At St Mary of Charity we believe everyone should be treated equally and we uphold the Public Sector Equality Statement.

The public sector equality duty was created by the Equality Act 2010 and replaces the race, disability and gender equality duties. The duty came into force in April 2011 and covers age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. It applies in England, Scotland and in Wales. The general equality duty is set out in section 149 of the Equality Act. In summary, those subject to the general equality duty must have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• Advance equality of opportunity between different groups
• Foster good relations between different groups

The duty to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination in the area of employment, also covers marriage and civil partnership.

The Equality Act 2010: advice for schools