Implications of Equality Act

While the Children, Schools and Families Bill was virtually unrecognisable in its final form as it left Parliament, the Equality Bill sailed fairly untouched onto the statute book. For the most part the new act ties together of all the equalities and anti-discrimination legislation that has been passed over the last quarter of a century or more. It is a welcome change to be able to find all relevant legislation in one place.

For the most part the act is simply a restatement of the law as it stands (the dispensation for compulsory retirement at 65 remains, for instance); or catches up with what people thought the law ought to be, such as establishing that discrimination against breast feeding is not allowed according to the act.

Generally speaking, schools which already have equalities policies, accessibility strategies and action plans and policies against discrimination which are living documents will not need to make significant changes.

Where the law has changed, ASCL will provide more information before changes come into force in October.