Equality Statement 

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Schools are  committed to treating all employees fairly and promoting equality of opportunity and providing clear performance and behavioural expectations to recognise and promote diversity and continually monitor and evaluate equality analysis. There is a zero tolerance approach to any form of discrimination, victimisation, bullying and harassment.  Our recruitment and selection processes will aim to ensure that people who join Schools have shared values.

The Schools approach continues to ensure a fair and inclusive working environment for everyone in the workforce. Everyone who works for Schools and the wider School community (as teaching staff, support staff, head teacher or senior leadership team) is expected to adhere to these principles. School governors and volunteers are also bound by their Code of Conduct.

Under the Equality Act 2010, employees and others working on behalf of a School can be held personally liable for acts of unlawful discrimination where a School has taken all reasonable steps to prevent such an act.

Prejudice and discrimination can affect anyone, but some groups are affected more than others. This could be because of their religious beliefs, culture, heritage, appearance, abilities, age, gender, or sexual orientation – diverse identities that are intrinsic to them. This means that individuals may not be provided with the same opportunities as others, or are not treated with dignity and respect because of who they are.

We acknowledge and welcome our legal duties and use legislation and national guidance as a framework to improve or maintain standards and be accountable to the people it serves. To support this, we provide a range of guidance and information on our public and employee webpages including:

• Equality Impact Analysis –will complete an Equality Analysis on all its policies, procedures and service plans to ensure our decisions are fair, informed and lawful (in terms of both Equality and Human Rights).
• Recruitment and employment policies and guidance.
• Learning and Development opportunities including  mandatory induction relating to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Essentials
• Behavioural Framework/Code of Conduct for employees.
• Procedures for reporting incidents of discrimination, harassment and Hate Crime (issues can also be reported anonymously or by witnesses).
• Communication standards including guidance for translations, interpreting and alternative formats as well as guidance on inclusive and acceptable language.
• Procurement/commissioning – equality standard and clauses in contracts for organisations providing services on our behalf.

If you wish to raise any questions or concerns, please raise with the head teacher or senior leadership team in the first instance, or alternatively if you feel you have not been treated fairly please refer to the grievance procedure.

Updated:  October 2023

School policies cover every aspect of school life!  Below are some of our most important policies for your information.

As agreed by the governing body, Meadowhead Junior School adopts Blackburn With Darwen Council Policies