Equalities

Equal Opportunities Statement of Commitment

Barton Court Academy Trust is committed to a policy of equality and aims to ensure that no employee, job applicant, pupil or other member of the Trust/ School community is treated less favourably on grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, marital status, age, sexual orientation, disability or religious belief.

Any behaviour, comments or attitudes that undermine or threaten an individual’s self-esteem on these grounds will not be tolerated. We aim to provide equal access to high-quality educational opportunities and to ensure that everyone feels that they are a valued member of the Trust/School community. We seek to provide a safe and happy environment where all can flourish and where cultural diversity is celebrated.

We aim to empower our pupils to make informed choices so that they are better prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life within their community. Equality of opportunity cannot be realised without the involvement and commitment of all members of the school community and a common understanding of the pivotal role of equal opportunities in the context of the school’s ethos and values, in particular, the recognition that the role of all staff is crucial in the delivery of the objectives of the policy.
 
All members of the school community are responsible for promoting the school’s equal opportunities policy and are obliged to respect and act in accordance with the policy.

Aims and Objectives

Barton Court Academy Trust and each Local Governing Body and School, through its adopted Equal Opportunities Policy, aims to:

• carry out its legal duty in complying with the relevant legislation (including The Sex Discrimination Act, Race Relations Act, Disability Discrimination Act and Employment Equality Regulations);
   
• reinforce the school’s position as a provider of high-quality education and as a good employer providing development opportunities;
   
• ensure that equality remains high on the school’s strategic agenda;
   
• establish good people management practice and to set out a proactive agenda in which discrimination is recognised as an organisational issue which needs an organisational response;
   
• achieve a staffing composition that reflects the composition of the wider community;
   
• ensure all staff work together with a shared sense of purpose to meet the needs of every pupil;
   
• ensure that pupils and staff contribute towards a happy and caring environment by showing respect for, and appreciation of, one another as individuals;
   
• ensure that complaints or evidence of failure to comply with the school’s equal opportunities policy will be dealt with promptly and fully investigated according to the relevant procedure (e.g. complaints relating to staff may be investigated either under the disciplinary, grievance or anti-harassment procedure as appropriate). All forms of discrimination by any person within the school’s responsibility will be treated seriously as such behaviour is unacceptable.