Equality & Diversity
Public Sector Equality Duty
The Equality Act 2010 introduced a single Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) that applies to public bodies, including local-authority maintained schools such as Downs View School, and extends to certain protected characteristics – race, disability, sex, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment. This combined equality duty came into effect in April 2011.
It has three main elements. In carrying out their functions, public bodies are required to have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
- Foster good relations across all protected characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
Schools are required to publish:
Details of how they are complying with the PSED, which should be updated each year; and
Their equality objectives, which are updated at least once every 4 years.
Downs View Equality Objectives
These objectives feed into the School Improvement Plan which is monitored regularly by the Senior Leadership Team and the Governing Body.
Complete an audit of the school experience for student and staff with BAME & EAL.
To have clear actions to improve experience for BAME & EAL staff and students.
To develop an understanding of ‘unconscious bias’ and its impact on actions.
Increased staff awareness leading to changes in behaviour
Please find links to our Equality Objectives, Equality Policy and Equality Workforce Report 2023.