Our Commitment to Equality

At Forest View Primary School, children are at the heart of every decision we make.

We are committed to providing an inclusive education in which every child is valued, treated with dignity and given the opportunity to succeed. We believe that a child's background, circumstances, identity or additional needs should never unnecessarily limit their aspirations, participation or opportunities.

Our commitment to equality reflects our school values of kindness and resilience and our ambition for every child to become a Forest Venturer: to Try, Learn and Lead the Way.

Our school ethos already makes clear our belief that everyone has the right to succeed and that pupils should have equal access to opportunities. We use inclusive and adaptive teaching approaches to enable children with different starting points and needs to participate successfully in school life.

As part of the Forest of Dean Trust, we also share the Trust's commitment to equality of opportunity. The Trust describes itself as an equal opportunity organisation and seeks to ensure that staff and pupils are treated fairly and without artificial barriers, prejudice or preference.

 

The Public Sector Equality Duty

Under the Equality Act 2010, schools have a Public Sector Equality Duty.

When carrying out our work and making decisions, we must have due regard to the need to:

1. Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.
2. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
3. Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Having "due regard" means that equality is considered as part of our everyday decision-making, policies and practices rather than as a separate or occasional exercise.

We therefore consider equality when developing and reviewing:

• our curriculum;
• teaching and learning;
• behaviour and attendance;
• safeguarding;
• SEND provision;
• pastoral support;
• enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities;
• educational visits;
• policies and procedures;
• recruitment and employment practices;
• use of resources;
• accessibility; and
• significant decisions affecting our school community.

 

Protected Characteristics

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination in relation to a number of protected characteristics.

These are:

• age;
• disability;
• gender reassignment;
• marriage and civil partnership;
• pregnancy and maternity;
• race;
• religion or belief;
• sex; and
• sexual orientation.

Not every aspect of the Equality Act applies to pupils in exactly the same way, but we are committed to creating a school culture in which everyone is treated fairly, respectfully and with dignity.

 

How We Promote Equality at Forest View

Equality at Forest View is not simply about meeting a statutory requirement. It is an important part of the culture and everyday work of the school.

An inclusive and ambitious curriculum

We provide a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils and have high expectations of what every child can achieve.

Teachers consider pupils' individual starting points and needs and adapt teaching where appropriate so that barriers to learning and participation can be reduced.

Our approach to SEND follows the same principle. Children with SEND are supported to access an ambitious curriculum alongside their peers and to participate fully in the wider life of Forest View, including enrichment, sport, educational visits, performances, clubs and leadership opportunities.

 

Understanding and respecting others

Through our curriculum, assemblies, relationships and wider experiences, we teach children to understand and respect people whose lives, backgrounds, beliefs and experiences may be different from their own.

Our curriculum promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. These sit alongside our own values of kindness, resilience, honesty, tolerance, cooperation, invention and courage.

We want children to leave Forest View able to participate confidently and positively in modern Britain.

 

Removing barriers to achievement

We recognise that equality does not always mean providing everyone with exactly the same thing.

Some children face barriers that mean they require additional provision, resources or support in order to access the same opportunities as their peers.

This is particularly important within the community Forest View serves.

Approximately 30% of pupils were eligible for Pupil Premium in the school's published report and the strategy identifies significant levels of deprivation within the school's community. It identifies gaps in learning, attendance, self-confidence and aspirations among the potential barriers facing disadvantaged pupils.

We therefore use information about pupils' attainment, progress, attendance, behaviour, participation and wellbeing to identify potential inequalities and respond appropriately.

Our current Pupil Premium strategy is published separately on our website.

 

Supporting children with SEND and disabilities

We are proud to be an inclusive school.

All teachers are responsible for the progress and development of children with SEND, with high-quality inclusive teaching forming our first response when a child experiences difficulty.

Where necessary, reasonable adjustments and additional support are provided to reduce barriers to learning, participation and school life.

Further information can be found within our:

• SEND Information Report
• SEND Policy
• Accessibility Plan
• SEND webpage

 

Preventing discrimination and prejudice

Discrimination, harassment, prejudice and discriminatory language are not accepted at Forest View.

We teach children to recognise the importance of treating others with kindness and respect and respond appropriately when concerns arise.

Our Behaviour and Wellbeing Policy places positive relationships, kindness and resilience at the centre of our approach and recognises that children may require different forms of support to be successful.

 

Monitoring Equality

We regularly consider whether different groups of pupils are able to participate, achieve and thrive at Forest View.

Depending upon the size of particular groups and the information available, this may include consideration of:

• attainment and progress;
• attendance and persistent absence;
• suspensions and behaviour;
• participation in clubs, sport, trips and enrichment;
• SEND identification and provision;
• safeguarding and pastoral needs;
• pupil voice;
• wellbeing;
• leadership opportunities; and
• transition to the next stage of education.

