Equality Statement

This statement provides information about how Epworth Education Trust (the Trust) ensures it meets its Specific Duties under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) in relation to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

The PSED requires the Trust, as a body carrying out public functions, to have due regard to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

These are known as the General Duties of the PSED.

Having due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity is defined further in the Equality Act 2010 as having due regard to the need to:

• Remove or minimise disadvantages
• Take steps to meet different needs
• Encourage participation when it is disproportionately low.

The Trust is committed to actively examining current and proposed policies and practices, to ensure that they are not discriminatory under the Act.

To comply with the PSED the Trust will:

• publish information annually to demonstrate how the Trust is complying with the PSED. This information must include, in particular, information relating to people who share a protected characteristic
• prepare and publish specific and measurable equality objectives at least once every four years and
• publish information annually on the gender pay gap of employees, where the Trust employs 250 or more staff.

 

Protected characteristics

Under the Act, certain groups of society will be protected, by way of a particular characteristic. These are known under the Act as protected characteristics. The Trust has a statutory duty under the PSED to minimise or remove the disadvantages suffered by those with the below protected characteristics, and to promote equality for all.

The protected characteristics under the Act are:

• Age (not applicable to pupils, but applicable to staff, parents and visitors)
• Disability
• Sex (gender)
• Race (ethnicity)
• Pregnancy and Maternity
• Religion and Belief
• Sexual Orientation
• Transgender
• Marriage and Civil Partnership (not applicable to pupils, but applicable to staff, parents and visitors)

 

Collection of Equality information

We will collect and use equality information to help us to:

• identify key issues, ensure equality for all and remove disadvantages suffered by those with protected characteristics
• understand the impact of our policies, practices and decisions on people with different protected characteristics, and thereby make informed decision making to plan them more effectively
• assess whether we are discriminating unlawfully when carrying out any of our functions and how we will eradicate this, as far as reasonably possible, in the future
• ensure that staff and students alike are recognised for their talents
• identify what the key equality issues are for our organisation and all those accessing the facilities, resources and benefits provided by the Trust.
• prepare and publish information to demonstrate how our academy is complying with and meeting the PSED