Uckfield Community Technology College Downsview Crescent, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 3DJ    tel:01825 764844      Email: office@uctc.org.uk

Equality

UCTC statement about Equality

Uckfield Community Technology College is 60 years old in 2013.  We take our role as educators and learning support for the community of Uckfield very seriously.  UCTC has a proud tradition of working hard to support generations of people from Uckfield and its surrounding villages to achieve their potential.   UCTC is an extraordinary place to work and we focus on creating a warm and respectful community-orientated environments, which allows us to question and challenge discrimination and inequality, resolve conflicts peacefully and work and learn free from harassment and violence.

 We recognise that there are similarities and differences between individuals and groups but we strive to ensure that our differences do not become barriers to participation, access and learning and to create inclusive processes and practices, where the varying needs of individuals and groups are identified and met. We therefore cannot achieve equality for all by treating everyone the same.  We positively celebrate differences and understand we are a stronger community as a result of doing so, our students developing their character and being kind, caring and helpful are as important to us as qualifications achieved through learning.  We have always been about supporting the whole child to embrace learning for now and for the rest of their lives.

 We build on our similarities and celebrate our differences to promote understanding and learning between and towards others to create cohesive communities.

Our duties

 We recognise and accept our equality duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010 and have sought to involve the whole school community in the process in order to ensure better outcomes for all[1]  We believe these hard won equalities are important moral victories against human darkness and are at the heart of our work as a community college.

They are also guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child[2].

We are minded in all aspects of our work to take heed of our equality duties, here are some aspects we focus on year in and year out;

·         the engagement, participation and involvement of a broad and diverse range of children, young people, their parents and partner agencies

·         preparation for entry to the school

·         school policies

·         breaks and lunchtimes

·         the provision of school meals

·         interaction with peers

·         opportunities for assessment and accreditation

·         exam arrangements

·         behaviour management approach and sanctions

·         exclusion procedures

·         school clubs, activities and school trips

·         the school's arrangements for working with other agencies

·         preparation of pupils for the next phase of education

·         learning and teaching and the planned curriculum

·         classroom organisation

·         timetabling

·         grouping of pupils

·         homework

·         access to school facilities

·         activities to enrich the curriculum, for example, a visitor to the school or Theatre in Education (TIE).

·         school sports

·         employees’ and staff welfare

 

Our statement of intent around the Equality Duties as set out in to act for 2012-2013 are as follows;

To conduct major surveys with all stakeholders exploring perceptions and understandings of equality duty issues and to use these surveys to generate developments plans for improvement
 
These stakeholders to include;
 
Parents and carers;
Students;
Staff;
Key voices within our local community, businesses, the elderly, young children and local charities.
 
Our motto as a college is to realise potential and our duties in relation to the Equality Act and our core focus of supporting all to be the best they can be are in absolute harmony.