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BurlingtonJunior School

Equality

Equality Statement - The Public Sector Equality Duty

We aim to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, with special emphasis on promoting equality and diversity, and eradicating prejudicial incidents for pupils and staff. 

Our school is committed to not only eliminating discrimination, but also increasing understanding and appreciation for diversity. Burlington Junior School is opposed to all forms of prejudice and recognises that children and young people who experience any form of prejudice-related discrimination may fare less well in the education system. 

To read our equality policy, please click here and open the document titled 'Equality Policy and Objectives'.

Our School Context:

Burlington Junior School is a large, four-form entry junior school in New Malden, Kingston Upon Thames. It serves a diverse community with the majority of our pupils being from ethnic minority backgrounds (76%). This figure is higher than the national average (38.4%).

48% of our pupils are multilingual learners and speak English as an additional language; again, this figure is higher than the national average (21.4%).

In addition, 21% of pupils attend Burlington Junior School with a special educational need or disability (SEND). Pupils with SEND, including those with a medical need, are fully supported by our Inclusion Leader, and external specialist professionals where appropriate, to ensure access to all aspects of school life. 

The percentage of pupils at Burlington Junior School in receipt of the pupil premium grant is 17%. This is lower than the national average (25.7%) and is slightly higher than the average for Kingston Upon Thames (15.3%). We have strong links with our local infant school and with the local secondary schools to ensure that transition is smooth for our most vulnerable pupils. Our Pupil Premium Strategy contains information about how we aim to advance equality of opportunity for these pupils throughout their school life.

The Equality Act (2010)

The Equality Act (2010) was introduced to ensure protection from discrimination (direct or indirect), harassment and victimisation on the grounds of protected characteristics:

  • Sex;
  • Age;
  • Race;
  • Disability;
  • Religion or belief;
  • Sexual orientation;
  • Gender reassignment;
  • Pregnancy or maternity;
  • Marriage or civil partnership.

For schools, this means that it is unlawful to discriminate against individuals, or treat them less favourably, because of their sex, race, age, disability, religion or belief, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity. The Equality Act (2010) makes it unlawful for responsible body of a school (governing body or local authority) to discriminate against, harass or victimise a pupil or potential pupil:

  • In relation to admissions;
  • In the way it provides education for pupils;
  • In the way it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility or service, or;
  • By excluding a pupil or subjecting them to any other detriment. 

Public Sector Equality Duty

Under the Equality Act (2010), the school is expected to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). This requires us to have due regard to the need to:

  • Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act;
  • 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.

As a public organisation, we are required to:

  • Have due regard to the PSED when making decisions, taking actions or developing policy and practice, 
  • Publish information annually to show compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty,
  • Publish objectives which are specific and measurable. 

Our Equality Policy has been written in line with national guidance and contains information about how the school complies with the Public Sector Equality Duty. We also give guidance to staff and the wider school community on our approach to promoting equality. 

Equality Objectives

Our equality objectives reflect the school's priorities and draw upon available data and other evidence. Careful analysis of this is undertaken in order to ensure that we are working to achieve improved outcomes for different groups. 

Date Objectives Set: Autumn Term 2025
Date Objectives to be Reviewed: No later than Autumn Term 2029

Objective 1

To monitor pupil progress and attainment in order to ensure that pupils in vulnerable groups achieve their potential.
Objective 2

To provide a variety of enrichment opportunities which give the opportunity for all children to become rounded individuals both physically and psychologically. This may include access to sports’ clubs, extra-curricular activities, trips and visits, and multicultural weeks. All vulnerable pupils will be specifically offered enrichment opportunities in sports, arts or music.
Objective 3

To ensure that planning and resources utilised in lessons are reflective of both our school and wider community. This can be seen through the texts studied, images used and references to inspirational figures and places.
Objective 4

To ensure that reasonable adjustments are made for any staff member, parent or pupil with a physical disability or mental health need to better meet their needs in line with our accessibility plan. Where any disadvantages are identified or experienced, they are addressed quickly and monitored accordingly.

Specific tasks relating to these objectives can be found within our school development plan and equality action plan (see below). 

Related Policies

 

Review of compliance with PSED in 2024-2025 (appendix 3 in our Equality Policy) 

Schools are required to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty and to prepare and publish equality objectives. This information must be updated annually and objectives (seen earlier in the equality policy) should be reviewed and published at least once every four years.

