Equality Statement & Objectives

As a public organisation, under the Equality Act 2010 we are required to:

• Publish information to show compliance with the Equality Duty.
• Publish Equality Objectives which are specific and measurable.

We have due regard for the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other conduct 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 between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

Our Equality Objectives are:

• Provide an environment that welcomes, protects, and respects diverse people.
• Ensure that all students are given the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the life of the school.
• Address cultural events through the curriculum to increase student awareness and understanding of issues in different communities.
• Actively close gaps in attainment and achievement between students and all groups of students; especially students eligible for free-school meals, students with special educational needs and disabilities, looked after children and students from minority ethnic groups.
• Promote cultural understanding and awareness of different religious beliefs, ethnicities, gender, and disability related issues.
• Promote mental health awareness and develop appropriate interventions where necessary.
• Continue to improve accessibility across the school site for pupils, staff, and visitors with disabilities.
• Continue to develop positive social behaviours that enable all to feel included and safe.
• Continuously review and revise the curriculum so that it represents a diverse culture and society and encourages tolerance and respect.
• Ensure all our stakeholders understand our inclusive ethos both for our local and wider community.

Duke’s Aldridge Academy 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. 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.

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

1. All learners are of equal value.
2. We recognise and respect difference.
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.

We ensure that our pupils are exposed to and taught about all protected characteristics through our curriculum. The objectives above are our priorities for the next three years.

Our Academy Equality Objectives focus on those areas where we have agreed to take action to improve equality and tackle disadvantages. We regularly review the progress we are making to meet our Equality Objectives.