The Equality Duty (2012) provides a single, consolidated source of discrimination law, covering all the types of discrimination that are unlawful. The term ‘protected characteristics’ is used as a convenient way to refer to the categories to which the law applies.

The eight protected characteristics are:

• Race
• Disability
• Sex
• Gender Reassignment
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Age (as an employer)
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation

 
The public sector Equality Duty 2011 has three aims under the general duty for schools/academies/settings:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act, by removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not, by taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people.
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not, by encouraging people from protected groups to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low.

Please find below links to our Equality Information and the Equality Policy.