Christ is the centre of our school community

Where we live, love and learn together.

At St. John's we are committed to equal opportunities and comply with the Equality Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011.

Our school population includes a wide range of different community groups and we are dedicated to ensuring that our school is a place where everyone feels welcome and where all pupils can learn. Our consistently high expectations and inclusive teaching practices ensure that St. John's is a school where children can achieve their best.

Our pupils also have a range of different abilities and interests, beliefs and aspirations. Many of our pupils also speak other languages and English is an additional language for them. At St. John's, we want all of our pupils to reach their full potential and thoroughly enjoy their education. The staff at St. John's are experienced in teaching pupils with a wide range of abilities and use a variety of different techniques and intervention programmes to ensure all children can access the curriculum fully.

We are committed to meeting our Public Sector Equality Duty to:

(a) Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act.

(b) Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

(c) Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

We shall achieve this through

• Implementing required policies and procedures
• Ensuring appropriate training for our staff
• School assemblies and special events
• Our curriculum and interaction with all members of our school community
• Our communications, website and publications
• Our ethos and values
• Appropriate oversight by school leaders and Governors
• Our identified school objectives

Equality Objectives 

In line with the Equalities Act, 2010 and the school’s Equality and Diversity Policy and Public Sector Equality Duty commitment statement, the following objectives demonstrate the school’s focus on providing equal and inclusive educational and non-educational services in a non-discriminatory manner for all members of our school community.

These objectives have been arrived at following discussions with members of the school community, an analysis of pupil progress and a review of the school’s developing population over recent years.

 

1. Promoting Cultural Understanding and Respect:

Objective: To enhance cultural understanding and respect among our students, staff, and wider school community.

• Our carefully designed curriculum and our RE scheme of work, ‘Religious Education directory’ for Nursery to year 3 and ‘Come and See’  for year 4 to 6, allows pupils to celebrate the diversity of cultures and backgrounds represented in our school.
• Our board and balanced curriculum promotes equality, celebrate diversity and promote community cohesion by fostering good relations.
• A number of awareness days are organised throughout the year. Where regular assemblies, events, workshops, and activities that promote intercultural understanding and respect are conducted.
• Encourage students to share and celebrate their own cultural heritage, fostering a sense of pride and belonging. 
• KS2 pupils take part in Neurodiversity celebration workshops conducted by Liverpool Community Spirit Workshops tackling faith phobias, racism and prejudice.

 

2. Eliminating Achievement Gaps for disadvantage pupils:

Objective: To close the achievement gaps and ensure equal opportunities for disadvantage pupils.

• To monitor and analyse on student achievement of all pupils, which will identify any disparities with ethnicity, gender and social economic background. This information will inform action plans to further support children.
• Implement inventions and support to address any gaps in attainment.
• Teachers and co-ordinators will seek out opportunities to broaden the wide range of experiences our pupils’ have within school.

• Targeted Book Study workshops for Year groups delivered by Liverpool Community Spirit.  
• Parent/ Carer Workshops for adults who have EAL to learn English.

 

3. Narrowing the gap in performance of SEND children:

Objective: To close the achievement gap and ensure equal opportunities for SEN pupils.

• Regularly review and update our curriculum to ensure it is accessible and inclusive for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Monitor and review interventions and provision in place for SEND pupils and pupils who are cause for concern to support pupils to overcome barriers to learning and make optimal progress. .
• Further develop the pupil and parent voice with regards to the SMART outcomes agreed and planned for the pupil. 
• Quality CPD for staff is provided to improve understanding and provide strategies/ resources that can be implemented to support pupils with SEND.
• Provide support and signposts for parents of children on the ASD Pathway or with an ASD diagnosis.

 

4. Inclusive Learning Environment

 Objective: To create an inclusive learning environment that values and supports the diverse needs of all students.

• Ensure that our physical environment, resources, and teaching materials are accessible and inclusive for all students, including those with disabilities. 
• CPD is provided for staff to enhance their understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• To celebrate and promote different cultures and religions through the curriculum, which is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect histories (e.g. black history workshops), experiences and diversity.
• Staff to be role models and create a positive inclusive environment.

 

 5. To eliminate any discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

Objective: To eliminate any discrimination, harassment and victimisation. To ensure no-one is unfairly or illegally disadvantage as a consequence of their age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, skin colour, race, ethic or national origin, disability or religious beliefs.

• The Senior leadership Team will ensure that procedures and practices within the school reflect the objectives of the Equality policy.
• Diversity will be recognised as a positive, rich resource for teaching, learning and the curriculum.
• The curriculum ensures the positive representation of all protected characteristics across so that our children see and can be seen.
• Accessibility across the school for students, staff and visors with disabilities, including specialist teachers.
• Role models for all students, ensuring diversity in the staff body, visiting speakers and in leadership roles.
• The consistent recording, reporting and action by staff following incidents of discriminatory language and behaviour, including bullying.
• Staff follow a number of policies: bullying, inclusion, safer recruitment, equality and diversity policy.

 

Monitoring and Review:

Progress against these objectives will be monitored termly and will be formally reviewed annually. The information collected will inform our decisions, adjust our strategies if needed, and ensure ongoing improvement in promoting equality and diversity.

For more information please see our Equality and Diversity Policy on our policies page here.

 

Equality and Diversity Curriculum

To see our PSHE curriculum programme overview please click here

 

Promoting Equality and Diversity

We also promote equality and diversity throughout the year using a variety of Awareness Days-

 

PUBLICATION

All equality policies will be published on our website and will be made available both electronically and in a hard copy format.

St John's Catholic Primary School adopt a whole school approach to equality and diversity and consider it important for pupils to learn about equality and human rights. We adhere to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) statement:

‘To reap the full benefits of equality and human rights education, it is essential to teach topics in an environment which respects the rights and differences of both students and teachers. Without an equality and human rights culture within the classroom and school as a whole , learning about these topics can at best appear irrelevant, and at worst, hypocritical. The respect and tolerance it teaches will help staff and pupils create a healthier, happier, fairer school culture and could lead to reductions in bullying and other negative behaviour and improvements in attainment and aspirations’