Laureate Community Academy is an inclusive school where we focus on the wellbeing and progress of every child and where all members of our community are of equal worth.

We believe that the Equality Act provides a framework to support our commitment to valuing diversity, tackling discrimination, promoting equality and fostering good relationships between people. It also ensures that we continue to tackle issues of disadvantage and underachievement of different groups.

We recognise that these duties reflect international human rights standards as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is central to our school aims and values encapsulated in our ‘REACH’ acronym and our journey towards becoming a UNICEF Rights Respecting School, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the Human Rights Act 1998.

Our approach to equality is based on the following key principles:

• All learners are of equal value. Whether or not they are disabled, whatever their ethnicity, culture, national origin or national status, whatever their gender and gender identity, whatever their religious or nonreligious affiliation or faith background and whatever their sexual orientation.
• We recognise, respect and value difference and understand that diversity is a strength. We take account of differences and strive to remove barriers and disadvantages which people may face, in relation to disability, ethnicity, gender, religion, belief or faith and sexual orientation. We believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here.
• We foster positive attitudes and relationships. We actively promote positive attitudes and mutual respect between groups and communities different from each other.
• We foster a shared sense of cohesion and belonging. We want all members of our school community to feel a sense of belonging within the school and wider community and to feel that they are respected and able to participate fully in school life.
• We observe good equalities practice for our staff. We ensure that policies and procedures benefit all employees and potential employees in all aspects of their work, including in recruitment and promotion, and in continuing professional development.
• We have the highest expectations of all our children. We expect that all pupils can make good progress and achieve to their highest potential.
• We work to raise standards for all pupils, but especially for the most vulnerable. We believe that improving the quality of education for the most vulnerable groups of pupils raises standards across the whole school.

Trust’s equality objectives

• To promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through all aspects of life at our schools, both inside and outside the classroom. We aim to meet this objective with particular reference to issues of equality and diversity;
• To reduce prejudice and increase understanding of equality through direct teaching across the curriculum;
• To move beyond and develop a culture of growth mindsets, avoiding labelling of learners based purely on a notion of fixed levels of ability;
• To model teaching and learning behaviours that avoid labelling;
• To narrow the gap between boys and girls, and disadvantaged pupils and other pupils;
• To promote cultural development and understanding through a rich range of experiences, both in and beyond the school through our curriculum;
• To eradicate prejudice related bullying in relation to the protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act 2010 with particular focus on homophobic bullying and prejudice;
• To tackle prejudice and promote understanding in relation to people with disabilities.

Our school priorities

• To narrow the attainment gap between both disadvantaged and White British pupils and their peers;
• To improve engagement from identified groups of parents, including White British and EAL families, by removing barriers to engagement;
• To increase understanding of, and respect for, cultural diversity by pupils, families, staff and governors through the implementation of the Rights Respecting Schools Award.

More information can be found in the documents in the attachments section on this page.