Festival News: The Public Sector Equality Duty and what it means for schools

The Public Sector Equality Duty and what it means for schools. This session was part of the ‘Developing a Culture of Equality’ strand of the Learn Sheffield Autumn Online Festival.

 The Public Sector Equality Duty was introduced as part of the Equality Act and came into effect in April 2011. Applying to maintained schools and academies, it covers the following protected characteristics: race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment. It has three main elements:

·         Eliminate discrimination

·         Advance equality of opportunity

·         Foster good relations

 The session discussed the importance of integrating the PSED into school functions and how it must be documented on an annual basis to prove that schools are complying with it as it is a legal requirement.

 There was also discussion around the emphasis on transparency so that the wider community can see how the school is making progress in terms of equality as well as consulting with those with protected characteristics when setting the objectives or making changes. The session included examples of equality objectives taken from the DfE guidance.

It is worth noting that the PSED is a legal requirement and that Ofsted seem to be increasing their focus on school compliance with the PSED.

This session was recorded, we look forward to sharing that with you soon. To see and access more online events as part of the Learn Sheffield Autumn Online Festival, head to our website.