At Benton Park School, we share a commitment to equality, diversity and community cohesion across all sections of our school community. Under the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful for a school to discriminate against a student or prospective student by treating them less favourably because of their:
- sex;
- race or racial group (including colour, nationality and ethnic origin or national origins);
- disability;
- religion or belief;
- sexual orientation;
- gender reassignment;
- pregnancy or maternity.
Benton Park School is committed to providing an environment free from discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation where all members of its community are treated with respect and dignity. The school aims to create a culture of diversity within its community, providing a dynamic working and learning environment, where all members are valued for their contribution. Our aim is to ensure that these commitments, reinforced by our values, are embedded in our day to day working practices with the school community.
At Benton Park School we are committed to building a cohesive, collaborative school community in which we:
- tackle all types of discrimination;
- celebrate the diversity within our school and the wider world;
- promote equality of opportunity;
- build good relationships between people of different groups;
- contribute to the cohesion of the local community and wider society;
- promote fundamentally the British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith;
- meet our statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010.
In accordance with the Equality Act (2010) and our Equalities Policy, we have published a series of Equality Objectives.
- To develop and embed curriculum-based work on addressing all types of discrimination, supported by staff training and the use of external expertise as appropriate;
- To reduce, and ultimately eliminate, behaviour incidents linked to homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, race, faith, gender and/or disability, by increasing students’ awareness, understanding and empathy;
- To increase community engagement in our work related to equality, diversity, social justice and global citizenship;
- To continue to narrow the gap in achievement between students from different learner groups
This year we are delighted to announce that we are working with the Red Kite Alliance to complete the RED (Respect, Equality, Diversity) Award.
This award provides:
- a framework within which schools can evaluate their current provision in terms of equality, diversity, respect for individuals and community cohesion
- a route map to help schools to build on what they already do well, to plan actions to strengthen their provision and to embed a cohesive, inclusive, respectful ethos across the entire school
- a vehicle for schools to celebrate the richness and diversity of the whole school community, as well as the school’s collective achievements in this area of its provision
The intent of our work is to:
- Help to embed a harmonious culture of mutual respect across the school community
- Establish effective leadership for equality and diversity to develop, and implement, the policies, practices and systems
- Provide students with the knowledge, understanding and experiences they need to develop as respectful, open-minded and compassionate global citizens
- Offer the best possible educational provision, and achieve the best possible outcomes, for all students