Equality Impact Assessment

 

Equality impact assessment (EIA) form: evidencing paying due regard to protected characteristics

(Form updated April 2019)

 

Proposal to Lower the Age Range of Goathland Community Primary School

 

 

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Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) are public documents.  EIAs accompanying reports going to County Councillors for decisions are published with the committee papers on our website and are available in hard copy at the relevant meeting.  To help people to find completed EIAs we also publish them in the Equality and Diversity section of our website.  This will help people to see for themselves how we have paid due regard in order to meet statutory requirements. 

 

Name of Directorate and Service Area

CYPS Strategic Planning Team

Lead Officer and contact details

Andrew Dixon, County Hall

Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA

Matt George, Strategic Planning Officer

How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer

LA Officers and School Governing Body

When did the due regard process start?

Non-statutory pre-consultation started in November 2021

 

 

 

 

Section 1. Please describe briefly what this EIA is about. (e.g. are you starting a new service, changing how you do something, stopping doing something?)

 

We are proposing to lower the age range of Goathland Community Primary School from 4-11 to 3-11.

 

 

Section 2. Why is this being proposed? What are the aims? What does the authority hope to achieve by it? (e.g. to save money, meet increased demand, do things in a better way.)

 

The County Council has been asked by the Governing Body of Goathland Community Primary School to propose the lowering of their age range to provide places for 3 year olds.

 

The proposed 3 year old Nursery Class will provide up to approximately 12 places. This would be arranged flexibly depending upon the needs of the family and current legislation.   This could include supervision during lunch-time although there will be an additional charge if lunch is provided.

 

 

Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?

 

Goathland Community Primary School is proposing to provide places for 3 and 4 year olds by the creation of provision for early years class from 25 April 2022. Priority for admission to the nursery aged provision will be determined by the County Council’s Admissions Policy for Nurseries.  Admissions for the nursery children are separate from admissions to the school, which are determined by the County Council’s policy for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools. Attendance in Nursery does not provide any priority for admission to the Reception Year so parents who do not wish to use the nursery are not disadvantaged.

 

 

Section 4. Involvement and consultation (What involvement and consultation has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? What consultation will be needed and how will it be done?)

 

The school have undertaken the non-statutory consultation period as recommended by the Statutory Guidance.

 

 

 

 

Section 5. What impact will this proposal have on council budgets? Will it be cost neutral, have increased cost or reduce costs?

 

Please explain briefly why this will be the result.

 

It is envisaged that this proposal will be cost neutral as the Early Years funding will be received from means tested funding where children are eligible and by parental subscription where they are not.

 

 

There are no capital implications.

 

 

Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics?

No impact

Make things better

Make things worse

Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.

Age

 

x

 

This proposal constitutes a broadening of provision in the area.

 

Provision of additional 3 year old early years places where needed. Providing improved local choice for nursery places for families.

 

 

Disability

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

Pupils – the school is mainstream, offering universal and appropriate educational provision for all learners for whom a mainstream placement is considered appropriate.  It promotes inclusive opportunities and expertise is utilised from the County Council to provide appropriate SEN support.

 

In addition, the School Admissions Code makes it unlawful to discriminate against or disadvantage disabled children or those with special educational needs.

 

Staff – As an organisation NYCC will continue to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 which obligates us to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate disabled individuals as employees or service users.

 

 

Sex

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

Race

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

Gender reassignment

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

Sexual orientation

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

Religion or belief

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

Pregnancy or maternity

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

Marriage or civil partnership

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

 

 

Section 7. How will this proposal affect people who…

No impact

Make things better

Make things worse

Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.

..live in a rural area?

 

x

 

Goathland is a rural area and this proposal will increase the provision of early years places within that locality.

…have a low income?

 

 

 

x

 

People on low income particularly those who live in Goathland will have an increased offer of early years education without having to pay for transport to neighbouring villages/towns.

…are carers (unpaid family or friend)?

x

 

 

No impact is anticipated.

 

 

Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply)

North Yorkshire wide

 

 

Craven district

 

 

Hambleton district

 

 

Harrogate district

 

 

Richmondshire district

 

Ryedale district

 

 

Scarborough district

X

 

Selby district

 

 

If you have ticked one or more districts, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.

 

Goathland and surrounding hamlets.

 

 

 

Section 9. Will the proposal affect anyone more because of a combination of protected characteristics? (e.g. older women or young gay men) State what you think the effect may be and why, providing evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.

 

No

 

 

Section 10. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. (Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us)

Tick option chosen

1.      No adverse impact - no major change needed to the proposal. There is no potential for discrimination or adverse impact identified.

x

2.      Adverse impact - adjust the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We will change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, or we will achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people.

 

3.      Adverse impact - continue the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We cannot change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, nor can we achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. (There must be compelling reasons for continuing with proposals which will have the most adverse impacts. Get advice from Legal Services)

 

4.      Actual or potential unlawful discrimination - stop and remove the proposal – The EIA identifies actual or potential unlawful discrimination. It must be stopped.

 

Explanation of why option has been chosen. (Include any advice given by Legal Services.)

 

It is considered that this proposal will not affect any of the groups listed above.

 

 

 

Section 11. If the proposal is to be implemented how will you find out how it is really affecting people? (How will you monitor and review the changes?)

 

Monitoring will be carried out through the County Council’s Education and Skills Team and through Ofsted inspections.

 

 

 

Section 12. Action plan. List any actions you need to take which have been identified in this EIA, including post implementation review to find out how the outcomes have been achieved in practice and what impacts there have actually been on people with protected characteristics.

Action

Lead

By when

Progress

Monitoring arrangements

Not applicable

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section 13. Summary Summarise the findings of your EIA, including impacts, recommendation in relation to addressing impacts, including any legal advice, and next steps. This summary should be used as part of the report to the decision maker.

 

The County Council’s Officers feel that this decision is in the best interests of children and families served by the school to ensure quality early years education provision is provided in the area.

 

 

 

Section 14. Sign off section

 

This full EIA was completed by:

 

Name:     Matt George

Job title:  Strategic Planning Officer

Directorate:  CYPS

 

Completion date: 14/12/2021

 

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):  Amanda Newbold

 

Date: 21/12/2021