Equality Objectives

Continue to tackle any forms of derogatory language including racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia.

Each year group has enhanced Personal Development Curriculum (PDC) opportunities relating to personal identity, respecting differences, sexism, sexual harassment and use of appropriate language.

Deeper level of understanding and empathy

Reduction in cases of students using derogatory language.

Student voice and student surveys show a decrease in the number of students experiencing derogatory language.

Student voice and student surveys show an increase in the number of students who believe that all derogatory language will be challenged and sanctioned.

Ongoing

Staff training:

Update on areas of our diversity and inclusion strategy, including providing staff with scripts which can be used to tackle derogatory comments.

Half-termly

Regular communication with parents and carers regarding the work we carry out on diversity and inclusion including:

·         Half-termly newsletter

·         Regular social media posts

Ongoing

Fuse of Pastoral Mentors to further develop education for students who use derogatory language and/or discriminate against protected characteristics. Dedicated time to work with students timetabled in to Pastoral Mentors timetables.

Ongoing

Ensure that new governors have an understanding of the Equality Duty and the school’s responsibility.

Governor meeting to go through equality objectives, followed by regular questioning of the objectives and their progress.

All governors have an increased awareness of the Equality Duty and this is reflected in LGB minutes.

December 2024 and ongoing

Continue to develop students understanding and awareness of issues faced by people with different protected characteristics.

Continue to ensure that we establish a clear calendar of events that mark and celebrate a range of cultural and significant events. This will include assemblies, visiting speakers, tasks within the curriculum, Personal Development lessons, tutor time, use of social media and celebrations in the school Diner.

2024-2025 Key Themes and Events include:

·         Black History Month

·         European Day of Languages

·         World Mental Health Day

·         Remembrance Day

·         International Men’s Day

·         Word Aids Day

·         Misogyny / Period Shaming

·         Martin Luther King Jr. Day

·         Holocaust Memorial Day

·         LGBT History Month

·         International Women’s Day

·         Stephen Lawrence Day

·         Pride Month

·         Windrush Day

·         Disability Awareness Week

·         Navratri

·         Diwali and Bandi Chhor

·         Christmas and Hanukkah

·         Mahayana New Year

·         Eid

·         Easter

·         Chinese New Year

Students further develop their understanding of different celebrations / events / festivals.

Students from different protected groups feel valued and seen.

Increased participation at Pride events.

Reduction in cases of students using derogatory language.

Ongoing

Acknowledge and celebrate a range of cultural and significant events to further foster mutual respect.

Further facilitate good relations between people who have a shared characteristic and those who do not.

Hold the second Newbridge Day of Culture, taking on board student feedback following the 2024 event.

Students learn about, celebrate, and develop an understanding of different cultures – particularly the different culture of their peers. 

Spring Term 2025

Staff and students use appropriate pronouns to support wellbeing

PSHE including gatherings, Tutor Time.

Consistent use of behaviour policy to educate / sanction

Increased use of correct pronouns and awareness of the impact of neglecting to use.

Ongoing

Improved outcomes for all students.

A wide range of actions, focussing on quality first teaching, will be implemented to support the progress made by different groups of students.

(see School Improvement Plan)

Closing the academic gaps for SEND, Pupil Premium, Looked After Children and other vulnerable groups

QFT to improve the learning of all students, especially those with SEND, PP and other vulnerable groups.

Ongoing

Increased participation to co-curricular opportunities for those students with specific protected characteristics or other vulnerable groups.

Explore barriers for attendance for individuals and plan ways to overcome those barriers.

Increased attendance to:

·         Co-curricular clubs

·         Trips and visits

·         Trust events

·         Student leadership opportunities

Ongoing

Staff with protected characteristics are supported to identify barriers to progression and enabled to overcome these.

Performance management process to focus on barriers (practical and perceived) to progression.

Staff to have a positive wellbeing and to feel supported.

Ongoing

Reduce LGBTQ+-phobic, sexist and racist language and encourage students to be upstanders.

Calendar events and experiences that include:

•              Assemblies

•              SMSC tutor time activities

•              Presentations/starters in lessons

•              Use of social media

•              Visiting speakers

•              Themes in the school diner

•              Parent forums

•              Staff training

These touchpoints link to a range of issues, mainly focussing on:

•              Misogyny

•              Homophobia, biphobia and 

                 transphobia

•              Racism

Reduced students using derogatory language.

Student voice shows a decrease in the number of students experiencing derogatory language.

Student voice shows an increase in the number of students who believe that all derogatory language will be challenged and sanctioned.

Personal Development graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted (November 2024).

Parents are aware of the work carried out through parent forums, internal communication and social media.

Staff training:

Update on our diversity and inclusion strategy.

Updates in staff briefings.

All parent forums include an update on our diversity and inclusion strategy.

Develop further education for students who use derogatory language and/or discriminate against protected characteristics. A curriculum that students follow following a sanction for using derogatory language / discrimination will be written and launched.

Governors further their understanding of the Equality Duty and the school’s responsibility.

Governor meeting to go through equality objectives, followed by regular questioning of the objectives and their progress.

Governors more aware

Ensure students understand the effects of bullying and how to be an upstander.

Further develop the use of the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors to:

·         Plan and lead assemblies

·         Speak at parent forums.

·         Produce parent and student literature.

·         Produce posters and displays. 

Students learn about and understand:

·         What bullying is

·         The effects of bullying

·         Why people bully

·         How to be an upstander

Student voice indicates that students know what bullying means and believe that this is tackled if reported.

