WISE Academies Trust is committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all students, staff, parents/carers, irrespective of race, gender, disability, religion and belief, or socio-economic background. We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and are able to participate fully in school life. By placing an equality perspective in all our policies and practices, equality considerations within our academies are embedded in day-to-day practice to tackle discrimination and inequality.
We are proud of the diversity within our family of schools and have due regard to our responsibility under the public sector equality duty and the aims of;
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- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct under the Act
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
- Foster good relations between people who have a shared characteristic and those who do not
WISE Academies will annually review our Single Equality policy to ensure we achieve these aims with regard to the protected groups under the equality Act (2010).
The leadership teams within WISE Academies will work together to create a culture of fairness and inclusion across the trust through the actions below:-
- To provide equal opportunities for all pupils to access the curriculum with a high standard of learning experience to actively close gaps in attainment and achievement, especially students eligible for Pupil Premium, students with special educational needs and disabilities, looked after children and students from minority ethnic groups
- To educate all pupils whatever their belief of race or religion and prepare them for life in a diverse society and to treat everyone with respect
- To develop the natural curiosity that children exhibit about themselves and their world and use their curiosity to foster positive attitudes to diversity
- Eliminate discrimination and harassment: take all reasonable steps to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace. This includes providing training for employees on how to recognize and report discriminatory behaviour, as well as implementing policies and procedures to prevent such behaviour from occurring.
- To promote mental health awareness with staff and develop appropriate interventions where necessary
- Continue to improve accessibility across the academy sites for students, staff and visitors with disabilities, including access to specialist teaching areas
- Promote equality of opportunity: ensure that all job applicants are treated equally and have an equal chance at employment. This includes avoiding any discrimination or bias in the recruitment process, providing equal pay for equal work, and ensuring that all employees have access to training and development opportunities.
- Encourage diversity and inclusion: actively promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace by creating a culture that values and respects all employees, regardless of their background or characteristics. This includes providing training on cultural awareness and sensitivity, promoting work-life balance, and encouraging open communication and feedback
