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Public Sector Equality Duty

Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED): How We Meet Our Responsibilities at East Hunsbury Primary School

Be You. Be Proud.

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we embrace diversity and celebrate difference. We are proud to be a fully inclusive school where every member of our community—pupils, families, staff, and visitors—feels valued, respected, and represented. Our school values of Be Kind, Work Hard, Believe are at the heart of everything we do, and our motto, Be You, Be Proud, underpins our ethos and daily practice.

We are committed to treating people equally because it is the right thing to do and reflects who we are as a school. We understand and take seriously our legal obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). This document outlines how East Hunsbury Primary School complies with the duty. Our equality objectives can be found within our Equality and Diversity Policy available at the bottom of this page.

What is the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)?

The Public Sector Equality Duty is part of the Equality Act 2010. It requires public bodies, including schools, to have due regard to the need to:

  • Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.
  • Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
  • Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we are proud to ensure that equality and inclusion are embedded into all areas of school life. We believe every child has the right to feel valued and represented, and we are committed to ensuring that all our stakeholders experience the same.

What Are the Protected Characteristics?

The Equality Act 2010 sets out nine protected characteristics:

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Marriage and civil partnership
5. Pregnancy and maternity
6. Race
7. Religion or belief
8. Sex
9. Sexual orientation

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we uphold British values of mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We teach children to respect and value diversity across all these characteristics and to understand the importance of equality in a modern, democratic society.

The Three Main Elements of the PSED (DfE Guidance)

As part of carrying out their functions, public bodies must have due regard to the need to:

  1. Eliminate discrimination and other conduct which is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.
  2. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
  3. Foster good relations across all characteristics, between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not.

What Does ‘Due Regard’ Mean?

Paragraph 5.4 of the DfE’s guidance explains that due regard has been defined in case law and means giving relevant and proportionate consideration to the duty. At East Hunsbury Primary School:

  • Decision-makers are aware of the duty to have due regard when making decisions and taking actions, especially when these impact people with protected characteristics.
  • We always consider equality implications before and at the time of implementing policies and taking decisions. Equality considerations are proactive, not an afterthought.
  • The PSED is fully integrated into our school functions and decision-making processes. We analyse the impact of decisions rigorously and with an open-mind, ensuring compliance with the duty is serious, thoughtful, and embedded in school life.

The Specific Duties

The PSED introduces secondary legislation in the form of specific duties:

  1. Publish information to demonstrate how we are complying with the PSED. This must include information relating to people who share a protected characteristic for schools with over 150 employees.  
  2. Prepare and publish equality objectives. These objectives help us focus on specific areas of equality and inclusion we wish to strengthen.

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we update our published information annually and review and publish new objectives at least once every four years. You can find our current Equality Objectives within our Equality Policy, linked at the bottom of this page.

What We Do to Eliminate Discrimination

We are committed to eliminating discrimination in every aspect of school life.

  • Our clear school values (Be Kind, Work Hard, Believe) are lived out daily by staff and pupils. All members of our community are expected to act in a non-discriminatory manner and avoid behaviour that could be deemed as discriminatory.
  • We have up-to-date, ratified policies that clearly state our zero-tolerance stance on discrimination.

These include:

  • Staff Code of Conduct
  • Behaviour Policy
  • Anti-Bullying Policy
  • Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
  • Equality and Diversity Policy

We understand our legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to overcome barriers.

Where necessary, we use external services to support and ensure inclusion for staff and pupils such as the Access to Work scheme.

Our school leaders are directly involved in all recruitment processes and are trained to ensure that unlawful discrimination does not occur.

Our Curriculum and Representation

Our curriculum is designed to represent the diverse world we live in.

  • We use a “Windows, Mirrors, and Doors” approach, ensuring children see themselves reflected in our curriculum (mirrors), learn about others (windows), and are invited to enter into meaningful dialogue (doors).
  • Our PSHE curriculum is structured to teach respect, tolerance, and understanding of British values, as well as celebrating the diversity of our school and wider society.

A Non-Exhaustive List of How East Hunsbury Primary School Meets the PSED:

  • We collect information on pupils and staff regarding EAL (English as an Additional Language), disability, gender, and other protected characteristics.
  • Staff receive regular training and updates to ensure they understand and can implement our equality policies.
  • Our Equality Plan is influenced by the views of pupils, parents, staff, and governors.
  • Our curriculum is inclusive and celebrates diversity, giving all pupils the opportunity to see themselves represented.
  • All pupils are encouraged to take part in school life, including extra-curricular activities, clubs, and leadership roles.
  • We take part in important annual events such as Black History Month and our own Diversity Week.
  • Assemblies include a wide range of stories, cultures, and significant events that promote equality and inclusion.
  • Our school environment is accessible. We regularly review and improve it through our Accessibility Plan.
  • We strive to ensure that language barriers never prevent a child from learning or a family from engaging with school life.
  • Procedures for the election of parent governors are inclusive and accessible to all members of our community.
  • We actively promote British values and our own school values through assemblies, PHSE, class community time, and other learning opportunities.
  • We have rigorous behaviour and safeguarding monitoring in place to identify and address discriminatory behaviours, including bullying and the use of racist, sexist, or homophobic language.
  • We have an Accessibility Plan in place to support inclusion and ensure access for all. You can find a link to this at the bottom of our website.

Conclusion

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we want everyone to feel involved and included. We are wholly committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for every member of our school community. We understand our role in upholding the Public Sector Equality Duty and take it incredibly seriously.

Every child at East Hunsbury Primary School has the right to feel valued and represented, and we extend that commitment to all our stakeholders. Our values of Be Kind, Work Hard, Believe and our motto Be You, Be Proud are reflected in everything we do.

For more information, please download our full EHPS Equality & Diversity Policy, including our current Equality Objectives, below or contact our Headteacher: Kathryn Pennington .

Accessibility Plan
NPAT Equality & Diversity Policy

Click here for more information on Equality & Diversity at EHPS