PORCHESTER JUNIOR SCHOOL

	A Whole School Policy for Equal Opportunities and Race Equality

Background
This policy is an amalgamation of the school's anti-racist statement and equal opportunities policy  which were produced to meet the requirements of the 1976 Race Relations Act. Following the statutory code of practice in effect from May 2002, distinct sections have been added to delineate the duties of the school to promote race equality

AIMS

•	We aim to develop the children's awareness of the diversity of the society in which we live. 
•	We aim to make the whole of their school experience equip children to develop positive attitudes towards a pluralistic society. 

1. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES STATEMENTS OF PRINCIPLE

1.1.	Discrimination on the basis of creed, colour, culture, origin, gender and ability is unacceptable in our school.

1.2.	Every person in school will contribute towards a happy and caring environment by showing respect for and appreciation of each other, as individuals.

1.3.	An objective for our school, will be to educate, develop and prepare our children, whatever their creed, gender, culture, colour, origin or ability, for life.

1.4.	An equal opportunities philosophy will be practised by all staff in line with the Nottinghamshire County Council's Equal Opportunities Policy.

1.5.	We promote the principles of fairness and justice for all through the education that we provide in our school.

1.6.	We ensure that all pupils have equal access to the full range of educational opportunities provided by the school.

2.	RACE EQUALITY STATEMENTS OF PRINCIPLE

2.1	We are committed to combating racial discrimination and racial harassment by  challenging stereotyping and prejudice whenever it occurs.

2.2	As our school is not ethnically very diverse, we are conscious of the need to put effort into the celebration of cultural diversity of our community and show respect for all minority groups.

2.3	We endeavour to make the school a welcoming place for all ethnic and national groups represented in the community including gypsy travellers, asylum seekers and refugees

2.4	We ensure that all recruitment, employment, promotion and training systems are fair to all, and provide opportunities for everyone to achieve.

2.5	We constantly strive to remove any forms of indirect discrimination that may form barriers to learning, for example by ensuring that book resources reflect a diverse society and do not contain negative images

3. ANTI-RACISM ACTION PLAN

3.1	It is the right of all pupils to receive the best education the school can provide, with access to all educational activities organised by the school. We do not tolerate any forms of  racial harassment which includes racist name calling, racist caricature based on prejudice, the stirring of racial hatred and the drawing or writing of racist materials.
3.2	Children are encouraged to be aware of what racism means through the Citizenship programme and are encouraged to report incidents where there is the suspicion of racism.
3.3	Should a racist incident occur, we will act immediately to prevent any repetition of the incident as follows:
3.4.1	The head or deputy head teacher will deal with the matter.
3.4.2	If the incident happens at lunchtime the children involved will be kept            apart from each other, the allegation logged, and a report made                    immediately by the senior MSA to the head or deputy for full investigation
3.4.3	The incident will be reported in the Incident File.
3.4.4	It will be logged onto the computer file for analysis purposes.
3.4.5	All persons concerned with the incident will be interviewed.
3.4.6	No excuse will be accepted for a racist action whatever the provocation
3.4.7	If the case is found proven against a child, the child will be warned as to       future conduct, will be punished in an appropriate manner and the                 incident logged.
3.4.8	Parents will be informed by phone. A second incident will result in the           parents of the offending child being informed in writing.
3.4.9	A third incident will result in an exclusion, dependant upon the time lag         between the first and third incident.

4	METHODS OF PROMOTING RACE EQUALITY

4.1 Our curriculum reflects the attitudes, values and respect that we have for minority ethnic groups. So, for example, the history curriculum gives due emphasis to black history in Britain Since 1930 and in the work that the children do on the Ancient Egyptians. In the religious education curriculum topic on religious festivals, the children study the importance of Diwali to Hindus and Sikhs.

4.2	The citizenship programme contains strong elements that promote respect for all individuals for 'the content of their character not the colour of their skin' (Martin Luther King). Class councils form an important peer pressure group to promote race equality.

4.3	Admissions policy- the school follows the LEA/Governing Body Admission Policy, which does not permit gender, race, colour or disability to be used as a criteria for admission. Race Equality is promoted through the ethnic monitoring information gained from the admissions form

4.4	Registration- Children's names should be accurately recorded and correctly pronounced. Children should be encouraged to accept and respect names from other cultures.

4.5	When selecting classroom material, teachers pay due regard to the sensitivities of all members of the class and do not provide material that is racist (or sexist) in nature. Teachers strive to provide material that gives positive images of ethnic minorities and that challenges stereotypical images of minority groups.

4.6	Providing a wide variety of multi-cultural experiences for the children during their time at the school including visits, visitors to school, performances and establishing links to other schools.

4.7	In assemblies we use stories and poems from a variety of cultures and faiths and use real life situations (e.g. newspaper articles) to challenge racism.

