Public Sector Equality Duty
Thurston Community College is committed to the three main elements of the Public Sector Equality Duty, introduced as part of the Equality Act 2010:
- Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act;
- 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.
The College’s Equal Opportunities Policy and all other relevant policies will be evaluated and monitored for their equality impact on students, staff, parents and carers from the different groups that make up our College. To this end, we have developed the following Public Sector Equality Duty objectives for 2016-2019, in line with section 5.11 of “The Equality Act 2010 and schools” published by the Department for Education, May 2014:
- To close the gap between the progress of disadvantages students and non-disadvantaged students in Key Stage 3 (Years 7 - 9) and 4 (Years 10 - 11)
- To close the gap in levels of literacy amongst our students on entry by focusing on those with literacy skills that fall well below the national average.
- To encourage students to pursue STEM at Key Stage 5 (Years 12 - 13) to improve numbers of female students selecting these options.
- To promote a more multicultural environment and experience within the College and throughout College life.
- To develop and improve access to the site for all stakeholders who have physical disabilities.
- To enhance the opportunities and training available to staff in order that we foster a more culturally diverse management both at middle and senior levels.
In highlighting these statistics, it is demonstrable to all our stakeholders how the College is advancing equality in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty and how we are determined to comply with the non-discrimination provisions set out in this legislation.
