Equality Information and Objectives

(Public Sector Equality Duty)

Our commitment

At The Flourish Federation (Brookfield Infant School and Brookfield Junior School), we are committed to fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, and fairness for all pupils, staff, parents, carers, and visitors. We value diversity and work to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to thrive within a safe and supportive environment.

This page explains how we meet our duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), and sets out our current equality objectives.

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)

As schools, we have a statutory duty to have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• Advance equality of opportunity between those 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

These duties inform decision-making across our federation, including curriculum design, behaviour and attendance, pastoral support, staffing, accessibility, and our wider school culture.

Protected characteristics

The Equality Act 2010 protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of the following characteristics:

• Age (primarily applies to staff employment)
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership (staff employment)
• Pregnancy and maternity (staff employment)
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

How we meet the duty in practice

1. Eliminating discrimination

We work to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation through:

• Clear expectations for respectful behaviour and language
• A culture that actively challenges prejudice and discrimination
• Staff training and consistent application of policies
• Appropriate recording, investigation and follow-up of concerns
• Use of pupil voice to identify issues and improve practice

2. Advancing equality of opportunity

We advance equality of opportunity by:

• Maintaining high expectations for all pupils
• Identifying and reducing barriers to learning and participation
• Providing targeted academic and pastoral support where needed
• Making reasonable adjustments for pupils and staff with disabilities
• Monitoring information to identify trends or emerging gaps

3. Fostering good relations

We foster good relations by:

• Teaching about identity, fairness and respect through PSHE/RSE and the wider curriculum
• Ensuring pupils encounter diverse representation in texts, examples and role models
• Creating opportunities to celebrate difference and build understanding
• Using structured pupil voice (including school councils) to promote inclusion and belonging

Equality information we publish*

Equality information is published in a proportionate way that reflects the size and context of our schools.
We review a range of information relating to pupils and staff in order to meet our duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty. In publishing this information, we are mindful of the need to protect individual confidentiality and avoid the identification of small groups or individuals. For this reason, equality information is presented as a narrative summary rather than detailed demographic breakdowns.

Pupil information we review may include:

• Attainment and progress patterns
• Attendance and persistent absence
• Behaviour and suspension/exclusion information
• Access to enrichment, leadership and wider opportunities
• Outcomes for pupils receiving additional pastoral or nurture support

Staff information

We also review staff-related equality information in a proportionate and anonymised way, appropriate to the size of our workforce.

Our Equality Objectives**

Objective 1: Embedding equality within the curriculum

We will ensure that our curriculum reflects and represents diversity within our schools and the wider world by:

• Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion across subjects, particularly PSHE/RSE, History and English
• Ensuring learning materials include a range of backgrounds, cultures, abilities and identities
• Reviewing curriculum resources regularly to avoid bias and stereotypes

Objective 2: Reducing attainment gaps for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups

We will:

• Monitor progress and attainment information to identify gaps early
• Implement targeted academic and pastoral support where required
• Support staff to recognise and address bias in teaching and assessment
• Work in partnership with families and external agencies

Objective 3: Promoting an inclusive and equitable school culture

We will:

• Strengthen pupil voice through school councils and leadership opportunities
• Celebrate diversity through assemblies, events and enrichment activities
• Ensure behaviour expectations promote respect, kindness and inclusion
• Provide ongoing staff training to sustain inclusive practice

Objective 4: Ensuring fair recruitment, development and leadership opportunities

We will:

• Maintain fair and transparent recruitment processes
• Ensure access to professional development and leadership opportunities
• Support flexible working and staff wellbeing where possible
• Monitor workforce patterns in a proportionate way

Progress against our objectives

Each year we publish a short summary of progress against our equality objectives. This may include:

• Key actions completed
• Any trends identified
• Adjustments made to practice or provision

Progress against our equality objectives – 2025–26

During the past year, the school reviewed equality-related information as part of our wider monitoring and evaluation processes. This included consideration of curriculum representation, pupil participation, behaviour and pastoral support. Actions taken this year included reviewing curriculum content and wider school activities to ensure sensitivity to individual beliefs and values, and engaging with parent voice to inform the delivery of age-appropriate and inclusive RSE and working in partnership with families and external agencies to address attendance concerns where they arise. Our review did not identify any significant disparities requiring a change to our equality objectives, which therefore remain appropriate and continue to guide our work. This review drew on curriculum monitoring, pastoral records, pupil voice and attendance/behaviour monitoring.

Related documents

• Equality Statement & Policy
• Accessibility Plan
• Behaviour Policy / Anti-Bullying Policy
• Complaints Policy

Review

Last updated: March 2025
Next review: March 2026

* Reviewed annually

** Reviewed annually and updated at least every four years