At Crofton Academy, we believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all members of our community are valued, supported, and able to achieve their full potential.

We reject all forms of discrimination, whether on grounds of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any protected characteristic, and adopt a zero-tolerance stance towards prejudice, harassment, or unfair treatment.

Our Duties & Principles

Under the Equality Act 2010, public bodies must have due regard to three key aims:

1. Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation
2. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
3. Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

We embed these principles across all areas of school life, from recruitment, curriculum design, and teaching, to pupil support, school trips, and community engagement.

Airedale Academy annually reviews how well we are achieving these aims in relation to the protected groups under the Equality Act 2010. This review ensures that our approach continues to value diversity, tackle discrimination, promote equality, foster positive relationships, and address issues of disadvantage or underachievement for different groups.

Protected Characteristics

We protect individuals against unfair treatment based on the following characteristics:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

Equality Objectives

We set equality objectives, reviewed every four years, to focus our efforts on areas where inequality or disadvantage is most likely. Our current objectives include:

• To close achievement gaps between disadvantaged pupils (including those eligible for pupil premium, SEND) and their peers across all key stages, ensuring that all pupils make sustained progress in line with or above national expectations
• To ensure all pupils feel safe, respected, and included by further reducing incidents of discriminatory behaviour (including racist, sexist, homophobic or bullying behaviour) and ensuring pupils from all backgrounds report feeling equally safe and valued in the academy
• To ensure the curriculum actively reflects and celebrates diversity, promoting understanding and respect for different cultures, identities, and experiences, so that all pupils see themselves represented and valued in what they learn
• To strengthen equality, diversity and inclusion across leadership practice, recruitment, and staff development, ensuring all groups are represented and that leaders at all levels champion equity in decision-making and culture

Last Reviewed September 2026

Further Information

To read more about how we carry out these commitments, please refer to:

• Our Equality Objectives are available on the Policies page
• Our Accessibility Plan, also available on the Policies page