Where information identifies an inequality or potential barrier, leaders consider what action should be taken.

The Public Sector Equality Duty specifically expects public bodies to consider the effect of their work on different groups and, for schools, this can include monitoring whether particular groups of pupils are performing differently and whether additional action is required.

We are mindful that Forest View is a primary school and some groups of children may be very small. We will therefore not publish information where doing so could identify individual children.

 

Our Equality Objectives

Schools are required to prepare and publish one or more specific and measurable equality objectives and review them at least every four years. The objectives should reflect the most significant equality priorities within the individual school.

Forest View Equality Objectives 2026 to 2030

Having considered the context and needs of our school community, we have identified the following three objectives.

 

Objective 1: Reduce barriers to achievement for disadvantaged and underserved pupils

Our aim:
To ensure that socioeconomic disadvantage does not unnecessarily limit pupils' achievement, attendance, aspirations or access to opportunities.

We will:

• monitor the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils;
• identify and address barriers to learning at pupil and cohort level;
• maintain a strong focus on attendance and persistent absence;
• provide targeted academic and pastoral support where appropriate;
• provide access to enrichment and wider opportunities;
• develop pupils' confidence, independence and aspirations; and
• evaluate the impact of our Pupil Premium strategy.

This reflects Forest View's identified context. The published Pupil Premium strategy identifies disadvantage, gaps in learning, attendance, confidence and aspirations as significant issues for the school community.

We will know we are making a difference when:

• disadvantaged pupils make strong progress from their starting points;
• differences in attainment between disadvantaged and other pupils reduce where they exist;
• attendance improves for identified disadvantaged pupils;
• disadvantaged pupils participate fully in enrichment and wider school life; and
• pupil voice demonstrates high aspirations and a strong sense of belonging.

 

Objective 2: Ensure pupils with SEND and disabilities participate fully in learning and wider school life

Our aim:
To identify and reduce barriers experienced by pupils with SEND and disabilities so that they can achieve well and participate as fully as possible in the life of Forest View.

We will:

• continue to develop high-quality adaptive and inclusive teaching;
• identify barriers to learning and participation;
• make reasonable adjustments where these are required;
• appropriately involve children and their families in decisions about support;
• monitor the participation of pupils with SEND in enrichment, educational visits, clubs, sport and leadership opportunities;
• improve accessibility wherever reasonably possible; and
• evaluate the difference SEND provision makes to children's outcomes and experiences.

This aligns directly with Forest View's current SEND approach, which commits to ambitious expectations, inclusive practice, removing barriers and enabling pupils with SEND to participate in the curriculum and wider school experience.

We will know we are making a difference when:

• pupils with SEND make strong progress from their individual starting points;
• pupils and parents report that children feel included and supported;
• pupils with SEND have equitable access to wider opportunities;
• identified barriers to participation are reduced; and
• appropriate reasonable adjustments are embedded in everyday practice.

 

Objective 3: Develop children's understanding of equality, diversity and life in modern Britain

Our aim:
To ensure that children develop the knowledge, attitudes and experiences needed to respect difference, challenge prejudice and participate positively in a diverse society.

We will:

• ensure that the curriculum provides meaningful opportunities to encounter different cultures, religions, families, backgrounds and experiences;
• promote mutual respect and understanding through the curriculum and assemblies;
• teach and promote fundamental British values;
• ensure books and curriculum resources reflect a diverse range of people and experiences;
• challenge discriminatory language, stereotypes and prejudicial behaviour;
• provide opportunities for children to engage with communities and experiences beyond their immediate locality; and
• use pupil voice to evaluate children's understanding of equality and belonging.

This is particularly relevant to Forest View's curriculum because the school explicitly recognises that it serves a rural community and aims to broaden children's experiences and their understanding of multicultural Britain and the wider world.

We will know we are making a difference when:

• pupils demonstrate respect for difference;
• pupils can explain why equality and fairness are important;
• pupils encounter diverse perspectives and experiences through the curriculum;
• discriminatory incidents are challenged effectively and patterns are monitored; and
• pupil voice shows that children feel safe, respected and that they belong at Forest View.

 

Reviewing Our Progress

Responsibility for promoting equality belongs to everyone within our school community.

School leaders and the Local Governing Board will monitor progress towards these objectives alongside wider school improvement priorities.

Our published equality information will be reviewed and updated annually and our formal equality objectives will be reviewed at least every four years, or sooner where school information identifies a new or changing priority. This reflects the specific duties placed upon schools under the Public Sector Equality Duty.