Equality and Accessibility Policy

Policy details

• Date created - January 2024
• Date approved -
• Next review date - January 2025
• Policy owner - Jess Field

1. Who is this policy for?
2. Protected Characteristics
3. Mission Statement
4. Equality Objectives
5. Actions Taken - 2022/23
6. Accessibility Aims
7. Accessibility - Current Provision

Who is this policy for?

The following groups have been identified as key recipients in terms of the provision of this statement:

• Are Child Looked After or on the edge of Care
• Have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities
• Are excluded or at risk of exclusion from school
• Are from an ethnic group, including those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds
• Have English as an additional language
• Are missing in education
• Have ill health, including hospitalisation, affecting attendance at school
• Are young carers
• Are offending or at risk of offending
• Have mental health issues
• Are in receipt of free school meals
• Live in areas of deprivation
• Are gender questioning or going through transition
• Are Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual

Protected Characteristics

The Equality Act 2010 was introduced to ensure protection on the grounds of specific characteristics (referred to as protected characteristics). For schools, this means that it is unlawful to discriminate against students or treat them less favourably because of their sex, race, disability, religion or belief, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity.

Mission Statement

Co-op Academy Leeds is committed to ensuring that all staff, students, parents and visitors feel welcome, safe, included and respected in the academy. This is central to our mission:

At Co-op Academy Leeds we are ambitious for ourselves and our diverse communities - we will endeavour to make the world a better place through our actions.  We will be determined to succeed and show respect, kindness and integrity to everyone, every day.

Equality Objectives

The Equality Act 2010 requires us to publish specific and measurable equality objectives. Our equality objectives are based on our analysis of data and other information. Our equality objectives focus on those areas where we have agreed to take action to improve equality and tackle disadvantages. We will regularly review the progress we are making to meet our equality objectives.

Objective 1: to embed equality, diversity and inclusion into the curriculum and teaching & learning practices

(Measured by Student Voice and staff surveys, Curriculum reviews and QAs)

We will work towards a curriculum and teaching and learning practices which:

• are inclusive - all pupils and staff are welcomed and valued
• show respect for and appreciation of one another as individuals
• prepare pupils for life in a diverse society by encouraging respect for linguistic, cultural and religious diversity that exists in local communities and the wider world
• support students to understand and respect different aspect of equality, diversity and discrimination in wider society, including racism, sexuality and homophobia, disability and gender
• reflect the diversity of our students and local community, country and world
• develop personal and cultural identity in all pupils
• widen educational and personal horizons of all pupils if limited by factors that compromise equality
• are proactive in tackling discrimination and are actively anti racist
• promote benefits of diversity
• enable all students to successfully access the curriculum and achieve in lessons, considering SEN needs, language needs, prior education, home support and experience
• understand the barriers students may face to their learning & put measures in place to help them overcome these

We will work with our sponsor, the Co-op, to develop a new curriculum on anti-racism so that the next generation knows what it means to be anti-racist and every member of our school community is racially literate.

Objective 2: to embed equality, diversity and inclusion into the academy

(Measured by student and parent voice and staff surveys, external and internal data, HR data to analyse staff and governing body representation)

• We will identify any difficulties or concerns early in order to act preventatively covering all aspects of Equality and Diversity including, incidents of discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics.
• Our curriculum and pastoral staff will ensure that all students and staff understand aspects of discrimination and are able to tackle and report such incidents effectively.
• We will take such incidents seriously and will ensure these are dealt with quickly and appropriately.
• We will monitor, analyse and track pupil achievement and progress by ethnicity, EAL proficiency level, language, background, gender and disability, and act on any trends or patterns in this data which identify the need for additional support for pupils with the aim of narrowing the gap for equality groups.
• We will monitor, analyse and track wider school involvement of students (eg. extra-curricular activities, visits, positions of responsibility, attendance and behaviour, pastoral support) by ethnicity, EAL proficiency level, language, background, gender and disability, and act on any trends or patterns in this data which identify the need for additional support for pupils with the aim of narrowing the gap for equality groups.
• We will aim for equity not just equality, so that students are able to overcome barriers to achieve equality of opportunity, & put additional measures in place to achieve this where needed.
• We will ensure communication with parents & other parental involvement with the school is accessible and representative.
• We will have a staff & governing body that is representative of the student and the wider communities we serve.
• We will develop a representative student & parent voice to share their views on equality & diversity in school & more widely.
• We will create and promote opportunities for staff voice, and debate & dialogue, around these key issues.

Objective 3: to celebrate the diversity of our school community, ensure all students feel represented & proud of who they are

(Measured by student voice, parent and staff surveys, learning walks, parental and community engagement and records of planned events and celebrations)

• The diversity of the school will be visible and celebrated as you walk around school through displays & signage.
• Students’ backgrounds, cultures & languages will be represented positively, respected and celebrated around the school, inside & out of lessons, and within activities in school.
• The school’s diversity calendar will be used to promote acceptance, understanding, learning about each other and celebrations of the diversity of the school, such as multilingualism, Gypsy Roma culture & history month, Refugee Week, Pride, Black History Month.
• We will work towards achieving the Anti Racist Schools Award with the Centre for Race, Education and Decoloniality at Leeds Beckett University.
• We will improve parental engagement and greater involvement of the wider community in the life of the school to build positive relationships, between different community groups & with the school and to celebrate the diversity of our community, e.g. coffee mornings & cultural celebrations.

