As a Catholic school, we welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010.  We are committed to just and equal treatment for all and this commitment is evident in our school Mission Statement, ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ John 13:34 and our School Values which underpin our school ethos.

We aim to ensure that all our learners thrive and reach their full potential.  By raising awareness of diversity and how to eliminate discrimination, and by promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations, we are preparing our children to become good global citizens, and to appreciate and celebrate the diverse society in which we live.  

Public Sector Equality Duty

Public bodies, including local-authority-maintained schools, are covered by the Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011.

At St Elizabeth's, we take this obligation very seriously and ensure that all our pupils can take part as fully as possible in every aspect of school life.  

We strive to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

For information about how our school is complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty, please refer to our Equalities Policy which can be found at the bottom of this page.  

Throughout the academic year, we use monitoring information gathered to identify gaps or potential issues for pupils in relation to the protected characteristics.  

Statement from the Archdiocese of Southwark: No Place for Racism

In May 2021, the Archdiocese of Southwark issued the following statement.  St Elizabeth's fully endorses this statement and we are committed to working to ensure that our school promotes inclusion, and a culture of respect where there is 'no place for racism'.  These are the words of Pope Francis, commenting on the death of George Floyd on 25 May 2020.  Pope Francis said, ‘We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form.’

Archdiocese of Southwark Statement of Commitment: Racism in Catholic Schools 
There is no place for racism in our Church and education community.  The Archdiocese of Southwark is actively working with pupils, teachers, parents, governors and service providers, through the Education Commission, to promote inclusion and a culture of respect.  We believe that every person is created in the image and likeness of God and we uphold fairness and justice for all people. 

The Archdiocese of Southwark is committed to:  

• Ensuring that no pupil leaves any of our schools without knowing and understanding that all human life is sacred and that racism can never be justified in any circumstances. 
• Ensuring that our schools celebrate the richness of racial diversity in our day to day lives and throughout the world. 
• Providing regular opportunities for pupils, teachers and others to share their stories and be heard.
• Ensuring that no pupil in our schools is subject to prejudice or discrimination or experiences bias based on their social, cultural or ethnic heritage.
• Regularly reviewing and developing the curriculum in our schools so that it presents and explores society, culture, literature and history accurately and fairly.
• Actively encouraging the creation of diverse staff and governance teams that reflect our school communities and ensures that black, Asian and minority ethnic team members have equal opportunities to all posts/roles.
• Collating, reviewing, monitoring and evaluating school-level data in a way that enables us to address any concerns relating to discrimination and to identify exemplary practice, reporting these annually to the Education Commission.