About

Equality and Diversity at our School

Making S=P+A+C+E for EVERYONE

St Thomas’ is an inclusive school where everyone is celebrated for being who they are: different and unique, a place where everyone is equal and respected, a place where everyone is loved and everyone belongs – that is our school.

Equality Objectives 

The Xavier Catholic Education Trust’s commitment to equality in everything that we do. Xavier trust is committed to equality in both employment and education provision.  We recognise the diverse nature of our locations and services, and aim to ensure that students, parents, governors, employees, contractors, partners, directors, clients and those who may potentially join the Xavier community, are treated fairly, and with dignity and respect.  St Thomas of Canterbury’s Equality Objectives should be read in conjunction with the Xavier Catholic Education Trust’s Equality Policy which can be found on the website: Xavier Catholic Education Trust – Striving for excellence (xaviercet.org.uk).

Should you have a concern about any element of equality, inclusion or diversity (EID) across the Xavier Trust or need to report an incident please contact DIFT@xaviercet.org.uk.

 

All of our objectives should be read alongside our Improvement Priority of

Making S=P+A+C+E for EVERYONE

which is about the celebration of human uniqueness – we are all equal, we all belong in our school and community and we are all respected, we are all loved
Objective Measurable actions Review date Staff responsible
1.       To increase staff understanding of equality and its implications on a day-to-day basis, and in this way to reduce or remove inequalities in attainment throughout the school, particularly inequalities relating to the protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act.
  • Training for all staff over the course of the academic year on the topic of equality, inclusion, and diversity to increase understanding of issues that exist within the education system and society more generally.
  • Increased use of role models in schools from diverse backgrounds particularly where staff diversity is limited.
  • To monitor assessment and other data at regular intervals (to be specified) to ensure that children with protected characteristics are not falling behind.
 Termly SWIT Team
2.       To reduce prejudice and increase understanding of equality through direct teaching across the curriculum

 
  • Audit the KS1 and KS2 key texts read in class to increased stories that consider diverse experience.
  • Review history curriculum at KS1 and KS2 to ensure range of experiences in time periods studied are included (particular focus on different ethnic groups and females to reduce focus on white and male history).
  • Ensure PSHE and RSE schemes of work include a range of examples and avoid gender stereotypes particularly when looking at family units, relationships, sexual abuse and harassment.
 July 2024 English and History Leads

Class teachers
3.       To increase the role of the School Council (pupil leadership) in discussions around equality, inclusion and diversity.
  • Dedicate time in School Council meetings to consider from a pupil’s perspective prejudices that are most common in and around the school community.
  • Introduce Wellbeing Ambassadors programme ensuring that children with protected characteristics are fairly represented.
  • Dedicate time for student leadership teams to educate the wider student population on protected characteristics.
 Termly School Council leads

SWIT Team
4.       To ensure that the school promotes role models and heroes that young people positively identify with, who reflect and broaden the school’s diversity in terms of race, gender, disability, and other protected characteristics.
  • Take very opportunity to share and use as examples role models and heroes from the news and media eg Marcus Rashford
  • Curriculum to encourage identification and celebration of people with protected characteristics
 July 2024 All staff

School Council
5.       To increase the membership of vulnerable pupils taking part in extra-curricular clubs and activities, and in this way to reduce or remove inequalities in attainment throughout the school, particularly inequalities relating to the protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act.
  • Ensure robust system in place to monitor attendance of all students taking part in extra-curricular clubs and activities and attitudes (using Bounce Together)
  • Allocate Pupil Premium funds/School’s Hardship Funds to help support those from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend extra-curricular opportunities where the barrier is financial.
 Termly SWIT Team

Extended Schools Lead
6.       To increase mental health provision for all children with a focus on boys
  • Maintain development of S=P+A+C+E for ME provision across the school
  • Increase examples of males struggling with their mental health in curriculum time i.e. PSHE lessons.
  • Ensure a range of male staff are involved in the pastoral system throughout KS1 and KS2.
 Termly SWIT Team
7.       To tackle prejudice and promote understanding particularly in relation to people with different religious beliefs and with disabilities.

 
  • Increase teaching of different religious holidays to develop students understanding of other faiths.
  • Invite speakers and role models from a range of religious backgrounds in to speak to increase understanding amongst staff and students.
  • Introduce cultural calendar to encourage regular discussion about different faith holidays or national days.
  • Make greater use of experts from charities such as the National Autistic Society to increase student understanding of certain disabilities.
  • Increase range of books in school library that include characters with disabilities such as ADHD, dyslexia.
 Termly SWIT Team

RE Lead

English Lead