Equality and Human Rights Commission

What does this mean?

Although most schools do not place terms on a person’s admission, some do and, while in some situations it may be appropriate to place terms on a person’s admission (such as the payment of fees if you are an independent school), these terms should not be discriminatory.

How do I avoid discriminating in relation to admission terms?

You should ensure that you do not offer admission to a person with a protected characteristic on terms which are less favourable than those which are or would be offered to someone without the protected characteristic. Examples of discriminatory terms may include:

• Charging higher fees for boys than girls.  
• Only allowing disabled pupils to attend on a part-time basis when other pupils are allowed to attend on a full-time basis.

For example:

A pupil who is gay is offered a place at an independent school on the condition that he hides his sexual orientation and pretends that he is straight (heterosexual). This would be unlawful sexual orientation discrimination.