At SS Peter & Paul, we aim to develop and maintain  a culture of equality, inclusion and diversity. We celebrate the differences between us, while highlighting the many ways in which we are all equal.

The Single Equality Act, which came into place on October 1st 2010 (Equality Act 2010), brought together the duties set out in our Race, Disability and Gender policies into one single Public Sector Equality Duty. The Single Equality Act combines the existing three duties into one new Public Sector Equality Duty that covers all nine of the protected characteristics:

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender
  • Gender-identity
  • Race
  • Pregnancy
  • Maternity
  • Religion or belief
  • Sexual orientation

We will ensure that at every level, in all our work and throughout all aspects of the school community and its life, all will be treated equally.

As a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of Birmingham, our approach to equality and inclusion is rooted in our diocesan mission: “Forming Christ-centred pilgrims of hope with kind hearts, questioning minds, a thirst for knowledge, and a hunger for justice.” This calls us to recognise the dignity and uniqueness of every person, remove barriers to participation and achievement, and foster a community where everyone is valued, respected and able to flourish.

The General Duty covers all protected characteristics and has three main aims, requiring public bodies to have due regard to the need to:

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

Our approach to equality is based on the following key principles:

  • All learners are of equal value.
  • We recognise, celebrate and respect difference.
  • We foster positive attitudes, relationships and a shared sense of belonging.
  • We promote good practice in staff recruitment, retention and development.
  • We aim to reduce and remove inequalities and barriers that exist or emerge.
  • We have the highest expectations of all our children and enable them to flourish.

Through these principles, we seek to develop kind hearts, questioning minds and a hunger for justice, ensuring that equality, dignity and inclusion are lived out across every aspect of our school community.

We foster good relations by:

  • Ensuring that SS Peter & Paul is seen as a community school within the locality
  • Ensuring that equality and diversity are embedded in the curriculum and within prayer and liturgy.

Equality Objectives

At SS Peter & Paul Catholic Primary & Nursery, we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers, irrespective of race, gender, disability, belief, religion or socio-economic background.

In order to further support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusive, adaptive teaching, we have set the following Equality Objectives for 2026-27:

Objective 1 – Tackling Prejudice and Discriminatory Language
To educate pupils about prejudice, equality and respect, reducing and ultimately eliminating the use of racist, sexist, homophobic and other discriminatory language within the school community.

Objective 2 – Promoting Equality in Attendance
To identify and remove barriers to regular attendance, ensuring that every pupil has equitable access to education and is supported to attend, participate and flourish.

Objective 3 – Equality of Engagement
To monitor and review pupil and parental engagement in learning and school life, identifying and addressing barriers to participation and ensuring fair and equitable access to opportunities.

Objective 4 – Cultural Understanding and Diversity
To promote cultural understanding and respect through a rich range of experiences, enabling pupils to value their own heritage, recognise shared similarities and celebrate the diversity of cultures within our community and beyond.

Objective 5 – Closing Achievement Gaps
To monitor and analyse pupil achievement and progress by race, gender, disability and other relevant characteristics, identifying patterns of inequality and taking targeted action to remove barriers and improve outcomes for all pupils.

The Leadership Team and Local Governing Body will  review how well we achieve these aims annually with regard to the protected groups under the Equality Act.