Mark and celebrate a range of events in school together including:

·         Black History Month

·         Pride Month

·         Diwali

·         Christmas

·         Eid

·         Disability Awareness Week

·         International Women’s Day

·         International Men’s Day

·         World Afro Day

·         Windrush Day

·         Remembrance Day

(See Diversity / SMSC Calendar)

Continue to ensure that we establish a clear calendar of events that mark and celebrate a range of cultural and significant events. This will include assemblies, visiting speakers, tasks within the curriculum, Personal Development lessons, tutor time, use of social media and celebrations in the school Diner.

Students more aware of issues which directly impact others but not themselves. Value diversity.

Students have a good understanding of the protected characteristics.

Students understand the fundamental British Values.

Personal Development graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted (November 2024).

Further facilitate good relations between people who have a shared characteristic and those who do not.

Launch the first Newbridge Day of Culture.

This has been a success in other school’s across our Trust, and the Spring Term will see us hold our first day specifically celebrating the different cultures in our community (and beyond).

Students celebrate and an understand a range of elements linked to different cultures – particularly the different culture of their peers. 

Student voice indicates a very positive reception from students to the school’s first culture day.

Develop diversity in the school diner.

As part of the Trust student voice focussing on diversity, students have expressed the desire for more diversity in the school diner. 

This year we will work with catering to develop key points in the calendar where diversity can be celebrated through the food we serve e.g. Windrush Day, Diwali, Chines New Year.

Students from different protected groups feel valued and seen.

Continue to challenge gender stereotypes.

Arrange visiting speakers to challenge gender stereotypes e.g. women in STEM careers.

Displays around the school challenge gender stereotypes.

Gender stereotypes are challenged through school resources.

Reduce LGBTQ+-phobic, sexist and racist language and encourage students to be upstanders.

Staff training on:

1.       Derogatory language

2.       Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language

3.       Sexism and sexist hate

Racism and racist language

Student voice shows that the use of derogatory language has reduced.

Students are aware of the protected characteristics and the need to be an upstander.

This was echoed in a recent Ofsted monitoring visit:

“Leaders have created a curriculum to teach pupils about respect as well as diversity and discrimination. Pupils learn about these themes in assemblies, personal development lessons and timetabled sessions that focus on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. Leaders have established a ‘no bystanders’ campaign to introduce the idea that pupils should look after one another. Pupils recognise the importance that leaders have placed on respecting difference. They say that there has been a reduction in pupils’ use of derogatory language. Pupils are now more aware than at the time of the previous inspection of how they can report issues and share concerns with staff. Some pupils talk about their confidence in these systems and in staff to address their worries. However, pupils continue to raise concerns about the regularity with which they hear derogatory language.”

Establish a clear calendar of events that educate and communicate to students the need to eradicate derogatory language, and the need to be an upstander. This will include assemblies, visiting speakers, tasks within the curriculum, Personal Development lessons, tutor time.

Hold parent forums to further develop the partnership between school and home in tackling derogatory language.

Launch the No Bystanders campaign with all students, resulting in students taking a pledge to be an upstander.

Survey students re. sexual harassment, sexism, homophobia & transphobia, racism and act on the results

Regular student surveys to capture student voice.

Governors further their understanding of the Equality Duty and the school’s responsibility.

Governor meeting to go through equality objectives, followed by regular questioning of the objectives and their progress.

All governors have an increased awareness of the Equality Duty and this is reflected in LGB minutes.

Further develop the Shared Reading Programme in tutor time, making sure that the texts chosen include diverse representation and consider the world from new points of view.

Review texts chosen for the Shared Reading Programme and further increase the texts used over the year.

Students are exposed to a range of characters and stories that promote diversity and different cultures.

Books found within the diversity section of the library are the most loaned.

Mark and celebrate a range of events in school together including:

·         Black History Month

·         Pride Month

·         Diwali

·         Christmas

·         Eid

·         Disability Awareness Week

·         International Women’s Day

(see Diversity / SMSC Calendar)

Establish a clear calendar of events that mark and celebrate a range of cultural and significant events. This will include assemblies, visiting speakers, tasks within the curriculum, Personal Development lessons, tutor time, use of social media and celebrations in the Dining Hall.

Students have further developed their understanding of different celebrations / events / festivals.

Highlight the contribution of Sikh soldiers in Remembrance commemorations

Assembly and SMSC tutor time activity to focus on the contribution of Sikh soldiers.

Students have been exposed to positive stories regarding groups who identify with specific protected characteristics.

Develop the learning environment to ensure that there is representation of diversity and different groups in society. This includes displays, posters, teaching resources, PowerPoints etc.

Staff training on diversity and the learning environment.

Regular site walks with Senior and Middle Leaders to evaluate diversity and the learning environment.

The learning environment reflects different groups in society, it reflects our school community and the wider community.

Establish a Pride group for LGBTQ+ students.

Pride group established.

Staff at The Newbridge School collaborate with schools across the trust to look at best practice.

Students get involved in celebration events and initiatives to educate the wider school community.

Pride group is established.

They have worked on a number of initiatives, including:

The selling of pronoun badges

Fundraising as part of LGBQT+ History Month

Organising and holding an in school Pride event

Challenge gender stereotypes.

Arrange visiting speakers to challenge gender stereotypes e.g. women in STEM careers.

Displays around the school challenge gender stereotypes.