress of every child and where all members of our community are of equal worth.

Our approach to equality is based on the following key principles:

  1. All learners are of equal value
  2. We recognise and respect differences
  3. We foster positive attitudes and relationships and a shared sense of cohesion and belonging
  4. We observe good equalities practice in staff recruitment, retention and development
  5. We aim to reduce and remove inequalities and barriers that already exist
  6. We have the highest expectations of all our children.

At Coalway Junior School, 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. Furthermore, our school embraces the aim of working together with others to improve children’s educational and well-being outcomes.

All pupils and members of staff here at Coalway Junior School will be provided with tools and opportunities to achieve their full potential regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or any other protected characteristic.

The Equality Act 2010 was introduced to ensure protection from discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the grounds of specific characteristics (referred to as protected characteristics). This means that schools cannot discriminate against pupils or treat them less favourably because of their sex (gender), race, disability, religion or belief, gender reassignment, sexual orientation or pregnancy or maternity.

The Equality Act requires us to publish information that demonstrates that we have due regard for the need to:
  • Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct that is 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 across all protected characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
Having due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity is defined further in the Equality Act 2010 as having due regard to the need to: 1. Remove or minimise disadvantages 2. Take steps to meet different needs 3. Encourage participation when it is disproportionately low. In order to help schools in England meet the general equality duty, there are two specific duties that they are required to carry out. These are: • To publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the equality duty. • To prepare and publish one or more specific and measurable equality objectives. Information on pupils by protected characteristics The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics. In order to ensure that all pupils are protected from discrimination, the school collects information on protected characteristics. Information on other groups of pupils In addition to pupils with protected characteristics, we gather further information on the following groups of pupils:
  • Pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)
  • Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
  • Disadvantaged group
  • Pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL)
  • Looked after children
  • Other vulnerable groups

Equality Objectives:

Objective 1:

 To treat everyone equally irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or any other protected characteristic.

Why we have chosen this objective: 

This is an objective that is central to our Coalway Values and belief system and  promotes our key principles.

Objective 2: 

To promote cultural understanding and awareness of different religious beliefs between different ethnic groups.

Why we have chosen this objective: 

This is an objective that is part of our school intent; whereby we pledge to provide an education that gives students opportunities to develop compassion, tolerance and a strong social conscience. This includes promoting cultural understanding and awareness of different religious beliefs between different ethnic groups.

Objective 3: 

To achieve the highest standards of teaching and learning for all children irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or any other protected characteristic; closing gaps in attainment and achievement.

Why we have chosen this objective: 

CJS is committed to ensuring that students from disadvantaged backgrounds who receive FSM, students with additional needs, Looked After Children and students with EAL are enabled within school to achieve their potential and gain their target grades in line with all other pupils in their cohort. Our approach to eliminating discrimination and advancing equality of opportunity is written in our Equality Information and Objectives Policy document.