Sample Solution

he specific duty requires schools to show how they are meeting the general duty. The specific duty is about how a school sets out to meet its general duty and how this evidence will be recorded to show what the school has done.

The specific duty requires schools:

• To publish information to indicate how they are complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty.
• To prepare and publish one or more specific and measurable equality objectives. These objectives must be achievable within the context of the school and available resources. (Hills 2012)

An example of a measurable objective would be;

By the end of 2014-2015 the % of SEN students at SA+ achieving GCSE Mathematics will increase from 36.4% to 40%.

Strategies will then need to be identified showing how the staff and school will aim to achieve this objective.

The Equality Act and effects on SEN provisions within schools

The EA has now strengthened the promotion of inclusion within mainstream schools through anti-discrimination procedures and reasonable adjustment requirements. This now legally requires schools to ensure provision of additional support for learning when any child or young person needs support for whatever reason. The EA has reinforced previous legislation introduced in the 1990’s with regard to inclusion in schools for students with SEN and disabilities. From 1994 onwards there was an annual increase of SEN students being educated in mainstream schools.

‘The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the UN Standard Rules on Equalisation (1993) both unequivocally support the right to equal treatment for all and view this as a right to mainstream education’.Diseed.org.uk (2004)

In support of the UN Convention above, The Salamanca Statement was adopted by the UK government and in Excellence for All; The Programme of Action and Removing Barriers to Achievement have supported the development of inclusion.