WE ARE LISTENING. WE ARE LEARNING. WE ARE ACTING.
WE ARE LISTENING. WE ARE LEARNING. WE ARE ACTING.
At CHS we are committed to fostering a safe educational and working environment, where all members of the CHS community experience an authentic sense of inclusion and belonging, regardless of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, economic background, gender, sexuality or ability. Our commitment to equality of experience is woven into our founding ethos and Waconian Values which underpin every aspect of CHS life today.
To that end we will take swift and deliberate steps to address racism, hatred and discrimination and this Action Plan outlines the initiative we are taking to tackle racial inequalities and further embed an inclusive culture. The plan has been formulated following consultation with groups of staff and pupils and a survey of our wider community.
I believe that all members of our School community have a collective responsibility to challenge racism and create an environment that is more conducive to openly discussing race-related issues. Together we will continue to listen, keep learning about race equality and take action.
Neil Smith, Head
“The Board of Governors supports, and is encouraged by, the work being done to build on the School’s founding principles, by providing an inclusive and tolerant community which helps prepare pupils for their future beyond CHS”.
Catherine Boyd, Chair of Governors
OUR ACTIONS
Cultural change
Staff will be confident in discussing race with colleagues and pupils.
Staff will be aware of different festivals and cultural celebrations.
The School’s expectations regarding our approach to race related issues are clear, and staff will be consistent in their approach.
Pupils and staff will be racially literate and have understanding of key terminology.
Inclusive teaching, learning and working environment and practices
Create a working environment which staff feel is inclusive.
Develop a curriculum which is more representative of the cultures and heritage of our pupils.
Waconian experience
Pupils are clear aobut school expectations.
Pupils feel their cultures are recognised and celebrated.
Mechanisms for reporting are clear and accessed by pupils.
Ensure engagement of all groups in co-curricular activities.
Diverse staff and pupil recruitment
Establish a workforce that better reflects the diversity of the School and wider community.
Leadership and Governance
The Governing Board will work towards increasing its diversity of membership and will work with the SLT to ensure all aspects of school life reflect a strong anti-racist culture.
Cultural change
AIMS ACTIONS
Staff confident in discussing race with colleagues and pupils.
Staff aware of active celebration of different festivals and cultural celebrations.
Use of external organisations to promote greater understanding and provide training for staff.
Recognition of different festivals in whole staff meetings, and encourage staff to acknowledge festivals with those pupils who may be celebrating them.
Staff who celebrate different festivals are invited to share their experience with other staff as part of the professional development programme.
MEASURING OUR PROGRESS
Evidence of changed attitudes captured through staff surveys and feedback from pupils.
Evidence that all staff see that dealing with racism is the responsibility of all staff.
School’s expectations regarding approach to race related issues are clear / staff consistent in approach.
Pupils and staff are racially literate and have understanding of key terminology.
Relevant policies, including the Equality and Diversity Policy, and behaviour management and pastoral care policies for the Junior and Senior schools, and staff code of conduct updated to clearly articulate the School’s expectations.
Working in partnership with schools locally and globally to develop a more diverse perspective and participating in school events and assemblies which explore a diverse range of cultures and celebrations.
School Equality Society identify ways to promote racial diversity and tolerance, for example the ‘Show racism the red card’ event.
Response to, and no evidence of any race-related incidents in schools.
Staff and pupils are confident in the use of key terminology and language.
Inclusive teaching, learning and working environment and practices
AIMS ACTIONS
A working environment which staff feel is inclusive.
Have a racially diverse curriculum.
Make explicit the offer for staff to take time off to observe significant religious / cultural events.
Cyclical review of the curriculum to ensure it promotes diversity
Ensure that teachers are able to draw on a range of examples in their teaching to reflect the contribution of people of diverse backgrounds to the development of each subject.
Departments actively celebrate diversity within their subjects in their displays.
MEASURING OUR PROGRESS
Staff wellbeing surveys.
Evidence of reviews and refinements to curriculum.
Visible signs of diversity in classroom and departmental displays.
AIMS ACTIONS
A workforce that better reflects the diversity of the school and wider community.
Diverse staff and pupil recruitment
An approach to recruitment which encourages all people, irrespective of background to apply for roles at CHS.
MEASURING OUR PROGRESS
Benchmarking of current staff profiles and reviewing at least annually.
Monitoring staff retention by ethnicity.
Providing information for prospective applicants which highlights our commitment to equality and diversity policy, together with information and images about how inclusive we are.
Develop an ambitious approach to attracting the best possible staff, regardless of background, to teacher training opportunities within our school.
Introduce a ‘day in the life of a teacher’ event targeted at anyone interested in teaching.
Evidence of where new staff have been attracted by advertising.
Seek feedback from candidates.
Updated recruitment information.
Composition of shortlists.
A staff body which, over time, broadly reflects the ethnic composition of the pupil body.
Actively work with Initial Teacher Training providers to advertise roles.
Partnering with relevant organisations, such as BAMEed, to help share and promote our vacancies.
Ensure that all shortlisting includes at least 3 members of staff.
Revise the current job application from so there is a greater emphasis on what candidates can bring to the role they are applying for, recognising that applicants previous education professional experience may not be typical.
Composition of shortlists.
Data collection demonstrates an increase in applicants from diverse backgrounds.
Outcomes from interviews.
Composition of shortlists and outcomes from interviews.
The Waconian Experience
AIMS ACTIONS
Pupils are clear in their understanding of what the school’s expectations are and how staff will respond in situations where these expectations are not met.
Pupils feel that their cultures are recognised and celebrated by the School.
Mechanisms for reporting are clear and accessed by pupils.
Training for all staff on how they should respond to race-related incidents.
MEASURING OUR PROGRESS
Data from pupil and staff surveys.
Ensure engagement of all groups in co-curricular activities.
Wider celebration of the cultures and special dates of pupils in our school.
Reinforcement to all member of the School community that they should report any suspected race-related incident to senior members of staff.
Providing a sufficient broad range co-curricular activities to meet the needs of all pupils.
Evidence of events and favourable respond of pupils / parents in the survey; (this is to replace ‘evidence that all staff see that dealing with racism is the responsibility of all staff.
Review of reported incidents and how this aligns with pupil’s response to surveys. Use of pupil voice to gain a greater understanding of pupil experience.
Data on reviews and refinements to curriculum.
Leadership & Governance
AIMS ACTIONS MEASURING OUR PROGRESS
A Board that proportionately reflects the diversity of the communities which our school serves.
The Board is fully aware of the plan and responsibilities for the elements of the plan.
The Board holds to account the School leadership for progress against the plan.
Ensure all policies and procedures take account of race equality and do not contribute to feelings of exclusion of any pupil.
Work with External Relations and other networks to promote membership of the Board through the BAME community.
Include an update on diversity and inclusion in agenda for each meeting of the Safeguarding, Pupil Welfare and Compliance sub-committee.
Regularly monitor incident reports and actions taken, and supports the Head and SLT in implementing this plan.
Review existing policies with particular focus on the following:-
• Equality and Diversity Policy
• Uniform Guidelines for the Senior and Junior School
• Curriculum Policy
• Differentiation Policy
• Admissions Policy
• Accessibility and Inclusion Plan
• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Behaviour Management and Pastoral Care Policy
Composition of the Board.
Use data and other evidence for other areas to identify where progress is or is not being made.
Minutes of Board meetings record progress the School is making in creating a more inclusive community.
Updated policies published on the website, and reviewed by ISI during regulatory Focused Compliance inspections.
Claremont Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6EF
Tel: 0161 488 3330
Email: head@chschool.co.uk cheadlehulmeschool.co.uk