Key Information

Equality and Diversity

The values and ethos that Swallowfield promotes to pupils and staff includes a commitment to build and maintain strong relationships. In our school we focus on:

Promoting wellbeing
Encouraging and celebrating diversity
Embedding our values into our curriculum and life at school

Our school aims to meet its obligations under the public sector equality duty by having due regard to the need to:

Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is 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 across all characteristics-between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

Here are our three Equality Objectives for the academic year 2024-25:

To promote cultural development and understanding through a rich range of experiences, conversations and activities both in and beyond school.
To use performance data to monitor pupil achievement and respond to variations in groups of pupils, subjects, key stages, trends over time and compared with other schools.
To ensure pupils and all other stakeholders have equal access and opportunities to make a positive contribution to school life.

Our Equality Policy outlines fully how we achieve this in school and includes:

Promoting tolerance and understanding of a range of religions and cultures through different aspects of our curriculum and through our Values education.
Holding assemblies dealing with relevant issues. Weekly Values Assemblies are held along with Celebration Assemblies which often deal with these issues.
Considering the impact of significant decisions on particular groups. For example, when a school trip or activity is planned, the school considers whether the activity:

o Cuts across any religious holiday

o Is accessible to pupils with disabilities

o Has equivalent facilities for boys and girls

Below you will find our School Policy on Equality

Equality Objectives under the Equality Act 2010

Pupil Premium

What are the qualifying benefits to apply for Pupil Premium funding?

The qualifying benefits to receive Pupil Premium are:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit, and your annual gross income does not exceed £16,190 as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs)
Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit (during the initial roll-out of this benefit)
they are currently being looked after by a local authority in England or Wales
they have left care in England or Wales through an adoption, a special guardianship order or a child arrangement order.

What are the qualifying benefits to apply for Free-School Meal funding?

The qualifying benefits to receive free school meals for children in Year 3 and over are:

Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and you have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Every child in Early Years Foundation Stage, Year One and Year Two will receive a free school meal. You will not have to receive a qualifying benefit for your child in any of these year groups to get a free school meal, but if you are getting a qualifying benefit, please do tell us as we will receive extra funding from the Government to support your child’s education.

If you think you meet the free school meals eligibility criteria, please call the Central Bedfordshire Pupil Premium and Free School Meals hotline on 0300 300 8306. When you call to apply, please have the following information ready:

National Insurance numbers and dates of birth for you and your partner
Dates of birth for your children
If you receive support from the National Asylum Support Service, your NASS number

Following the discussion, if eligibility is confirmed, please inform the Office Team immediately.

Pupil Premium Policy

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement-2024-25

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement-Reviewed-2023-24