Equality Objectives

Date of Issue: September 2023
Date of Review: September 2024

Leigh Academy Rainham is a mixed comprehensive free school that opened in September 2021 and is part of the Leigh Academies Trust (LAT), and is overseen by the Academy Director for the Medway Cluster of LAT academies. The Academy is the first mixed comprehensive in the local area, with only single sex comprehensive or grammar schools as the historical options for the children of Rainham, an area where students are educated in a selective school system. This has made Leigh Academy Rainham a popular choice for local families, including those who still pass their Medway Test in year 6; the Academy is heavily oversubscribed with an excess of 600 applications for a PAN of 180.  

Rainham is situated in Medway which is a predominantly white area with direct commuter links via high speed trains to london. Rainham slightly bucks the trend from the other towns in Medway (where there are relatively high levels of poverty, domestic violence, child pregnancy and obesity) with a proportion of our students coming from privileged middle class families. The deprivation index ranking of Medway is 98/317 local authorities so is in the bottom 3rd of the country. The dynamic of Rainham is beginning to change with significant housing development taking place and increased migration from both London and abroad which has increased the diversity of our student ethnicity since opening. 

The proportion of white British students at Leigh Academy Rainham is higher than the national average,  (>80%), there is a slightly higher proportion of boys (56%) than girls (44%) and year 7 prior attainment is slightly below national average for reading and maths with starting points averaging 100.1.  Starting points in Medway comprehensives seem to be typically low compared to National Average ( NA scaled score is 104, unchanged since 2022 and in grammar, punctuation and spelling, the NA scaled score is 105, unchanged since 2022.)

There are very small numbers of ethnic minority and EAL students at Leigh Academy Rainham, with over 95% of the children speaking English as their first language (NA is 79.3%). The attendance of students is currently well above the national average at 95.0%. Pupil premium numbers are in line with national average with 24.5% and SEND students make up 23.7% of the current cohort (NA is 13%), with a smaller than national average number of Education Health Care Plan children (1.9%).

Our equality objectives reflect the academy’s priorities and draw upon available data and other evidence. Careful analysis of this is undertaken in order to ensure that we are working to achieve improved outcomes for different groups.

Objective

How this will be achieved

How this will be evidenced

1) Ensure all students, irrespective of background and starting points, make good progress over time

  • Provide regular progress feedback and support when needed through PfPs, feedforward and formative assessment
  • Monitor performance of student groups and take action as appropriate in departments and at a whole school level
  • Instil confidence, resilience and self-belief through positive reinforcement and encouragement
  • Provide opportunities for students to develop the LEIGH learner character traits that make them independent and successful learners.
  • Tracking of different groups through modular progress data and performance in formal assessments. 
  • Reviewed through modular reviews and MLT progress interviews. 
  • Students achieve the qualifications they need to secure positive progression
  • Students present as confident, well-rounded individuals who possess the skill set to help them succeed Post 16 and beyond
  • Students secure jobs or further educational opportunities after leaving the academy to prevent NEATS

2) Minimise the number of  incidences of the use of homophobic, sexist and racist language by students in the school.

  • Ensure educational opportunities are used to avoid repeat offences from students of such behaviours. 
  • Deliver themes of acceptance through the pastoral programme
  • Ensure consistent robust sanctions are applied for students for any such incidents and parents are informed
  • Track incidents through Bromcom bullying records, behaviour events and suspensions. 
  • Student survey data

3) Ensure all students feel safe, welcome and respected and actively promote respect for diversity in all forms

  • Provide learning environments that are welcoming, safe and respectful of learners from all communities
  • Rewards system that encourages hard-work and raises self-esteem.
  • Displays around the academy celebrating cultural diversity, international mindedness and encouraging self-esteem in all students
  • Student leadership to trust their views and opinions will be heard
  • Students surveys used to identify any further areas for development 
  • Pastoral structure encourages intense support and care with students
  • Well-being manager accessible to all students at the academy
  • International Baccalaureate World School status Integral to delivered curriculum 
  • SMSC delivered in tutor time, interdisciplinary and assembly programmes
  • Ensure that all staff receive the training needed to respond effectively to prejudice-related bullying and deliver sensitive topics
  • Encourage avoidance of stereotyping
  • Positive school culture, recognised through external visits, through school self review processes and through low levels of negative incidents that relate to protected Characteristics.
  • Displays around the academy celebrating cultural diversity, international mindedness and encouraging self-esteem in all students
  • Bromcom MIS rewards tracking
  • Student and parent survey outcomes
  • Instances of prejudice-related bullying are rare
  • Students show genuine understanding that other people with their differences can also be right
  • Active celebration of cultural diversity through our Pastoral themes.

5) Raise aspirations, particularly of the most disadvantaged students

  • Trips, visits that increase cultural capital
  • Extra-curricular programme that enriches students’ experiences
  • Partnerships with universities, employers and business mentors
  • Provide clear opportunities that meet the Gatsby Benchmark
  • Meetings with PP students to identify any barriers to learning
  • Attendance records show spread of engagement with additional curriculum offer
  • Academic performance data
  • Attendance of families to academy events eg parents evening, showcase events
  • Evidence of actions from the PP student meetings as case studies.

6) Ensure all Student wellbeing is accepted as part of a holistic approach to education, irrespective of ability, background or starting points.

  • Through access to physical activities open to all abilities and backgrounds, both in school and extracurricular
  • Through access to wellbeing support via the Inclusion team and Student Services Managers
  • Encouraging and understanding of good wellbeing through healthy promotions
  • Providing support to parents/carers to help improve wellbeing at home
  • Attendance records show engagement with physical activities
  • Tracking of the number of students accessing wellbeing support
  • Examples of support for well being shared with parents