5. THE ROLE OF GOVERNORS- RACE EQUALITY

The governing body has set out its commitment to promoting race equality and equal opportunities in this policy statement, and it will continue to do all it can to ensure that all members of the school community are treated fairly and with equality. They have agreed to:

5.1	Use the advice in the CRE's guidance 'Learning for All' as a basis for future development planning
5.2	Ensure that the school has a written policy and an action plan on race equality
5.3	Ensure that the school continues to assess the impact of its policies on ethnic minority policies, staff and parents with emphasis on the attainment of ethnic minority pupils
5.4	Adopt the LEA's guidance 'Dealing With Racist Incidents' (Governing Body Minutes Autumn Term 2001)
5.5	The governing body seeks to ensure that no one is discriminated against on the grounds of race when applying for jobs at our school.
5.6	The governing body will receive an annual report on the number of racist incidents from autumn 2002.

6.	THE ROLE OF GOVERNORS- EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES 

6.1	The governing body seeks to ensure that all people are regarded equally when applying for jobs at the school.
6.2	The governing body ensures that no child is discriminated against whilst in our school on account of their sex, religion or race. So, for example, all children have access to the full range of the curriculum, and regulations regarding school uniform will be applied equally to boys and girls. If a child’s religion affects the school uniform, then the school will deal with each case sensitively and with respect for the child’s cultural traditions.

7.	THE ROLE OF THE HEADTEACHER

7.1	It is the headteacher’s role to implement the school’s equal opportunities, race equality and anti-racist policies and s/he is supported by the governing body in so doing.

7.2	It is the headteacher’s role to ensure that all staff are aware of the school policy on equal opportunities and race equality and that teachers apply these guidelines fairly in all situations.

7.3	The headteacher ensures that all appointments panels give due regard to these policies, so that no-one is discriminated against when it comes to employment or training opportunities.

7.4	The headteacher promotes the principle of race equality and equal opportunity when developing the curriculum, and promotes respect for other people in all aspects of school life, for example, in the assembly, where respect for other people is a regular theme, and in displays shown around the school.

7.5	The headteacher treats all incidents of unfair treatment and any racist incidents with due seriousness.

8	THE ROLE OF THE CLASS TEACHER

8.1	The class teacher ensures that all pupils are treated fairly, equally and with respect. We do not discriminate against any child.

8.2	When selecting classroom material, teachers pay due regard to the sensitivities of all members of the class and do not provide material that is racist or sexist in nature. To promote race equality, teachers strive to provide material that gives positive images of ethnic minorities and that challenges stereotypical images of minority groups.

8.3	When designing schemes of work, we use this policy to guide us, both in our choice of topics to study, and in how to approach sensitive issues. So, for example, history topics in our school include examples of the significant contributions women have made to developments in this country’s history. In geography topics the teacher attempts to counter stereotypical images of Africa and Asia and to show the true diversity of development in different parts of the world.

8.4	All our teachers challenge any incidents of prejudice or racism. We record any serious incidents in the school log book, and draw them to the attention of the headteacher. Teachers support the work of ancillary or support staff and encourage them to intervene in a positive way against any occurrence of discrimination.

8.5	As our school is not ethnically very diverse, teachers put effort into the celebration of cultural diversity of our community, planning multicultural activities at various points during the year.

9.	MONITORING AND REVIEW

9.1	It is the responsibility of our governing body to monitor the effectiveness of this Race Equality and Equal Opportunities policy. The governing body does this by:
•	monitoring the progress of pupils of minority groups and comparing it to the progress made by other pupils in the school;
•	monitoring the staff appointment process, so that no-one applying for a post at this school is discriminated against;
•	requiring the headteacher to report to governors on an annual basis on the effectiveness of this policy;
•	taking into serious consideration any complaints regarding race equality, equal opportunity issues from parents, staff or pupils;
•	monitoring the school behaviour and exclusions policy, so those pupils from minority groups are not unfairly treated.

9.2	Apart from the general monitoring of relationships within the school and the setting of good examples from all children and adults there are two objective recorded systems in place to ensure that  gender, ethnicity or ability (be they special needs or other) do not impair either the emotional development or the academic achievement of children. These are:

•	The annual publication of the school's data analysis booklet. This booklet having specific reference to academic performance in terms of gender; ethnicity and ability groupings.

•	The monitoring of children's behaviour through the school's Incident Book and the computerised record (enabling faster identification) of all incidents within the school.

10. ACTION PLAN

The Race Equality Policy is linked to the following points of action. This plan undergoes annual review:

Main points of action:

•	During 2002-3 we will have in place the Race Equality policy and raise awareness of it through the governors meetings and staff meetings

•	The teacher in charge of the Citizenship programme will look at ways in which Race Equality can fit into this and the PSE work of the school

•	The head teacher will include information about the progress of the race equality policy in his/her report to governors during the summer term (commencing 2003). This will include information about any racist incidents and any related discipline matters.

•	The governors will continue to monitor the school's results using the data analysis booklet with a special focus on the performance of ethnic groups.

•	The school will organise at least one major multicultural event for the children during 2002-3