The Public Sector Equality Duty or 'general duty'

The general duty is our overarching legal requirement as a school.  It applies to all protected characteristics.  These characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, race (including colour, ethnic or national origins and nationality), religion, faith or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity.

The general duty requires the school to take steps to eliminate unlawful discrimination and to actively promote equality.  The general duty has three main elements which schools are required to have 'due regard' to when making decisions and developing policies. 

When carrying out our functions, we will have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act (examples include our Anti-Bullying and Behaviour Policies, PSHE/RSHE curriculum, our Christian ethos, nurture and pastoral work);
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not share it (examples include our SEND Policy, curriculum, visits and visitors programme);
• Foster good relations across all protected characteristics between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not share it.

In order to comply with their specific duties, schools are required to:

• Publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with their general duty;
• Prepare and publish Equality Objectives.

We understand that from time to time further legislation and guidance is published by the Government and relevant legal bodies and we will continually monitor and implement relevant policy and practice to ensure compliance.