ST THOMAS GARNET'S SCHOOL

Policy on Racial Equality

(see also Bullying; Equal Opportunities; Inclusion; Special Educational Needs)

1          Introduction

1.1       Our school's mission statement talks of valuing the individuality of all our children. We are committed to giving all our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards. Within this ethos of achievement, we do not tolerate bullying or harassment of any kind. Pupils will be provided with the opportunity to experience, understand and celebrate diversity.

1.2       This policy reflects the school's general and specific duties, as detailed in:

·         Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000;

·         Code of Practice on the Duty to Promote Race Equality 2001, issued by the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE);

·         Preparing a Race Equality Policy for Schools (CRE 2002).

            The following publications were helpful:

·         CRE's handbook ‘Learning for All: Standards for Racial Equality in Schools’ (2000);

·         The Runnymede Trust ‘The Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain: The Parekh Report’ (2000);

·         The Macpherson Report (1999) on the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.

2          Aims and objectives

2.1       In our school, we will:

·         strive to eliminate all forms of racism and racial discrimination;

·         promote equality of opportunity;

·         promote good relations between people of different racial and ethnic groups.

2.2       We are required to:

·         prepare a written policy on racial equality;

·         monitor and assess the impact of all our policies, including this one, on pupils, staff and parents/carers of different racial groups, paying particular attention to the impact of these policies on pupils' attainment levels.

3          Principles

            These three principles underpin all our procedures and practice:

·         Every pupil should have the opportunity to achieve the highest possible standards.

·         Every pupil should develop a sense of personal and cultural identity, with a confidence and openness to change that allow them to be receptive and respectful with regard to other people's identities.

·         Every pupil should develop the knowledge, understanding and skills they need in order to participate not only in Britain's multi-ethnic society, but also in the wider context of an interdependent world.

4          Responsibilities

4.1       In our school, we all take responsibility for promoting race equality, but the following have specific responsibilities:

4.2       The Trustees will seek to ensure that the school complies with race relations legislation, and that this policy and its procedures are implemented.

4.3       The headteacher, too, along with the Trustees will see that the policy and its procedures are implemented, that staff are aware of their responsibilities, that staff receive appropriate training and support in putting the policy into practice, and that disciplinary action is taken against staff or pupils who discriminate racially.

4.4       All staff will deal with racist incidents in accordance with school procedures, and will know how to challenge racial bias and stereotyping. They will not discriminate on racial grounds.

4.5       Teaching staff will offer full curriculum access to pupils from all racial groups, and will promote diversity and racial equality.

4.6       Visitors and contractors will comply with the school's race equality policy.

5          Tackling racial harassment

5.1       The definition of institutional racism is 'the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their culture, colour or ethnic origin'. It can be seen in processes, attitudes and behaviour that amount to discrimination, through unwitting prejudice, ignorance or thoughtless and racist stereotyping, all of which disadvantage minority groups.

5.2       A racist incident is 'any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person'. Any incident of racial harassment is unacceptable in our school. Incidents could take the form of physical assault, verbal abuse, damage to personal property, or lack of cooperation in a lesson, on account of another pupil's ethnicity.

5.3       Minority ethnic groups include gypsy travellers, refugees, asylum-seekers and, in certain contexts, white Europeans.

5.4       All racist incidents are investigated by the headteacher. Incidents of racism are recorded in the incident book, and the headteacher reports to the governing body and the LA on the number of incidents, the prevailing trends, and how the issues have been dealt with.

5.5       All pupils, parents/carers and staff are aware of our procedures for dealing with racist incidents, and all staff are trained to deal firmly, consistently and effectively with racist incidents.

5.6       Victims of racism and racial harassment will be supported by the school and, where appropriate, we will seek the support of external agencies.

 6         Teaching and learning

            We aim to provide all our pupils with the opportunity to succeed, and to reach the highest level of personal achievement. To do this, teaching and learning will:

·         ensure equality of access for all pupils, and prepare them for life in a society of diverse cultures;

·         use materials that reflect a range of cultural backgrounds, learning styles and linguistic needs;

·         challenge racial discrimination and stereotyping, and teach pupils how to recognise bias;

·         provide opportunities for pupils to maintain links with their own culture, while at the same time appreciating cultural diversity;

·         employ a range of styles, including collaborative learning, so that pupils can learn to value working together;

·         provide educational visits and extra-curricular activities that reflect all groupings among our pupils;

·         take account of the performance of all pupils when planning for future learning, and setting challenging targets.

8          Managing pupil behaviour

8.1       The school makes sure that procedures for disciplining pupils and for managing behaviour are fair and just to pupils from all racial groups.

8.2       All staff operate the school's behaviour policy of rewards and sanctions consistently.

8.3       Staff are aware that cultural background can affect behaviour, and take this into account when dealing with unacceptable behaviour.

8.4       Exclusions and the use of rewards and sanctions are monitored by ethnicity, to identify any patterns.

9          Partnerships

9.1       All parents and carers are encouraged to take a full part in the life of the school. The school works with parents/carers and the community to develop positive attitudes towards diversity and to address specific incidents.

9.2       We consult with staff, parents/carers and pupils about their opinions on the impact of our policies. Parents and carers receive an annual questionnaire about the school, and this now includes some questions about the success of our policies in promoting their involvement in their children's learning.

 10       Monitoring and review

                        We have a rolling programme of policy review, and this policy will be reviewed every two years, or earlier if necessary. As policies are reviewed and amended, we check that the principles listed above are properly considered, and are embedded into both policy and practice. Trustees will ensure that due regard is given to the promotion of racial equality within each policy.

Signed:

Date: