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1.1         Equal Opportunities Policy

Hereford Cathedral School is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity, in the belief that all pupils, regardless of gender, age, social or ethnic background, are of equal value and are entitled to receive equal provision, access and treatment.

Hereford Cathedral School is a co-educational and Christian school.

This means that we believe as a community that all boys and girls at this school are of equal worth, and that they are entitled to be treated with equal respect, courtesy and consideration at all times, regardless of their sex, religion, aptitude, disability or social background.

All members of the school have a duty

·        to recognise, appreciate and acknowledge the contributions made by each sex and by different ethnic and religious groups to the richness of the school’s academic, social, cultural and sporting life.

·        to treat each other fairly and with sensitivity, recognising that a person’s sex, race, religion, abilities or social circumstances are not subjects for negative comment or behaviour of any kind.

All staff, pupils and parents are expected to support the ethos of the school actively and to promote a civilised, friendly, compassionate and secure environment for everyone to value and enjoy.

1.1.1        School Ethos and Aims

·        to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, ensuring equality of opportunity and access to all pupils, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, in order to foster the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual and physical development of every individual.

·        to equip all pupils equally thoroughly for a constantly changing world and for the rights, duties, responsibilities and experiences of adult life in a democratic, pluralistic and multicultural society.

·        to raise the expectations of every pupil and enable each to realise his or her full potential in order to develop his or her confidence, self esteem and sense of personal identity.

·        to counter myths, stereotypes, prejudices and misconceptions surrounding age, gender and ethnicity which hinder the individual’s ability to achieve their personal goals.

·        to increase knowledge, appreciation and a sympathetic understanding of the different cultures, both European and non-European, which make up society today, and to encourage pupils to respect all fellow human beings, regardless of age, gender or ethnic background, in a spirit of mutual toleration.

1.1.2        Curriculum

It is the school’s duty to ensure the delivery of a curriculum which has breadth, balance, relevance and progression, to which all pupils, regardless of gender or ethnicity, have an equal entitlement.  It is the responsibility of each Department to develop its own individual policy for guaranteeing equality of opportunity in its own subject; such a policy should be reviewed annually and lodged centrally.

Equality of provision, however, does not in itself guarantee equality of take up. Within departments staff must take into consideration the following factors when developing schemes of work and deciding on teaching strategies.

§         pupils’ conditioning in the home and elsewhere

§         pupils’ differing experiences and skills on their arrival in the school

§         pupils’ differing learning styles

§         pupils’ linguistic background

§         the subject matter itself should be free from gender, ethnic, political or other forms of deliberate bias

§         staff must monitor and evaluate resources in regular use to ensure they do not reinforce stereotypical images of gender roles or different ethnic or cultural groups or portray either sex or any ethnic minority in a negative way

§         staff must be constantly vigilant in their use of language in the classroom

1.1.3        Pastoral Care, Discipline and Teacher Expectations

The pastoral system has an essential role to play in promoting the school’s policy of equal opportunities and in countering racial or sexual prejudice.  Tutors are reminded that they hold prime responsibility for explaining, clarifying and exemplifying school policy and for transmitting and reinforcing the values and attitudes enshrined within it.  The tutor group should provide opportunities, either informally or more formally through PSHE materials, to raise awareness of and discuss gender issues and cultural diversity.

1.1.4        Careers and Higher Education Advice

All careers and higher education advice should be non-discriminatory and the members of the careers team guided by the Head of Careers, should ensure not only that they do not discourage pupils from considering non-traditional careers and Higher Education courses, either by ridicule or by over-emphasising the difficulties which the student might have to face, but that they also draw pupils’ attention to such employment in non-traditional areas and provide positive encouragement for pupils considering such options.

All careers literature should be vetted to ensure that it is free from racial or sexual discrimination.

It is the responsibility of the careers staff to make the school’s policy on equal opportunities known to personnel in local commerce and industry with whom liaison (e.g. for work-shadowing) is already established, so that pupils’ experiences with such bodies are always positive.

1.1.5        Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment can be defined as uninvited sexual attention, verbal or physical, which is offensive, intimidating, distressing, embarrassing or patronising to the person subjected to it.  Such actions or behaviour need not necessarily be repeated or continuous to constitute harassment.  It may take a variety of forms:

§         sexist insults, jokes or gestures

§         graffiti or other pornographic writing or pictures of a sexist nature

§         sexist comments of a derogatory nature

§         the creation of a general climate or environment which is stressful to one sex or the other, e.g. actions or behaviour which might hinder another person’s work performance

§         threats or intimidation of a sexist or sexual nature

§         uninvited physical contact or assault

In all cases complaints must be treated in a serious but sympathetic manner.  Thus the procedures outlined below are established to complement the whole school policy on equal opportunities.

a)                 Sexual harassment of staff by staff. The following courses of action are recommended:

·        An individual whose behaviour is sexist and offensive should initially be made aware of this either by the victim or by a confidant(e) of the victim, so that he or she has received due warning that his or her behaviour is unacceptable.

·        Should harassment persist, the victim should discuss the matter in confidence with a close friend to seek his or her support in countering the harassment and at an early stage inform the Headmaster.

·        To reduce stress, the victim should taken avoiding action whenever possible, e.g. not being alone in a room with the person concerned.

