Killinghall Primary School

Equal Opportunities Report 2024

School is committed to the principals of ‘equality of opportunity’ and when making decisions on recruitment and developing our curriculum we have due regard to the advancement of all pupils and staff and are mindful of those who share a protective characteristic, that is that there are no barriers to learning or advancement for our pupils or staff based on race, disability, sex, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and gender re-assignment.

The majority of our recruitment is done through Hays Recruitment, and we are keen to represent all types of society within our staff.  We have 115 staff in total, 88% females (101) and 12% males (14). The age profile ranges from 20-65 years of age.

Promotion within school also follows the LA guidance on recruitment and equality.  The school does an exit questionnaire for all staff to ensure that there has been no discrimination, bullying or harassment against any member of staff.  These have been useful, and we often receive words of praise about the collective support staff feel they have had.

For any member of staff who has a characteristic that may be protected (i.e. disability) the school follows HR procedures in advice and support in making reasonable adjustments.  We successfully employ several members of staff who have recognised disabilities.  These include hearing impairment, arthritis, coeliac disease, heart disease, depression, diabetes and Chrons to name a few.  Reasonable adjustments are also made where appropriate following advice from Occupational Health.

We regularly analyse the profile of behaviour incidents in school and can report that the majority of detentions are received by boys.    The ethnicity is not significant but is generally based on the fact that the majority of detentions are received for ‘rough play’ and some for minor insolence incidents during the school day. Often this behaviour is displayed by boys.   The learning mentors work with individuals and groups of children to help them with behaviour management, anger management and strategies to make and maintain friendships. The senior leadership team continue to monitor this.   Our school social worker works with small groups of identified individuals on coping strategies.  She also works with identified individuals on a one-to-one basis to help them address behaviour issues in school and at home.

Our curriculum is inclusive, and we continue to develop children’s understanding of equal opportunities through the use of literature, topics and PE and sports.  We aim to provide diversity in the curriculum so that difference may be embraced, and all children act in a manner that is fair and just. Equal opportunities are taught through PSHE and other subjects.  Extracurricular sports are offered to children in Year groups 1 – 6.  Our curriculum is adapted to ensure that it is meaningful for all our children. 

We have introduced ‘My Happy Mind’ teaching to all year groups to further enhance our PSHE curriculum.

Here is our Curriculum Statement: -Our curriculum aims to provide the pupils in our school with an aspirational and ambitious curriculum which is accessible to every child including children with disabilities and special educational needs. Our SEND Policy clearly demonstrates our compliance to the SEN Code of Practice 2015 and shows how we include children, with a diverse range of individual needs, in our rich curriculum and all aspects of school life. The curriculum will enable them to acquire the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful in the later stages of their education and throughout their lives. It is a curriculum where every child feels safe and supported and where achievement is recognised however small and individual successes are celebrated and where children are nurtured to become ‘independent learners’.

We have organised our curriculum so that all our pupils are able to master a defined and carefully sequenced body of knowledge by the end of each year. A key element in the way we have designed and organised our curriculum has been the need to provide sufficient time for pupils to master new knowledge in depth, so that they are able to remember it over time and build on their learning progressively as they move through the school.

As well as developing pupils’ academic knowledge and skills, our curriculum also aims to support our children’s personal development and attitudes, including effective learning behaviours, so that they not only have the knowledge and skills to be effective lifelong learners but are also equipped with the language to be able to express themselves and have the motivation, curiosity, confidence and resilience to be successful.    

A key consideration underpinning the design of our curriculum is the need to extend our children’s horizons. This partly reflects our commitment to widening our pupils’ understanding of the world community and increasing their global awareness. However, an equally important factor underpinning our curriculum is the need to provide a wide range of rich, first-hand learning experiences which our pupils are unlikely to experience outside the school, delivered in a context so that their learning is purposeful and meaningful to them.      

We annually undertake a pupil and parent questionnaire to ensure that the voices of all children and parents are heard.

Equality objectives have been set for 2024/2028.

Claire Spencer

Headteacher