Matthew Arlnold School

 MAS Equality Objectives

The Equality Act 2010 places an equality duty on all public bodies and requires them to publish equality objectives every 4 years. This document identifies the equality objectives that we will focus on over the next 4 years, from 2023 to 2027.

Matthew Arnold’s mission is ‘Success for All’ and so we recognise and are fully committed to the three aims of the general equality duty:

  • Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the act
  • Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
  • Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

At Matthew Arnold School students make great progress in their learning and attain ambitious outcomes through our excellent curriculum. Through our diverse and inclusive community we support students to become kind and responsible young adults, confident and proud of who they are and ready when they leave us to make a positive contribution to their world.

As staff who work at Matthew Arnold School we all have a role to play in this success and in embodying and nurturing our values:

Our Values

  • Ambition
  • Kindness
  • Inclusion
  • Collaboration

 

The governing body has agreed the following Equality Objectives for 2024:

Equality Objective 1: Advance opportunity of equality  - student outcomes

To continue our focus on promoting positive outcomes and attendance for our priority learners who are vulnerable to underachievement, in particular those who have lower prior attainment, who have SEN needs  or who are in receipt of PPG support, so they fulfil their potential.

Equality Objective 2: Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation

Aim to eliminate completely all incidents involving prejudice against people with protected characteristics, within our increasingly diverse community. 

Grow knowledge, understanding and tolerance across our community

Equality Objective 3: Advance equality of opportunity - staff employment

Proactively work to ensure the diversity of our workforce more accurately reflects the students and families we serve. Monitor the effectiveness of our approach to providing for the needs of those with protected characteristics. 

Review of 2023-2024 Objectives (which have been slightly updated for 2024):

     Objectives

  Monitoring and evaluation

Aim to eliminate completely all incidents involving prejudice against people with protected characteristics, within our increasingly diverse community. 


2024/25

To Nov 2024

2023/24Y

2022/23 

2021/22

Total

   Incidents of Bullying

21

18

10

3

  Incidents of Discrimination

1

9

16

  Number of racist incidents YTD

0

8

Number of homophobic incidents YTD

0

2

Number of sexualised incidents YTD

1

9

Number of gender based incidents YTD

0

1

Refer to HT Report for incidents of peer/peer, homophobic or racist nature.

Reports of bullying and discrimination via student reporting concerns form.

EDI staff group and trust group plus racial affinity group to build into 2024+ work

Advance equality of opportunity   - Staff employment : Continue to monitor the diversity of our workforce and the effectiveness of our approach to providing for the needs of those with protected characteristics.                           

We monitor provision for those staff with protected characteristics.

Diversity of workforce is more difficult to influence, but we monitor through HR.

Appropriate provision is when we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate a need, such as:

  • reduced duty times or altered location when someone is pregnant 
  • providing a room for breastfeeding mothers to express
  • IT screen modifications for dyslexia
  • adapted threshold levels for paid leave of attending medical appointments during a calendar year (or for those with a dependent with a disability)
  • flexible hours
  • altered tutor group or timetable  allocations to allow for rest during the day (eg down time to cope with ADHD)
  • leave is granted for religious observance at different points in the year
 

Ethnicity codes:

Ethnicity Code

Ethnicity Description

Number of Students

ABAN

Bangladeshi

3

AIND

Indian

3

AOTH

Any Other Asian Background

6

APKN

Pakistani

9

BAFR

Black - African

8

BOTH

Any Other Black Background

2

MOTH

Any Other Mixed Background

8

MWAS

White and Asian

7

MWBA

White and Black African

3

MWBC

White and Black Caribbean

5

OLAM

Latin/South/Central American

1

OOTH

Any Other Ethnic Group

4

REFU

Refused

1

WBRI

White - British

134

WIRI

White - Irish

1

WOTH

Any Other White Background

15