The information below demonstrates how we have shown ‘due regard’ to the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. Our aims are stated earlier in the equality policy. We are committed to achieving equality for all our staff, parents/carers and children to meet our duties under the Equality Act 2010.

2024 -2025

Actions taken to show due regard to the Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty

Eradicating Discrimination

 
  • As part of our behaviour policy, the phrase ‘call it out’ has been further embedded to encourage pupils to be active bystanders. This is discussed in both assemblies and PSHE lessons in the classroom. Pupil voice assesses how well pupils understand and utilise this phrase. We will continue to monitor and develop its use in forthcoming years. 
  • ‘Equality’, ‘Community’, ‘Heritage’ and ‘Identity’ are Burlington Buzz Words – core concepts which pupils encounter across year groups and subject areas whilst at Burlington Junior School. There are multiple opportunities to revisit these words and how their meanings apply to our community. Over the past year, this has been evident in assemblies where buzz words have been linked to key messages.
  • All incidents of bullying or racism are dealt with promptly and appropriately in line with our policies. 
  • All prejudice-related incidents are recorded on CPOMs and categorised according to the prejudice involved. Incidents are analysed by our Deputy Headteacher to identify patterns and trends and to ensure impact from interventions is seen. 
  • Resources available as part of Jigsaw’s PSHE curriculum have been utilised to ensure that diverse images of people are utilised when delivering RSE lessons. 
  • Planning is regularly monitored to ensure that training has been implemented. Planning guidance shares expectations around the use of images, ensuring there is representation of both our school community and the wider world throughout the curriculum. This is monitored by the curriculum leader.   
  • The R.E. curriculum ensures children celebrate diversity and show respect for all faiths. Children recognise that their own views are important, whether they have a specific faith or not. Workshops and/or local visits have been held in school regarding Christianity, Islam and Hinduism through the course of the year. 

Fostering Good Relationships
  • The curriculum provides rich learning opportunities for all children, imparting knowledge and building intellectual curiosity.
  • Enrichment activities have been offered throughout 2024-2025 including after-school clubs and trips within the school day. Parents/carers have been invited to attend as parent helpers. Workshops, trips and visits took place across a range of subjects: history, English, science, R.E.
  • Parent Forum Meetings took place termly in 2024/2025 where feedback was sought and discussed with the Headteacher.
  • Diversity/Inclusion Week was held in the autumn term 2024. This year, the week focussed on disabilities and pupils participated in a range of activities which allowed them to explore this protected characteristic, developing their knowledge and understanding.

Advancing Equality of Opportunity
  • Governors continue to play an active role in ensuring policies provide equality of opportunity through regular monitoring and discussion of school practice.
  • Children identified with Special Educational Needs and disabilities (SEND) are provided with highly personalised activities to ensure access towards learning and appropriate external advice and support that ensures access to social inclusion and learning.
  • Where needed, resources are printed in a larger font size to support pupils with a visual impairment. Technology is utilised to enable access to teaching slides shared at the front of the classroom. Additionally, radio microphones are used to support pupils with hearing impairments.
  • Tracking of pupil progress ensures that all groups of children are monitored and appropriate provision is put in place where necessary e.g. financial access to clubs, uniform, resources and enrichments.
  • Children with medical disabilities are identified and individual health care plans are devised between school and the family, to enable access to the curriculum and safe inclusion to all enrichments and where necessary, specific staff training is provided.
  • All children have an opportunity for a leadership role within the school, e.g. elected school councillors, Eco Champions and house captains. Pupils are also able to take on roles within their classroom by being ‘classroom monitors’.
  • We continue to offer a text only version of our newsletter to enable those who access ‘read-aloud’ software to ensure accessibility software can be utilised at home where needed.

 

Definitions 

Direct discrimination: occurs when one person treats another less favourably, because of a protected characteristic, than they treat - or would treat - other people. 

Indirect discrimination: occurs when a 'provision, criterion or practice' is applied generally but has the effect of putting people with a particular characteristic at a disadvantage when compared to people without that characteristic. 

Harassment: unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic which has the purpose or effect of violating a person's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person. 

Victimisation: occurs when a person is treated less favourably than they otherwise would have been because of something they have done ('a protected act') in connection with the Act. 

 

  1. Achieving for Children Anti-racist pledge
  2. Equality Policy - Appendix 3 - Review of Compliance with PSED 2024 - 2025
  3. Equality Objectives Action Plan 2025-2026
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