Equality Statement

Sherbrook Primary School is a generic special school with 135 pupils on roll. The school serves children from across the Cannock Chase and surrounding areas. All pupils have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), with many having multiple special educational needs such as Autism, ADHD, Communication or Global Development Delay.

Approximately 33% of pupils are entitled to FSM.

At Sherbrook Primary School we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers receiving services from the school, irrespective of race, gender, disability, faith or religion or socio-economic background. We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and able to participate fully in school life.

The achievement of pupils will be monitored by race, gender and disability and we will use this data to support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching. We will tackle discrimination by the positive promotion of equality, challenging bullying and stereotypes and creating an environment which champions respect for all. We believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here.

We do this by:

Treating all those within the school community (e.g. pupils, staff, parents, local advisors and the community) as individuals with their own particular abilities, beliefs, challenges, attitudes, background and experience.
Creating and maintaining a school ethos which promotes equality, develops understanding and challenges myths, stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices.
Encouraging everyone in our school community to develop a positive self-image and high self-esteem by forging positive relationships.
Having high expectations for everyone involved with the whole school community.
Promoting mutual respect and valuing each other’s similarities and differences and facing equalities issues openly and honestly.
Monitoring and reviewing all the above to secure continuous improvement in all we do.
Ensuring all elements of the school curriculum supports the Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural development of children and therefore encourages them to respect and value difference and diversity.

Our Equality Objectives are:

To promote cultural understanding and awareness of different religious beliefs and cultures.
To monitor and promote the involvement of all groups of pupils in the extra-curricular life of the school, including leadership opportunities.
To close gaps in attainment and achievement between pupils and all groups of pupils; especially pupils eligible for free-school meals, pupils with secondary special educational needs and disabilities, looked after children and pupils from different heritage groups.
To further improve accessibility across the school for pupils, staff and visitors with disabilities, including access to specialist teaching areas.
To continue to monitor any use of homophobic, sexist and racist language by pupils in the school and put in place interventions to ensure this is targeted.