Equality and Diversity

Equality of opportunity is at the heart of our values as an Academy. We are against all forms of discrimination – whether that be on grounds of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or age. We oppose all forms of intolerance towards any group, however manifested. We have zero tolerance of any form of discrimination or prejudice.

As a school we work closely with Telford and Wrekin Multi Diversity Team http://www.telfordeducationservices.co.uk/multicultural-development-team-mdt, Telford African & African Caribbean Resource Centre  https://www.facebook.com/TAARCuk/, as well as our wonderful school community.

Equality Objectives Statement

At Priorslee Academy, we welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010. These duties are

• Eliminating discrimination
• Fostering good relationships
• Advancing equality of opportunity

We will not discriminate against, harass or victimise any pupil, prospective pupil, or other member of the school community because of their:

• Gender
• Race
• Disability
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation
• Gender reassignment
• Pregnancy or maternity

Priorslee aims to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, with special emphasis on promoting equality, diversity and eradicating prejudicial incidents for pupils and staff. Our school is committed to not only eliminating discrimination, but also increasing understanding and appreciation for diversity.

Priorslee believes that a greater level of success from pupils and staff can be achieved by realising the uniqueness of individuals. Creating a prejudice-free environment where individuals feel confident and at ease is a commitment of the school. This environment will be achieved by:

• Being respectful
• Always treating all members of the school community fairly
• Developing an understanding of diversity and the benefits it can have
• Adopting an inclusive attitude
• Adopting an inclusive curriculum that is accessible to all
• Encouraging compassion and open-mindedness

Our School Development Plan/Objectives for Equality and Diversity for 2022 – 2023 focuses upon:

The school has taken various steps in relation to embed equality and diversity in the school. In recognition of the school’s potential to build on existing strengths and the Head of School’s commitment to make improvements in the area of equality and diversity, the following recommendations from Telford and Wrekin’s MDT are that:

The next steps for the school, to ensure equality and diversity is reflected in every aspects of the school life, will be to carry out audits provided by MDT:
 Self-Audit tool for schools
 Parental View tool for schools
 Self-Audit tool for pupil groups
 Curriculum Cultural Diversity Audit (History & Religious Education)

Findings from the audits should be made part of the equality and diversity sections in the School Development Plan with clearly stated, short, medium and long-term aims.

Parental consultation should be carried out in relation to new policies as well as the current policies. This will support parents to become fully aware of school policies and its commitments, so that they know who to contact if a racist incident happens.

All governors must take training on equality and diversity including Race Equality.

The teachers will need training on initial EAL assessments and how to monitor and track progress for all EAL children.

The initial point of contacts for parents including office staff need to take training on gathering information about EAL children on first joining the school.

The Learning Support Assistants will benefit from training on effective EAL strategies to support children. The training should include strategies to support advanced learners as well as new arrivals.

There needs to be continued attention to preventing and reducing racism through the curriculum and in the school’s overall ethos through inclusion and education days, as well as inclusive everyday teaching.

The physical environment, curriculum content and resources should more accurately reflect the linguistic, cultural and religious diversity of the school.

There needs to be more displays emphasising anti-racism and equality ethos. The displays should also reflect ethnic representation of the groups in the school.

We are committed to having a balanced and fair curriculum. We believe that our pupils should be exposed to ideas and concepts that may challenge their understanding to help ensure that pupils learn to become more accepting and inclusive of others. Challenging and controversial concepts will be delivered in a way that prevents discrimination, and instead promotes inclusive attitudes. We will also respect the right of parents to withdraw their children from classes which pose conflicts to their own beliefs.

Priorslee Academy does not tolerate any form of prejudice-related incident. Whether direct or indirect, we treat discrimination against all members of our school with the utmost severity. When an incident is reported, through a thorough reporting procedure, our school is devoted to ensuring appropriate action is taken and a resolution is put into place which is both fair and firm.

At Priorslee, our pupils are taught to be:

• Understanding of others
• Celebratory of cultural diversity
• Eager to reach their full potential
• Inclusive
• Aware of what constitutes discriminatory behaviour

The school’s employees will not:

• Discriminate against any member of the school
• Treat other members of the school unfairly

The school’s employee’s will:

• Promote diversity equality
• Encourage and adopt an inclusive attitude
• Lead by example

Priorslee Academy does not discriminate against staff with regards to their:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marital or civil partner status
• Pregnancy or maternity
• Race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin
• Religion or belief
• Sex or sexual orientation

Equality of opportunity and non-discrimination extends to the treatment of all members of the school community. All staff members are obliged to act in accordance will the school’s various policies relating to equality.

We will guarantee that no redundancy is the result of direct or indirect prejudice. All disciplinary procedures or staffing decisions are non-prejudicial, whether they result in warnings, dismissal, or any other disciplinary action.

Prejudice is not tolerated at Priorslee and we are continuously working towards a more accepting and respectful environment for our school’s community.