Equality and Diversity
Our Equality Objectives reflect the school's priorities, our cooperative values 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.
Advance Equality of Opportunity
We teach students about their rights, and the school’s values, about respect for one-another and for people who may experience disadvantage, stigma or injustice in a local. national and global context. The children are aware of their place not only in society as they experience it in Northumberland, but in national and global contexts.
We celebrate individuality and the unique talents and characteristics of each child. We promote and appreciate British values and celebrate traits such as respect, compassion and consideration for others and an appreciation of diverse viewpoints. Throughout school, we have been intentional in ensuring that representation and visibility of diverse identities are a part of reading, assemblies and discussions.
We recognise that the cost-of-living crisis has affected families all over the country, and that hardship should not be a barrier to having a fresh start a new school; every pupil who joins us receives a supply of new uniform items. Every child is eligible for a breakfast when they arrive on site. We support children who are eligible for Pupil Premium funding and others who experience periods of financial insecurity. We ensure that pupils have access to an experience passport of learning opportunities which promote cultural capital; eating in a silver service restaurant, visiting a place of worship, going to see a play. These experiences contribute to the essential knowledge and reference points that we all need as we move through life from school to social interactions and future job interviews. We try to ensure that we help all children to develop cultural capital as a matter of equality and social justice through a rich and vibrant programme of experiences during their time at the PRU.
Eliminate discrimination
We promote gender equality and challenge gender stereotypes. As over 70% of our pupil population is male, we are aware of how important it is to promote positive masculinity with this group, and commission Worth Educating to deliver the ‘All to Play For’ programme which covers the role of influencers, pornography, mental health, consent and character.
Our school uniform is flexible and affordable and the guidance does not have any rigid expectations that would be discriminatory due to reasons such as religion or belief, sex, disability, sensory needs or gender identity.
Consultation with pupils and families inform objective setting plan for improvements which will make our school more accessible for children with disabilities. They are outlined in more detail in the school’s accessibility plan.
We record and address any instances of discriminatory language, even when a child has been unaware of the impact of the language they have used. As a school we learn about fostering good relations and challenging discrimination in a practical context as children learn to navigate friendships, feelings, bullying and being confident to speak to a trusted adult about concerns.
Staff and governors have competed training and have awareness of how to recognise a person vulnerable to radicalisation and to make a referral.
The school’s anti-bullying policy is on the web site, and we know from pupil and parental surveys that pupils feel safe and supported at the PRU.
Religious and cultural understanding are promoted through visits and campaigns and themed awareness raising through First News, assemblies and the PSHE curriculum.
We conduct ‘deeper dive’ surveys into themes such as bullying and use the recording templates provided by our school safeguarding partners.
Foster good relations
We have very few children who speak community languages other than English or who are from Global Majority heritage backgrounds. This presents challenges in representing and ensuring that children are prepared for contexts where the true cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of the wider UK are visible and routine. We achieve this through a well-planned curriculum which is taught to mixed-age classes. By ensuring that we plan a well-rounded programme of visits, enrichment and learning opportunities we also broaden young people’s horizons beyond the communities where they live and are sometimes exposed to more insular perspectives.
When it is supplied as part of the admission process, we do record religion and belief and can be accordingly sensitive, respectful and inclusive towards diverse faiths and beliefs.
In accordance with the 2019 RSHE statutory guidance we represent, discuss and welcome family diversity. We challenge any perception that family diversity or LGBTQ+ identity is an uncomfortable or age-inappropriate concept for children; we are committed to discharging our legal duty to keep LGBT people safe from discrimination and representing the communities and contexts where children live and grow up.
For 2025 - 2029, our Equality Objectives are:
- To continue to provide a school environment that welcomes, protects and respects diverse people.
- To continue to close the gaps in attainment and achievement between students and all groups of students; especially boys and girls, disadvantaged students, students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Looked After Children, and students from different heritage groups.
- To ensure that all students are given the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the life of the school, particularly focusing on developing leadership opportunities for all students.
- To eradicate the use of homophobic, sexist, racist and other discriminative language by students in the school.
- To review the accessibility across the school for students, staff and visitors with disabilities, including access to specialist teaching areas.
Specific tasks relating to these objectives can be found within the School Development Plan.