Southmead’s Equality Statement:

Our school aims to meet its obligations under the public sector equality duty by having due regard of the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is 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 across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

At Southmead Primary School, we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers receiving services from the school, irrespective of race, gender, disability, faith or religion or socio-economic background. We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and able to participate fully in school life.

The achievement of pupils will be monitored by race, gender and disability and we will use this data to support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching. We will tackle discrimination by the positive promotion of equality, challenging bullying and stereotypes and creating an environment which champions respect for all. At Southmead Primary School, we believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here.

As a school we will:

1. eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by the Act
2. advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it
3. foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

The protected characteristics are:

• Age
• Disability
• Ethnicity and race
• Gender
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Religion and belief
• Sexual identity and orientation

We do this by:

• Treating all those within the school community (e.g. pupils, staff, governors, parents and the community) as individuals with their own particular abilities, beliefs, challenges, attitudes, background and experience.
• Creating and maintaining a school ethos which promotes equality, develops understanding and challenges myths, stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices.
• Encouraging everyone in our school community and Children’s Centre to gain a positive self-image and high self-esteem.
• Having high expectations for everyone involved with the whole school community.
• Promoting mutual respect and valuing each other’s similarities and differences and facing equalities issues openly and honestly.
• Monitoring and reviewing all the above to secure continuous improvement in all we do.
• We understand that different people have different needs, and that treating people equally does not always involve treating them all exactly the same.
• We understand that some pupils need extra support in order for them to be successful.
• We do our best to ensure that people from different groups are involved in decision making within our school, including pupils, governors, parents, school council and other school groups.

Legislation and guidance

• The Equality Act 2010, which introduced the public sector equality duty and protects people from discrimination
• The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, which require schools to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the public sector equality duty and to publish equality objectives
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, which make the curriculum accessible for those with disabilities or special educational needs

Department for Education (DfE) guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.

All school staff are expected to have regard to this document and to work to achieve the objectives as set out in section 7.

Eliminating discrimination

The school is aware of its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and complies with non-discrimination provisions.

Where relevant, our policies include reference to the importance of avoiding discrimination and other prohibited conduct.

Staff and governors are regularly reminded of their responsibilities under the Equality Act, for example during meetings

Equality Documents 2025-2026:

Equality Information and Objectives Policy

Equality Statement and Action Plan