Equality
Maiden Erlegh Trust takes very seriously its responsibilities and duties under the Equality Action. Our motto of "schools for the community, schools as a community" as well as our vision and ethos illustrate our commitment to treat everyone fairly and respectfully, to embrace and celebrate difference and to support every student in our schools to meet their potential.
Maiden Erlegh Trust will fulfil its statutory Public Sector Equality Duty to consider needs of students and their families, employees, governors, visitors and contracted service providers in terms of:
- Eliminating unlawful discrimination*, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by The Act.
- Advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
- Fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteric and those who do not.
Maiden Erlegh Trust has a named Trustee responsible for Equalities: Mr Mike Bellamy
School Improvement Director (Safeguarding and Culture) responsible for Equality strategy: Mrs Alison Walker
Each academy has a SAB Champion responsible for Equalities (see individual websites)
Maiden Erlegh Trust Equality Objectives
To design and deliver a high-quality, inclusive, and diversity-rich curriculum.
We will:
- Ensure all pupils/students have access to the most ambitious and appropriate curriculum for them, regardless of protected characteristic, SEND or disadvantage.
- Use examples, case-studies, texts, and other resources include positive representation from a diverse range of groups, especially with those protected characteristics.
- Employ group structures, pedagogy and practice include, support, and challenge all pupils/students. Appropriately.
- Provide a range of enrichment experiences and opportunities aimed at reducing cultural capital differences between groups of pupils/students.
Key structures to support this include:
- Curriculum strand of the Diversity & Inclusion Actions.
- The Continuous Improvement Strategy.
- School Improvement Planning, Pupil Premium Strategies.
- School and Trust SEF process.
As a result, we will:
- Reduce, and where possible eliminate, any differences in achievement between groups.
- Increase the numbers of SEND and disadvantaged going onto Level 3 courses and then onto university or higher/degree-level apprenticeships.
To create a respectful, kind, and inclusive working and learning culture.
We will:
- Promote empathy for, and understanding of, the experience and needs of those with protected characteristics and the most disadvantaged.
- Celebrate differences and the experience, language, and culture of others – ensuring they are seen as enriching for the individual and the community.
- Work with pupils/students to ensure their experience of school is one of safety, confidence, and optimism.
- Listen to pupils/students from different groups.
- Ensure parents and carers feel welcome and are aided as far as possible to support their child's education, whatever their background.
Key structures to support this include:
- Culture strand of the Diversity & Inclusion Actions.
- Personal Development programme.
- Pupil Premium Strategies.
- Enrichment & Pupil/Student Leadership programme and school calendar.
- Annual surveys.
As a result, we will:
- Ensure pupils/students feel safe, included, heard and that they belong in our schools.
- Ensure that pupils/students with protected characteristics and the most disadvantaged are not disproportionately represented in exclusion and absence data (or are reducing rapidly).
To nurture a safe, open, and equitable working and learning environment for all.
We will:
- Be clear to all stakeholders understand what language and behaviours are unacceptable and why (including so called “banter”).
- Provide opportunities for pupils/students and staff to explore and discuss different experiences.
- Facilitate effective and respectful discussions on themes relevant to them, where pupils/students and staff feel comfortable to ask questions and express differing viewpoints.
- Ensure that discrimination, harassment, and prejudice are not tolerated, providing effective education and training to support this aim.
- Ensure that all stakeholders have different mechanisms to enable them to report concerns and provide clarity about what actions the schools/Trust will take.
- Ensure that information regarding CPD, professional opportunities and job offers is shared openly and where possible use “blind applications” to support neutrality of decision-making.
Key structures to support this include:
- Visibility strand of the Diversity & Inclusion Actions.
- Personal Development programme.
- CPD programme.
- HR, Behaviour and Anit-Bullying Policies (and relevant data dashboards).
- Websites, social media etc.
- Annual surveys.
As a result, we will:
- Demonstrate that pupils/students and staff feel that the culture and ethos in the Trust and in school supports positive and respectful discussion and exchange.
- Demonstrate that pupils/students and staff feel able to report concerns and are confident that they will be taken seriously.
- There will be increased diversity in terms of Trust and school leadership training and recruitment to promoted posts.
School Equality Information and Objectives and Accessibility Plans are available on the individual schools' websites below;
