Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) Statement 2023

Kingstone Academy Trust is committed to equality.  At Kingstone High School, we aim for every student to fulfil their potential, no matter what his/her background or personal circumstances.

We maintain the aim of embedding principles of fairness and equality across our entire curriculum, in assemblies, in break and lunchtimes, in pastoral support and in after-school activities.

We must, under the general duty of public sector equality duty, in the exercise of our functions, have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited under the Act.

• Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;

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

This will apply to all students, staff and others using the facilities. We will give relevant and proportionate consideration to the PSED.

The protected characteristics for the Academy’s provisions are:

• Disability

• Gender reassignment

• Pregnancy and maternity

• Race*

• Religion or belief

• Sex

• Sexual orientation

• Age (only applicable to staff, not students)

• Marriage and Civil Partnerships (only applicable to staff, not students)**

*The Act refers to ‘race’, however, the use of ethnic/cultural origin, background or heritage is often more appropriate.

**Age and marriage and civil partnership are NOT protected characteristics for the Academy’s provisions for students.

We will have due regard to advancing equality of opportunity including making serious consideration of the need to:

• remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are connected to that characteristic;

• take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it;

• encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.

We will consider the six Brown principles of ‘due regard’:

• awareness – all staff know and understand what the law requires

• timeliness – implications considered before they are implemented

• rigour – open-minded and rigorous analysis, including parent/student voice

• non-delegation – the PSED cannot be delegated

• continuous – ongoing all academic year

• record-keeping – keep notes and records of decisions & meetings

We welcome the opportunity to be transparent and accountable. The Trust fulfils the specific duties of the Act by publishing Equality Information and Objectives ( see our Equality Policy )

We aim to make the information accessible, easy to read and easy to find.

Equality Information

We maintain confidentiality and work to data protection principles. We publish information in a way so that no student or staff member can be identified.

We will update our equality information at least annually.

We adopt a whole school approach to equality and consider it important for students to learn about equality and human rights. We adhere to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHCR) 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 students create a healthier, happier, fairer school culture, and could lead to reductions in bullying and other negative behaviour, and improvements in attainment and aspirations.’

The PSED will enable the school to:

• avoid discriminatory practices and integrate equality into its core ‘business’;
• build a supportive working environment, which leads to better performance/increased productivity,
• enabling the school to draw upon a broader range of talent; and
• use up-to-date equality information, which can lead to better decision-making and policy development.