Equality Objectives

Four Elms Primary School is committed to complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty by fostering an inclusive environment that promotes equality and diversity. The school ensures that all pupils, staff, and stakeholders are treated fairly, regardless of characteristics such as age, disability, gender, race or religion. Through policies, curriculum planning, and staff training, the school actively works to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations among different groups. Four Elms has met its equality objectives by implementing initiatives that support underrepresented groups, promoting an inclusive curriculum, and monitoring progress to ensure all students reach their full potential. Regular reviews and engagement with the school community help maintain a culture of respect and fairness, aligning with legal and ethical responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.

We recognise that the public sector equality duty has three aims. These aims are to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination 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 characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

Trust Equality objectives

The Trust has set overarching equality objectives that each school adopts and forms the basis of the school’s own equality objectives.

Objective 1: To ensure policies and procedures are free from discrimination and promote equal opportunities for all students and staff regardless of their background or characteristics.

Objective 2: To create an inclusive environment where all students and staff feel valued, respected and supported.

Objective 3: To strengthen relationships between schools, parents, carers, stakeholders and local communities to better understand and address their needs, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual respect.

For further information please see our Trust policy:

Trust Equality-Information-and-Objectives-Statement

School Equality objectives

Objective 1: Improve Representation and Inclusion

Why we have chosen this objective: Our rural community is becoming more diverse, and we want every pupil to see themselves reflected in the curriculum and school life. Ensuring inclusion supports children's confidence, engagement, and achievement.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

• Review our curriculum and resources to check they represent a range of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.
• Offer leadership roles and extracurricular opportunities to all pupils, with encouragement for underrepresented groups.
• Provide training for staff on unconscious bias and inclusive practices.

Progress we are making towards this objective:

• Staff training session on inclusive teaching help
• Inspire Inclusion Action Team, consisting of a group of children from a range of underrepresented groups, have been meeting with SLT to discuss their own ideas around inclusion at school. They have been taking on leadership roles and focusing on what inclusion means to our school community.
• All staff have received inclusive practice CPD delivered by STLS this year to further support and develop their inclusive practice.
• An inclusion hub has been established this year to support some of our complex needs SEND children to be able to access education.

Objective 2: Close Attainment Gaps

Why we have chosen this objective: We have identified that some groups of pupils, particularly those eligible for free school meals and those with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), are not achieving as highly as their peers. Addressing this is key to providing fair opportunities for all.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

• Use data carefully to identify pupils at risk of underachievement early.
• Provide targeted interventions, such as tutoring and small-group work.
• Strengthen partnerships with families to support learning at home.
• Train staff to understand and address barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils.

Progress we are making towards this objective:

• Regular pupil progress meetings prioritise pupils eligible for FSM and those with SEND to ensure timely support and intervention.
• Targeted daily interventions in literacy and numeracy address identified gaps, with impact reviewed termly.
• Additional reading support, including trained volunteer readers, is carefully targeted using regular attainment and engagement data.
• Accelerated Reader and assessment data are used consistently to identify pupils at risk of underachievement and inform responsive teaching.
• Whole-school spelling tracking enables precise grouping and targeted teaching to accelerate progress.
• Staff CPD has strengthened quality first teaching, ensuring lessons are inclusive, well-structured and responsive to need.
• Parent workshops support families in developing pupils’ emotional regulation and readiness to learn.
• Pupil voice and parent feedback (particularly for SEND pupils) inform adaptive approaches, including more personalised support and accessible learning at home.

Objective 3: Promote a Culture of Respect and Belonging

Why we have chosen this objective: A respectful and inclusive culture underpins positive behaviour, mental health, and strong learning outcomes. We want every child and family to feel that they belong to our school community.

To achieve this objective we plan to:

• Run regular assemblies and workshops on diversity, kindness, and anti-bullying.
• Organise events that celebrate different cultures and backgrounds represented in our school.
• Conduct annual surveys to hear directly from pupils and parents about their experiences.
• Provide staff with ongoing CPD (Continuing Professional Development) around inclusion and equality.

Progress we are making towards this objective:

• Rights Respecting assemblies are used regularly to promote diversity and inclusion across the school.
• 92% of parents report that their child feels safe and respected at school (recent safeguarding survey).
• A range of themed assemblies (e.g. Anti-Bullying Week, allergies awareness, celebrating differences) support pupils’ understanding of respect and inclusion.
• All staff have received training to ensure a consistent, Rights Respecting approach to behaviour, with shared language promoting fairness and belonging.
• Pupil voice is actively gathered through surveys and school council discussions, informing developments around safety, respect and inclusion.
• Transition arrangements are being strengthened, including increased opportunities to visit new classes, targeted support for vulnerable pupils and enhanced provision for new starters and Year 6 pupils.
• Strong partnerships with local secondary schools support effective transition and help pupils feel confident and prepared for the next stage.