·        The victim should endeavour to collect evidence either by  keeping written records of incidents in a diary/notebook and/or by  ensuring that other staff (either male or female) are witnesses to acts of harassment.  Such evidence needs to contain the following information:

§         Date of incident

§         Where it took place

§         The nature of the incident

§         The immediate reaction of the victim

§         The emotional and/or physical effect on the victim (e.g. medical notes)

§         The name of any witness

·        Staff are advised to keep the data in a safe place, and additionally to note down any favourable comments about their professional ability to carry out their duties so that their credibility cannot be attacked on the basis of their ability to carry out the job.

Should the harassment persist, then the matter should be reported to the Headmaster, and the member of staff accused of harassment and his or her professional association should also be informed.  It then lies with the Headmaster as to the extent to which any formal disciplinary procedure should be implemented along known and recognised lines.  Governors are reminded that employers are required under the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and that their failure to do so might lead to action through industrial tribunals and the possibility of claims for compensation.

b)                       Sexual harassment of a pupil by a member of staff.  Evidence of such harassment may take a number of forms:

·        The witnessing of such harassment by another member of staff

·        Evidence provided by a pupil confiding in another member of staff

·        A formal letter of complaint by a parent or guardian.

§         In minor cases, such as an unintended sexist remark, a caution or warning to the member of staff and an official apology to the pupil concerned may be quite sufficient. However, in virtually all instances, the matter must be deemed sufficiently serious to warrant immediate attention by the Headmaster, and staff should be aware that when particularly serious allegations are made, such harassment might be deemed to constitute “abuse”.  In the latter case, the Children Act of 1989 lays down specific procedures which must be followed, and the school’s own internal procedures must reflect those laid down by the Area Children Protection Committee for the locality.

·        Sexual harassment of staff by a pupil. The following courses of action are recommended:

·        Except in the case of actual physical assault or gross indecency, in the first instance the incident should be dealt with by the member of staff concerned issuing a reprimand and an oral warning.

·        Should the harassment continue, then the member of staff should refer the matter to the Head of House of the pupil concerned, as with any other serious disciplinary matter, and inform the Headmaster if the matter is deemed sufficiently disturbing or distressing.

·        Should pupils make any allegations of harassment by staff as a means, themselves, of harassing staff, it is vital that known procedures are followed to the letter so that the integrity and professionalism of the member of staff is respected throughout any investigation which might ensue.  Members of staff are urged not to take any unnecessary risks by putting themselves in any position which might be construed as compromising their professionalism.  It is generally not wise, for example, for members of staff to be alone for any length of time in a room with a pupil of the opposite sex, in order to ensure that pupils are not presented with any opportunity to make unfounded allegations.  Staff involved in assisting with Games are urged to exercise particular caution.

·        Sexual harassment which takes place off the school premises, but as part of an activity organised by, or on behalf of, the school

·        School trips abroad

§         This must be left to the discretion of the member of staff in charge of the party, who should be advised to seek appropriate professional advice as to the legal situation in the country concerned.

·        Work shadowing

§         Should a pupil engaged in work shadowing complain to any member of staff about sexual harassment in the workplace, the Headmaster should be informed immediately and the pupil withdrawn from the establishment.  The employer should be informed of the reason for the withdrawal, and an opportunity offered to discuss the situation.  A detailed report of the alleged harassment should be drawn up, and on the basis of that a decision must be taken whether or not to call the parents into school to determine whether they wish to pursue the matter further.  The Careers Department should be kept fully informed of the situation so that, if the incident is deemed to be sufficiently serious, a decision may be taken not to place pupils in that particular establishment in future.  Throughout the proceedings, the legal rights of the employer must not be infringed, and her or her own company code of practice on sexual harassment must be respected.

1.1.6        Racist Behaviour

Insulting behaviour on the part of pupil or a member of staff towards an individual or group on grounds of their colour, culture or ethnicity can be defined as racist, and it is the school’s responsibility to state that as such it is indefensible and will not be tolerated in any circumstances.  It may take a variety of forms:

§         racist jokes, gestures or derogatory comments

§         graffiti or caricatures

§         social isolation or segregation

§         provocative behaviour, e.g. the wearing of badges, the introduction of racist literature into school

§         threats of intimidation

§         physical contact or assault

a)                 Overt racist behaviour

It is Hereford Cathedral School’s responsibility to ensure that there is a sufficiently supportive and positive climate to enable any pupil who feels that he or she is the victim of racist behaviour to feel confident to inform both their tutor and their Head of House in the knowledge that they will pursue the matter vigorously in conjunction with the tutor and Head of House of the person perceived to be giving offence.

It is vital that the victim (and where appropriate his or her parents) is given immediate assurance that the school will not tolerate such behaviour.  Should racist comments occur in the course of classroom interaction in discussions or group work, the teacher concerned should immediately make it clear to the class that such remarks are unacceptable.  Where relevant, any offensive material should be removed or confiscated forthwith, a record kept of any incident, and the pupil or pupils concerned given a verbal warning.

In the case of a pupil persistently giving offence in this manner, a letter should be sent home to the parents stating the nature of the problem and inviting them to come in to school to discuss it.  Individual counselling for either the victim or the pupil giving offence may well need to be considered.

b)                 Covert racism

The absence of overt racism in a school is no guarantor that pupils at the establishment are free from racial prejudice.  It is not recommended as wise, however, to tackle “race/ethnicity” directly as a topic or issue in class, as this may well invite pupils to share racial prejudices and may, indeed, be an uncomfortable experience for many members of ethnic minorities who are thereby immediately labelled as “different” and the subject of specific debate.