Please note that this policy has not been updated since the publication of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers on 16 April 2025. The DfE, EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) or HSE (Health and Safety Executive) have not yet issued revised advice for schools and colleges. The Equality Act 2010: Draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, 2026 was published on 21 May 2026; Parliament has 40 days to review the Draft Code. The Government has consulted on revisions to Keeping Children Safe in Education; the 2026 version is expected to be published before the start of the academic year. Education employers continue to be bound by the Equality Act 2010 and in line with the Supreme Court ruling must take proportionate steps to avoid unlawful discrimination against all staff and students.
Our model policies and policy checklists are designed to assist NEU reps in negotiating the best employment policies on behalf of our members.
Reps should strive to ensure policies are compliant with the NEU models.
Reps should consult members before agreeing new policies or changes to existing policies and should not agree policies that do not meet member expectations, any statutory requirements and NEU minimums.
Reps should always seek to work collaboratively with other unions.
If a policy is unacceptable, members should consider a collective response that may include taking industrial action. For further advice, contact your NEU branch.
