Publishing equality information: guidance for schools

Schools should publish information (data) that demonstrates how they have met the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) each year by 30 March. Publishing non-confidential equality-related data, evidence and information about a school and its pupils will help governors, academy trustees and parents to understand why the school is making particular decisions.

What information should schools collect?

This information may include:

• school performance data
• anti-bullying policies
• a school development plan and equality milestones
• curriculum materials
• governing body minutes
• equality training materials
• parent and pupil surveys.

The PSED does not require schools to routinely collect more information than they do already. In most instances, schools will already have sufficient information, either in the data that they routinely collect, through individual profiling or in the records that classroom teachers keep.

Where there are gaps, schools may decide to fill them by getting the views of parents and pupils with particular protected characteristics. The school leader should decide if the school has enough information about pupils with different protected characteristics to enable it to meet the PSED.

In governors’ or trustees' meetings, when new policies are being approved, it is a good idea to record discussions about equality issues that arise, showing what evidence was used. This will help make it clear how the PSED has been met.

Schools with 150 or more staff are expected to publish information to demonstrate how they have met the equality duty in relation to staff as well as pupil-related data.

You will find more information on employment in our essential guide to the PSED.

Our technical guidance on the PSED in England and chapter 5 of the Department for Education’s guidance on the Equality Act 2010 contain further information and many useful and practical suggestions about what schools may publish.

For more information on restraint, read the report from our Restraint in Schools inquiry: using meaningful data to protect children's rights and nine case studies of good practice for schools.