Equality

Aims of ACE

'Pupils describe the school as ‘a family where everybody is respected’. They understand fairness, equality and diversity. Pupils recognise that ’we are all unique so there is always going to be something different about you and that’s fine’.

Ofsted 2023

Our school aims to meet its 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 Christian vision and core values, including love, dignity, koinonia (community), thankfulness, and courage.

Please find our Equality information and objectives Policy at the bottom of the page.

Our Accessibility plan can be viewed on the Policies page.

The Equality Act

The Equality Act (2010) was introduced to combine the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976 and Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Previously, public bodies were bound by these three sets of duties to promote disability, race and gender equality. In April 2011 these were replaced by a single public sector equality duty (known as the PSED or the equality duty). This duty extends to all the aspects of a person's identity that are protected under the Equality Act 2010. These are known as protected characteristics and are:

age
disability
gender reassignment
marriage and civil partnership
pregnancy and maternity
race
religion or belief
gender
sexual orientation

Specific duty

To help schools and maintained EYFS settings in England meet the general equality duty, there are two specific duties that they are required to carry out. These are:

To publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the equality duty.
To prepare and publish one or more specific and measurable equality objectives.

Objective 1: Advance Equality and Diversity Knowledge Across the Curriculum (Race Equality, Protected Characteristics, and Multi-Faith RE)

Why we have chosen this objective:	ACE serves an increasingly diverse student population (47% ethnic minority backgrounds, 36% EAL). The SIP highlights the need to ensure explicit teaching around protected characteristics, pupil voice regarding race and discrimination, and meaningful multi-faith representation.
Plans to achieve this objective:	Review the PSHE curriculum (Jigsaw scheme) to ensure explicit, age-appropriate teaching on protected characteristics, fairness, and challenging discrimination. Conduct structured pupil voice activities to evaluate children's understanding of race, diversity, and respectful relationships, directly addressing identified learning gaps. Review RE curriculum progression to ensure Christianity is complemented by high-quality, planned units on world faiths (specifically Islam and celebrations such as Eid) reflective of our pupil demographic. Provide ongoing staff CPD on race equality, handling sensitive discussions, and embedding anti-racist principles across all curriculum subjects.
Progress towards objective (2026/27):	2026/27: PSHE curriculum mapping completed; Jigsaw equality units highlighted across all key stages. 2026/27: RE progression map updated to integrate comprehensive study of other faiths alongside Christian distinctiveness. 2026/27: Pupil voice baseline gathered in Autumn 2026 to track pupils' understanding of discrimination and protected characteristics.

Objective 2: Promote Full Inclusion and Accessibility for Pupils with SEND Through Consistent Adaptive Teaching

Why we have chosen this objective:	22% of ACE pupils have identified SEND, including pupils with EHCPs and complex needs. The SIP identifies embedding consistent adaptive teaching across core and non-core foundation subjects as a critical priority to enable SEND pupils to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.
Plans to achieve this objective:	Embed whole-school adaptive teaching strategies in all core and foundation subjects, ensuring adaptations are sharply linked to pupils' specific learning barriers. Expand classroom scaffolds, visual representations, Widgit resources, and Colourful Semantics across key stages. Refine EduKey Pupil Passports and establish whole-school provision pyramids to map graduated support effectively. Deliver targeted CPD for Teaching Assistants to strengthen subject knowledge and intervention delivery (e.g., in The Hive) while promoting pupil independence.
Progress towards objective (2026/27):	2026/27: EduKey Pupil Passports updated for all SEND support pupils and integrated into teacher handbooks. 2026/27: Adaptive teaching in foundation subjects prioritized during senior leadership learning walks and book scrutiny. 2026/27: TA professional development program launched focusing on scaffolding and independent learning.

Objective 3: Close Attainment Gaps and Ensure Equitable Access for Disadvantaged, EAL, and Mobile Pupils

Why we have chosen this objective:	With 23% disadvantaged pupils, 36% EAL learners, and significant pupil mobility across KS2, the school must rigorously monitor progress and remove barriers to ensure equity of outcomes and wider personal development.
Plans to achieve this objective:	Embed half-termly Pupil Progress Meetings specifically analysing data for disadvantaged, EAL, SEND, and mobile pupil cohorts. Provide precise early reading support and phonics boosters (FFT intervention, Bug Club fidelity) for pupils in the lowest 20% to secure foundational literacy. Systematically monitor participation data for extra-curricular clubs, residential visits (e.g., Min-y-Don), and pupil leadership roles to guarantee equal access for disadvantaged and EAL pupils. Enhance vocabulary instruction and oracy frameworks across all foundation subjects to support EAL learners and raise academic ambition.
Progress towards objective (2026/27):	2026/27: Half-termly progress monitoring protocol established with specific tracking filters for vulnerable groups. 2026/27: FFT reading intervention and targeted phonics boosters implemented for Year 1 and Year 2 lowest 20%. 2026/27: Extra-curricular and residential participation audit completed to eliminate financial or access barriers.

Objective 4: Foster Community Cohesion, Contextual Safeguarding Expertise, and Pastoral Wellbeing

Why we have chosen this objective:	Changing local demographics and complex family safeguarding needs require a strong whole-school approach to trauma-informed care, parental engagement, and pupil belonging.
Plans to achieve this objective:	Develop staff expertise in contextual safeguarding, domestic abuse awareness, and supporting families facing complex mental health challenges. Expand pastoral capacity by training designated staff as Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA) and fully utilising the Nurture Room for regulation. Implement a 'you said, we did' parental engagement strategy to build strong, transparent partnerships with diverse parent groups and boost school visibility. Promote pupil leadership and belonging through structured pupil roles (e.g., play leaders, librarians, school council) and whole-school mental health initiatives.
Progress towards objective (2026/27):	2026/27: Staff CPD delivered on contextual safeguarding and trauma-informed pastoral practice. 2026/27: ELSA training scheduled for pastoral support staff; Nurture Room usage mapped for vulnerable pupils. 2026/27: Parental communication enhanced via website overviews, gate visibility, and 'you said, we did' feedback channels.

ACE Equality Policy_Objectives 26

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