Equality Report

Bentley Wood High School

Equality Report

Equality Report for Year 2024-25 (January 2025)

Report by: Francis O’Sullivan, AHT

Figures taken from the Inspection Data Summary Report
(IDSR) Dec 2024
unless otherwise noted

 

Equality Information 2024-25: Students

Bentley Wood High school is an above average size comprehensive school for girls in Harrow with currently 1375 students between the ages of 11 and 19. The school has a very diverse intake of girls from a large catchment area. The school location deprivation indicator is ‘well below average’. The pupil base deprivation, however, is ‘below average’.

Free school meals

Currently 26% of students are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is close to average nationally. The progress and achievement of students on free school meals is typically significantly above the national average. The school has a fund to provide financial support for families for items such as uniform, trips and music lessons.

Pupil Premium

As of January 2025, 24% of students (346) were known to be eligible for Pupil Premium. The progress and attainment and progress of students on pupil premium is historically significantly above the national average. For example, the attainment 8 and progress 8 of our PP students in 23/24 were 53.4 and 0.82, compared to national averages of 46.2 and 0.03.

EAL

 At 64% we have “well above average” number of EAL students, with 73% in the 6th Form.

Age

Bentley Wood is currently oversubscribed. The school is expanding; in 2024 there is capacity for 240 students in Years 7, 8 and 9, and 224 in Years 10 and 11. In our growing Sixth Form, there are 262 students.

Ethnicity

Bentley Wood welcomes and celebrates having students from all cultures and ethnicities and has a large number of students from minority ethnic groups. Some of our students have refugee status and come from countries such as Kuwait and Afghanistan. In 2025, 64% of our students do not have English as their first language, which is well above the national average. Our students speak a variety of other languages at home. We have 17 out of 18 possible ethnic groups. The current breakdown is as follows (IDSR):

Asian or Asian British – Any other Asian background                                  27.64%
Any other ethnic group                                                                                     7.21%
Asian or Asian British – Pakistani                                                                    11.90%
Asian or Asian British – Indian                                                                         16.03%
White – any other white background                                                              15.75%
Mixed – Any other mixed background                                                              5.46%
Black or Black British – African                                                                         7.00%

Sex

Bentley Wood is a single-sex girls’ school. Our Sixth Form students attend classes at other collegiate schools which are mixed. We take male students in the 6th Form from the Harrow Collegiate if they apply and meet the requirements.

SEND / Disability

In 2025 there are 6% of students with SEND support and 1.9% with an EHC plan, categorised as ‘well below average’ and ‘below average’. Disabilities range from Physical Disabilities to Speech, Language and Communication Needs. All staff are responsible for meeting the needs of these students. The SENDCo and Inclusion team provide a comprehensive ‘Inclusion Booklet’ which is shared with every member of staff, and linked in the bulletin each week as well. Heads of Year keep detailed records of these students and closely monitor progress of students with disabilities together with Heads of Department, Senior Leaders, and Teachers.

There is an accessible disabled toilet available to Students with short or long-term medical needs and there are two lifts to support students who require additional mobility support.

Sexual Orientation

The school does not collect information on the sexual orientation of students. Were it to be communicated to the school regarding a pupil, it would be recorded in the child’s file and confidentially maintained.

Gender Reassignment

No data is collated by the school about gender reassignment. We follow Government guidance, best practice, and a ‘watchful waiting’ approach in the case of children manifesting signs of gender dysphoria, or with concerns about their gender and sex. We work in conjunction with parents, with the child’s best interests at heart. We recognize the that ‘Gender Recognition Certificates’ (GRC), which allow people to legally change the sex recorded on official documents, cannot be applied for until one is eighteen, older than most of our students, and that one must have lived in their acquired gender for at least two years before applying.

Religion

All Year groups show a similar religious profile with all major religions represented. There is a universal Prayer Room made available for students to use during break and lunchtimes, and the school canteen caters for many dietary requirements. Students all study Philosophy & Religious Studies until Year 11 and this covers all major world religions and promotes cohesion between students of different faiths and none. We encourage children to understand that religions are diverse, both within and between them, and we train the students to become better at, and more sophisticated in, their moral reasoning. Assemblies at different times of the year note many religious festivals.

Marriage and civil partnership

No data is collected or held by the school about parents’/carers’ marital status, apart from the titles and names given for home contacts and information about whether letters home and reports are to be sent to two addresses, unless specifically requested by a parent/carer or student.

Attendance

Students’ attendance is above the national average and is monitored on a weekly basis and analysed in order to target individuals who need support in improving their attendance. Absence for 2021/2022 was 6.7%. Persistent absence was 19.3%, both figures in the lowest 20% of all schools. In 2022/2023, absence was 7.4%, and PAs 17.9%. In 2024, absence had decreased to 5.6%, in the lowest 20% of all schools.

