Cliftonville Primary and Pre School aims to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, with special emphasis on promoting equality, 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.

What is the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)?

The PSED was introduced by the Equality Act 2010 and applies to all schools, including maintained and independent schools, academies, maintained nursery schools, and maintained and non-maintained special schools.

The PSED has 3 main elements

These are:

• Eliminating discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010
• Advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
• Fostering good relations across all characteristics – between people who do share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

The 3 elements are taken from paragraph 5.1 of guidance published by the DfE.

What are protected characteristics?

Equality Act 2010:

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

Due Regard

Paragraph 5.4 of the DfE's advice says that 'due regard' has been defined in case law and means giving "relevant and proportionate consideration to the duty".

For schools, this means:

• Decision makers must be aware of the duty to have due regard when making a decision or taking an action, and must assess whether it may have implications for people with particular protected characteristics
• Schools should consider equality implications before and at the time that they develop policy and take decisions, not as an afterthought, and they need to keep them under review on a continuing basis
• The PSED has to be integrated into the carrying out of the school’s functions, and the analysis necessary to comply with the duty has to be carried out seriously, rigorously and with an open mind

Specific Duties

The PSED introduces secondary legislation in the form of specific duties. The duties require schools to: 

• Publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the PSED. This information must include, in particular, information relating to people who share a protected characteristic
• Prepare and publish equality objectives

Schools are required to update this published information at least annually and to publish objectives at least once every four years.

What does our school do to eliminate discrimination?

We have set a clear vision and values which expect all our staff to act in a non-discriminating manner and be mindful to avoid actions that will be deemed as such to the public and our wider community.

We have up-to-date and ratified policies which set out a clear message that discrimination is not tolerated: staff code of conduct, behaviour, anti-bullying, safeguarding and child protection. 

We understand that it is unlawful to fail to make reasonable adjustments to overcome barriers to using services caused by disability and one of our equalities objectives addresses this. 

The governing body and school leaders involved in recruitment will avoid unlawful discrimination in all aspects of employment including recruitment, promotion, opportunities for training, pay and benefits, discipline and selection for redundancy.

Through a structured PSHE curriculum offer, assemblies, workshops and visits, equalities will be discussed with and taught to the children, exemplifying the British Values and school values that we believe in.