Actions Taken - 2022/23

During the last year we have taken the following actions to advance equality, diversity & inclusion, and to comply with our equality duty:

• Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Staff forum continued to embed and drive the EDI Agenda forward.
• A Unity In Diversity Calendar was further refined to celebrate various events at the academy. The Academy celebrated Black History Month with students being involved in a range of workshops and performances throughout the month. CultureFest and Roma Festival were also held at the academy with parents and the community invited to celebrate with us.
• An anti-racist curriculum score card was used to audit SOLs with tailored units of work developed on equality & diversity across the curriculum.
• All subject areas increased diversity and representation within their curriculums and set ambitious targets for further development work over the coming year with a focus on the decolonisation of their curriculum.
• ALT and Whole staff training on EDI was planned and delivered.
• Leaders across the academy undertook training to increase racial literacy and deepen understanding around decoloniality.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are central to our new staff and new student induction processes.
• Stephen Lawrence Student Committee continued to run across the academy. These are race equality student ambassadors who are actively involved in fundraising, raising awareness around racial inequality and bias and to promoting race equality in the academy.
• Groups of staff and students engaged with the East Street Arts’ installation and learning programme revisiting the tragic events surrounding the racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993.
• Our LGBTQ+ student group were involved in raising awareness, identifying allies,  providing support and  promoting  LGBTQ+ equality in the academy.
• Work began towards the academy achieving the Anti Racist Schools Award with the Centre for Race, Education and Decoloniality at Leeds Beckett University.

Accessibility Aims

Co-op Academy Leeds recognises the need to ensure that students can access their school fully. As a result we aim to:

•  Increase the extent to which students with disabilities can participate in the school curriculum and attain success in line with their ability, making reasonable adjustments to ensure that this happens.
•  Improve the environment of the school to increase the extent to which students can take advantage of education and associated services.
•  Improving information delivery to students with disabilities.

Co-op Academy Leeds recognises the need to ensure access to the school, information and events for parents, carers and other family members with disabilities and will:

• Ensure that information is clear, timely and accessible for all and use creative means of contacting family members to pass on or present information when necessary.
• Ensure that events are accessible, physically and cognitively, family members.
• Ensure that family needs are taken into account when arranging meetings.

Co-op Academy Leeds also recognises its responsibilities towards employees with disabilities and will:

• Monitor recruitment procedures to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with equal opportunities.
• Ensure that employees with disabilities are supported with special provision to ensure that they can carry out their work effectively and without barriers.
• Undertake reasonable adjustments to enable staff to access the workplace.

The plan will be resourced , implemented, reviewed and revised in consultation with:

• parents/carers of students
• employees
• governors
• external partners

Accessibility - Current Provision

1) Improving the extent to which students with disabilities can participate in the school curriculum and attain success in line with their ability, making reasonable adjustments to ensure that this happens.

Co-op Academy Leeds offers a broad and balanced curriculum for all students. We provide specialist provision to support students with learning difficulties to access the curriculum.

• Students on the SEND register have an Individual Education Plan, written by gaining views of the student. This informs colleagues of the specific learning needs of students so that necessary adjustments can be made in lessons.
• Staff work with colleagues from the SEND department to develop strategies for inclusion as well as contribute to the review of student progress
• All students take part in all aspects of the curriculum including physical activities. Where this is not possible a risk assessment will be completed drawing on advice from relevant professionals, allowing an alternative plan to be devised
• Academy visits are accessible to all students irrespective of attainment or impairment
• Staff continue to receive regular updates on students on the SEND register through staff briefings, weekly staff bulletin, SEND drop in sessions and new staff induction.
• The academy has a strong transition programme to allow students identified by primary schools the opportunity to have additional transition visits/days as appropriate
• The academy is able to screen students, taking into account their reading ages and other assessments to enable us to identify those who require intervention or access arrangements for formal assessments

2) Improving the environment of the school to increase the extent to which students with disabilities can take advantage of education and associated services.

Co-op Academy Leeds aims to remove physical barriers and to improve access to the physical environment, adding specialist facilities as necessary.

• The academy has two lifts to allow students, staff and visitors who require assistance to move between the three floors of the building.
• The academy has disabled toilets on all floors
• Ramps allow access to the ground floor of the building.
• Designated staff are trained in manual handling to support students who may require assistance
• Fire and evacuation procedures are in place for students and staff that take into account what happens when lifts are inaccessible
• Evac chairs are strategically positioned around the building with site staff trained in their use
• Classrooms have sufficient space for all children and young people. Adjustments such as desk height for those students who require wheelchair access can be made where necessary

3) Improving information delivery to students with disabilities

Co-op Academy Leeds considers the needs and requirements of all abilities and with varying needs when communicating information, both verbally and in writing.

• Parents’ evening are key events, with all students and parents/carers encouraged to attend, and with additional phone calls made to individual families when needed
• Parents/carers of SEND students have the opportunity to speak to and meet with the SENDCo throughout the year in addition to these meetings
• The academy writes and reviews pupil passports with students. These are regularly reviewed to ensure student needs are catered for
• Effective examination access arrangements allow students with SEND to have barriers removed when completing external examinations
• Careers and options packages are carefully planned to ensure that information is delivered effectively to students, parents and carers