Equality Statement

Butlers Court is proud to be a fully inclusive school where everyone is welcome and encouraged to be the best they can be. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity for all our pupils, parents and staff. We make sure that we consider equality and the possible implications for all pupils and especially those with protected characteristics.

We are committed to the development of cohesive communities both within our school’s physical boundaries and within our local, national and global environments. Butlers Court School embraces the aim of working together with others to improve children’s educational and well-being outcomes and we expect all members of our community and everyone who enters our school to behave in a way which respects the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010.

We aim to meet our obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) by having due regard to 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

Our school aims to promote respect for difference and diversity in accordance with our values of honesty, tolerance, responsibility, respect, kindness and resilience

As set out in the DfE guidance on the Equality Act, Butlers Court aims to advance equality of opportunity by:

• Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people that are connected to a particular characteristic they have.
• Taking steps to meet the particular needs of people who have a particular characteristic.
• Encouraging people who have a particular characteristic to participate fully in any activities.

Butlers Court aims to foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not share it by:

• Promoting tolerance, friendship and understanding of a range of religions and cultures through different aspects of our curriculum. This includes teaching in RE, citizenship and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, but also activities in other curriculum areas.
• Holding assemblies dealing with relevant issues. Pupils will be encouraged to take a lead in such assemblies and we will also invite external speakers to contribute.
• Working with our local community. This includes inviting leaders of local faith groups to speak at assemblies, and organising school trips and activities based around the local community.
• Encouraging and implementing initiatives to encourage different groups of pupils to work together within the school. For example, our school council has representatives from different year groups and is formed of pupils from a range of backgrounds. All pupils are encouraged to participate in the school’s activities, such as sports clubs.
• We have developed links with people and groups who have specialist knowledge about particular characteristics, which helps inform and develop our approach

Butlers Court School ensures it has due regard to equality considerations whenever significant decisions are made. The school always considers the impact of significant decisions on particular groups, for example, when a school trip or activity is being planned  the school considers whether the trip cuts across any religious holidays, is accessible to pupils with disabilities, has equivalent facilities for boys and girls.

Our Equality Statement is based on the principles above and aims to ensure that:

‘All pupils and members of staff at Butlers Court School are provided with opportunities to fulfil their potential whatever their sex, race, colour ethnic or national origin, marital status, age, sexual orientation, disability or religious belief.’

Please see below our Equalities and Diversity Policy, Equality Objectives and Equality Impact Assessment.