EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

INTRODUCTION

The Equal Opportunities Policy seeks to ensure that no employee, job applicant, or student receives less-favourable treatment on the grounds of discrimination or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be relevant to job/educational performance.

Longfield Academy is dedicated to providing an education to meet the needs and challenges of a fast-changing world. Within this context the Mission Statement highlights objectives pertinent to the Academy's commitment to Equality of Opportunities.

Mission Statement:

Longfield Academy is creating a quality learning network, which achieves excellence in all its services in an enterprising culture and in partnership with the community.

Motto:

Achieving Excellence Together

The Mission Statement is included in the Staff Handbook which is available to all Academy employees on the Academy network, and in each department, and is reinforced at a full staff meeting at the beginning of each academic year and as part of the Academy Induction Programme for new staff.

EMPLOYEES

As an employer, Longfield Academy seeks not to discriminate on grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, marital status, disability, class, age or religious belief, and is committed to taking positive action to redress discrimination and to provide genuine equality of opportunity in order to make full and effective use of its workforce.

Recruitment - Training - Promotion

Longfield Academy ensures that all employees are recruited, trained and promoted on the basis of ability, the requirement of the job and relevant criteria. Recruitment literature does not imply preference for one group of applicants, unless there is a genuine occupational qualification which limits the post to a particular sex or racial group. In such cases this will be clearly stated according to the Sex Discrimination and Race Relations Acts.

The Continuing Professional Development Policy is shared by all employees and training needs are addressed equitably for teaching and non-teaching staff. Training is made available to employees to overcome discrimination. A Continuing Professional Development Group monitors and evaluates training. The staff induction programme includes an introduction to the Academy's Equal Opportunities Policy and practical training pertinent to Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Special Educational Needs.

The Longfield Academy Performance Management Policy ensures that all employees have an equal entitlement to appraisal within a one-year cycle. The annual Skills Audit ensures that training needs, with regard to targets set, are addressed, where possible, within budget constraints.

Opportunities for promotion and advancement are published internally, as well as externally, to enable employees to put themselves forward for consideration.

Records are kept on job/promotional/appraisal interviews and all participants are entitled to a de-briefing from the interviewer/panel.

Changes are made to recruitment, training and career development practices, as necessary, usually following the annual review of the Academy Development Plan. Realistic goals are set, with yearly targets, to achieve long-term objectives.

STUDENTS

Entry Criteria

As a provider of education and training, Longfield Academy does not discriminate on grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, disability, class or religious belief and is committed to take positive action to redress discrimination and to provide genuine equality of opportunity, in order to make full and effective use of the abilities of its students. A formal Appeals Procedure is in place for Post-16 students.

Entry criteria are published in the Longfield Academy Prospectus which is available to all parents on request. These include:

• Looked After Children
• Special Educational Needs
• Siblings
• Distance between the student's home address and the Academy

Entrance criteria for Post-16 students are linked to individual courses and are clearly published in the Post-16 Course Prospectus

Support Provision

In addition to mainstream education, which benefits from a Learning Support team that supports all students the Spectrum Centre, within the Academy, operates to enable students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder to effective access education.

All employees are made aware of the above provision and receive appropriate training, within the context of their own posts.

Students' personal awareness of equal opportunities is raised through assemblies, the Personal, Social and Health Education programme, work with the Connexions Service and their participation in the Academy Council. Relevant training of equal opportunities issues is included in the Post-16 programme. Students joining the Academy during the academic year receive induction from the Director of Learning (Post 16).

IMPLEMENTATION

The Academy Principals have overall responsibility and delegate implementation of the policy to other members of the Executive Leadership Team.

The day-to-day responsibility of the policy is assigned to Senior Managers, Directors of Learning and Human Resources, and Line Managers. It must be stressed however, that the commitment of all employees and all students of the Academy is essential to make the Policy a success.

All students and staff have a responsibility to accept their personal involvement in the practical application of the Equal Opportunities Policy.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The overall responsibility for monitoring and ensuring the effective implementation of the Policy lies with the Principals of The Longfield Academy. Members of ELT, Directors of Learning, Director of Human Resources, and other line managers support the Principals by sharing in the monitoring process. All Longfield Academy employees accept their personal responsibility to ensure the practical application of the Policy and are involved in the monitoring and evaluation process. This is evident through the line management structure and the performance management cycle.

The implementation of the Equal Opportunities Policy is reviewed annually with the Academy Improvement Plan.

The Equal Opportunities Policy is up-dated via the review process and following new legislation, but recommendations made by any employee or student, at any time, are considered by the Senior Leadership Team.

Leaders of curriculum areas make a commitment to monitoring and reviewing course materials, teaching styles and assessment processes, in consultation with their line manager, and action the necessary adjustments to facilitate a learning environment within which all students can flourish equally.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Funding is available within the annual allocation for Continuing Professional Development for training needs originating from the implementation of the Policy.

Funding for more suitable course materials and departmental administration is included within departmental budgets.

APPEALS PROCEDURE

An Equal Opportunities Appeals Procedure is available to members of staff and Post-16 students who feel they have received unfair treatment, in the light of the stated Equal Opportunities Policy.

Any member of staff with a grievance under Equal Opportunities should follow the procedure below:

1. Before taking a decision to invoke the Procedure, members of staff have the right to approach any member of the Executive Leadership Team, for informal, confidential advice.
2. In order to proceed the member of staff makes known his or her grievance to their Principal. In the case of a student appeal, parents/guardians should be included in this procedure.
3. If the grievance cannot be resolved at this stage the member of staff can formally approach the Academy's Governing Body.

The Equal Opportunities Appeals Procedure will be carried out in the strictest confidence and will not prejudice the member of staff or student in any way.

In this case the normal Academy appeals procedure for exclusions and admissions will apply, except that the appeals panel would consist entirely of governors.