Equal Opportunities

Our Vision

Our vision is “Success for Everyone”.  We aspire for every member of our community, regardless of circumstances or background, to be the best version of themselves - confident, successful students, committed, successful staff, who are committed to growing and developing as practitioners, and engaged stakeholders who unite in celebration.

Our Values

Our two core values are CARE and UNITY. 

1.CARE.  The overriding feel within our Trust is that we care more than anyone else could expect.  We care for all aspects of our practice and, in particular, we care for:

• Everyone’s safety and happiness
• Everyone’s personal development and growth
• Everyone’s outcomes
• Everyone’s standards
• Everyone’s learning
• Everyone’s well-being
• Everyone’s relationships

This is reflected by the fact that we call ourselves the Poly Family and we are an organisation based on relationships above all else – we are individual people first and students, staff and parents second.

2. UNITY.  The value that ensures that our impact is greater than it ever could be if we worked alone.  This means that our schools, teams and individuals are always pulled together in ways which share the workload and create solutions from which everyone benefits.  We are determined that nothing can divide us when we put the needs of our community before everything else.

Statement of Intent

The two schools in the Trust are both situated in Thamesmead. Both schools make up a vibrant and diverse community where we celebrate the differences between us, and we recognise that this diversity makes us strong, it makes us unique and it makes us special.

This paper is to provide everyone with the equal opportunity to be able to perform well and reach their potential. What does this mean?

• This means to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010.

• This means to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a ‘relevant protected characteristic’ and persons who do not share it

• This means to foster good relations between persons who share a ‘relevant protected characteristic’ and persons who do not share it.

We continue to engage with our students, staff, local communities and beyond, to challenge existing practice, divisions and privilege, that stand in the way of any individual or defined group achieving their potential. We will work relentlessly to continue to challenge ourselves both internally and externally, to better understand inequality in society.

What are Protected Characteristics?

The Equality Act 2010 clearly states that the following groups must be taken into account as they have protected characteristics:

• Age
• Disability
• Sex (gender)
• Race (ethnicity)
• Pregnancy and Maternity
• Religion and Belief
• Sexual Orientation
• Transgender
• Marriage and Civil Partnership

What does Equality mean?

Equality means fairness: we must ensure that individuals, or groups of individuals, are not treated less favourably because of their protected characteristics.

Equality also means equality of opportunity: we must also ensure that those who may be disadvantaged can get the tools they need to access the same, fair opportunities as their peers.

What does Diversity mean?

Diversity is recognising, respecting and celebrating each other's differences. A diverse environment is one with a wide range of backgrounds and mindsets, which allows for an empowered culture of creativity and innovation.

What does Inclusion mean?

Inclusion means creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. An inclusive environment can only be created once we become more aware of our unconscious biases and have learned how to manage them.

What does Equity mean?

Equity means catering for differences in an impartial manner and as a result offering additional or different support to individuals when needed.

Our Staff

We are proud of the diversity amongst our staff and acknowledge that they are influential role models whose actions and words can be life changing to our students. It is essential for our pupils that we continue to attract and retain these great people and that our workforce reflects the diversity that we value in our communities.

Our Students

We consider our students to be part of our ‘Polyfamily’ and this is under-pinned by our values of care and unity. We want all our students to be happy, because only then can they achieve great things. We believe in the importance of the ‘student voice’ where students are able to contribute to school life and fulfil their potential, regardless of race, religion and language.

All students have equal access to a rich and diverse curriculum which broadens their perspective, and which supports each and every one of them to achieve the best they can. The curriculum will offer students a wide range of opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. 

Parents & Carers

We have always welcomed our parents and carers into our schools, especially the minority groups who sometimes find it daunting to visit school. We regularly hold tea parties, coffee mornings and subject information evenings, so parents know what’s going on in school. By working in partnership, we can more effectively support the progress of our pupils.