CHELMER VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
STATEMENT ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
1.
The school is committed to achieving an education, which provides
equality of opportunity and freedom from discrimination for all staff
and students, irrespective of sex, race and special needs.
2.
The school’s Equal Opportunities Policy is to be seen as compatible
with the Aims of the School:

To encourage young people to love learning by achieving
personal excellence and regarding learning as a life long
process

To become a centre of excellence for Engineering by promoting
an educational culture which is challenging, interesting and
innovative

To develop students’ skills, talents and abilities to their
maximum potential

To provide opportunities for personal reflection and to
encourage a deeper awareness of spiritual, cultural and social
issues

To provide a safe and secure environment

To develop self-discipline and a sense of responsibility within
our students for others and the environment

To foster a considerate community based on goodwill and
concern for others

To promote equal opportunities and to deal with issues of
prejudice and discrimination as they arise
3.
The Equal Opportunities Policy, originally adopted by Essex County
Council in October 1984 and regularly updated by the governing
body, recognises and obligation to offer equal consideration in
employment, training, career development and promotion to
members of minority racial groups, people of either sex and the
disabled. The school fully accepts its responsibilities in these
matters (ref Point 7).
4.
Students have varied educational needs, whether, for example, as
girls and boys, as members of ethnic minorities or as a result of
learning or other difficulties or disabilities. The school aims to
provide equal opportunities for all its students and to develop in
them a sense of achievement and personal worth. Bullying is not
tolerated whether it be by staff or students.
5.
Discrimination can be either overt or covert:
i)
Overt discrimination can occur in the organisation and
discipline of a school, in such things as option choices,
careers advice and work experience
ii)
Covet discrimination relates to the assumptions, beliefs and
values, often acquired over a long period of time, which
affect peoples’ responses and behaviour. This may manifest
itself in the attitudes of staff and students towards
themselves and others.
The school is committed to develop policies and practices
consistent with the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and the
Race Relations Act (1976) to eliminate overt forms of
discrimination and to seek, in the first instance, through
education and persuasion to eliminate the more covert forms
of discrimination, whether on the part of students of staff.
6.
The policy will seek to involve all members of the school community
– Governors, staff (teaching and non-teaching), students, parents,
outside agencies and the neighbouring community. It will also
permeate all aspects of the life of the school. The policy seeks to
address the issue of equal opportunities through the following:
a)
All staff have a responsibility to encourage tolerant
and positive attitudes on the part of students
towards race, creed, culture, gender, social grouping
and special needs.
b)
All students should sense that they are valued as
individuals and be encouraged and expected to
extend similar consideration to others.
c)
The school will seek, through such things as public
display materials, communications with outside
agencies, parents and the community and
assemblies to convey a positive view of equal
opportunities.
d)
When rules, codes of conduct and other aspects of
school organisation are discussed, consideration will
be given to equal opportunities issues. These will
include language, religion, diet, culture and the
needs of those with disabilities.
e)
The school will not tolerate – and will, therefore seek
to counter – bullying, prejudice, discrimination and
racism.
7.
f)
The school will endeavour to provide equal access
to the curriculum for all students and equal
opportunities within each course.
g)
All curricular areas will monitor materials for such
tings as racial and gender bias, stereotyping and
lack of awareness.
The immediate implementation of policy may be conditioned by the
availability of reasonable resources at a particular time.
NO SMOKING POLICY
With effect from 1/1/2000, Governors agreed to impose a
complete “No Smoking” policy on all buildings and open areas
within the school site. Staff and visitors who wish to smoke are
permitted to do so in their cars.