Exclusions and incidents

There was no permanent exclusion at Bentley Wood in 2023-2024, 2022-23, 2021-22 (nat. average = 2), 2020-21, 1 in 2019/2020, and none in the previous three years. The number of girls who are sanctioned with fixed term exclusions / suspension has been kept low as a result of positive behaviour management strategies, strong support from the leadership team, an emphasis on good relationships, and through use of restorative justice approaches, where appropriate. The percentage of exclusions for different groups of students are in line with national comparisons.

The school records and acts upon all incidents of discrimination. Where discrimination occurs, we intervene through education, sanctions, parent meetings, and so on as appropriate (see our Equality Information and Objectives statement, and our Anti-Bullying Policy).

Attainment

At Bentley Wood the vast majority of ethnicities perform better than national averages. There were no significantly underachieving ethnic groups in 2023. Students of all ethnicities exceed expectations at KS4.

We have high academic expectations of all students, and deliver a curriculum that is broad, balanced and rich, including very high levels of Ebacc entry. According to the IDSR: “The subjects of the EBacc form a strong academic foundation for the key stage 4 curriculum.” The EBacc entry rate at Bentley Wood in 2023 was 96%. This was in the top 2% of schools nationally. The value added in science (0.9), English (1.1) and humanities (1.1) was significantly above the national average and all at the 95th and above percentile in 2023.

Equality objectives 2024-25 – Students (from our Equality Information and Objectives Policy)

  • Maintain excellent academic and personal achievement of all groups of students through high expectations and appropriate interventions where necessary, including a special focus on SEND and vulnerable high-attaining students.
  • Maintain high standards and expectations of student behaviour, including ensuring that incidences of discriminatory behaviour and bullying are reported, investigated, logged and acted upon in a systematic manner, including discrimination based on race and sexuality.
  • Educate students about equality issues and the importance of tolerance and understanding, in line with our duties under the Equality Act 2010, with a particular emphasis on sexism, racism and homophobia. We will educate students about the nine ‘protected characteristics’. We will do this through our curriculum across all subjects, our weekly Wise Thoughts SMSC curriculum, Assemblies, displays, PSHE, and other avenues.

 

Equality Information 2024-25 - Staff

Ethnicity

The distribution of ethnicities at Bentley Wood is broadly the same for all groups of staff irrespective of pay. There is a diverse range of ethnicities which is consistent for support staff, teaching staff and teaching assistants.

Disability

In 2024-25 there are four members of staff that are registered as disabled.

Sex

At Bentley Wood there is a male to female ratio of 1 to 5.4 (25 males and 135 females). Staff are paid in relation to job specification, number of days’ employment and level of responsibility regardless of sex and ethnicity. Average pay for male employees is higher than average pay for female employees. This is attributed to having a higher support staff male to female ratio (1 to 10.8), compared to the teaching staff male to female ratio (1 to 4).

Sexual Orientation

Our application forms ask for optional information about sexual orientation. If successful applicants have completed this, it is recorded on their employee profile on our personnel/payroll providers portal.

Gender Reassignment

Our application forms ask for optional information about pronouns which can be connected to ‘gender identity’. If successful applicants have completed this, it is recorded on their employee profile on our  personnel/payroll providers portal.

Religion

The staff includes members of a wide range of religions and beliefs (including no religion or belief). The school’s absence policy allows time-off for major religious observance days for all faiths.

Data is collected about the marital status of members of staff, including the titles and names given on application forms.

Pregnancy, maternity and paternity

 The school operates the council’s policies for maternity leave, paternity leave and flexible working (reduced hours). All pregnant staff have a meeting to assess their individual needs and steps are taken to ensure these are met.

In 2023-24, seven people started maternity leave. No one has yet started maternity leave during this academic year 2024-25 (there were six people on maternity leave that continued into some part of 2024-25 that had started maternity leave during 2023-24).

In 2023-24, one person took paternity leave. One person has taken paternity leave so far this year.

Training opportunities

Bentley Wood is a school that is passionate about staff professional development. We believe teachers, as professionals, should continue to learn and improve their practice using evidence and research to support their development. Professional development is offered to all teaching staff equally. Support staff also take part in professional development training, which is occasionally altered and bespoke to their roles and differing needs as necessary. We use state of the art platforms, namely BlueSky and the National College, to support, deliver, and monitor staff professional development.

Equality Objectives 2024-25 – Workforce (from our Equality Information and Objectives Policy)

  • Maintain high standards and expectations of language and inclusive behaviour of all adults in the school, including visitors, in line with our promotion of ‘British Values’ and our Bentley Wood ‘CARE’
  • Continue to ensure all members of staff are familiar with the key implications of the 2010 Equality Act for the school context, such as familiarity with the ‘protected characteristics’ and how to respond confidently to reports of any discriminatory behaviour or bullying using the school reporting We will do this through staff CPD, Teach Talks, Wise Thoughts SMSC curriculum, and Assemblies and Bulletins.
  • Provide support and training so that all staff feel comfortable in teaching about, and tackling all forms of discrimination, including those to do with race, religion and sexuality, whether in the reformed PSHE and RSE curricula, as well as in their subject areas.