Equality and Diversity

Significant Individuals

We focus on how the persistence and determination of significant individuals, from all backgrounds, have positively influenced the world in which we live and celebrate their achievements and contributions. We have considered how we can represent a variety of people in all of our subjects.

Challenging Stereotypes

Stereotypes are generalisations about the personal attributes or characteristics of a group of people. For example: looking at two medical professionals and assuming a male is a doctor and not a nurse.

We want to make sure that we challenge these assumptions to broaden our children’s thinking!

Our teachers use carefully chosen images, stories or activities throughout the curriculum to allow the chance to dispel stereotypes. These are all based on what the teacher knows about their class and any stereotyping they may have picked up on.

Diverse Visuals

Our teachers ensure that the visuals they choose are inclusive and diverse throughout the curriculum from specific topic studies which discuss stereotypes to the pictures we choose that go alongside our word problems in maths. It’s a simple thing but with mindful selection, our teachers are challenging stereotypes such as fixed gender roles like ‘builders are male’.

Varied visuals also give our children opportunities to raise and discuss ideas that are important to them. For example, when talking about families visuals might be used to allow our children to see different family dynamics including single parent families, adoptive families, families who have grandparents as the head, same sex parents and families without children. This allows our children to explore the world and ask questions in a safe space.

Diverse Texts:

It’s really important that children get to ‘see themselves’ in books, both fiction and non-fiction. Not only should they see themselves but they should also be given the opportunity to see a wide range of people in all sorts of roles including that of the main characters and authors so that they know what’s possible! That’s why Waddington All Saints Academy has invested in buying new books that diversifies our book corners and chosen teaching texts to be more inclusive and challenge stereotypes.  We also audit our chosen teaching texts to check that we have a range of representation in each year group.

Principle 1: All learners are of equal value

We see all learners and potential learners, and their parents and carers, as of equal value:

• Whether or not they are disabled.
• Whatever their socio-economic status.
• Whatever their ethnicity, culture, national origin or national status.
• Whatever their gender and gender identity.
• Whatever their religious or non-religious affiliation or faith background.
• Whatever their sexual identity.

Principle 2: We recognise and respect difference

Treating people equally does not necessarily involve treating them all the same.  Our policies, procedures and activities must not discriminate but must nevertheless take into account differences of life-experience, outlook and background, and the kinds of barrier and disadvantage which people may face, in relation to:

• Disability, so that reasonable adjustments are made.
• Whatever their socio-economic status.
• Ethnicity, so that different cultural backgrounds and experiences of prejudice are recognised.
• Gender, gender reassignment and gender identity, so that the different needs and experiences of girls and boys, and women and men, are recognised.
• Religion, belief or faith background.
• Sexual identity.
• Age.

Principle 3: We foster positive attitudes and relationships, and a shared sense of cohesion and belonging

We intend that our policies, procedures and activities should promote:

• Positive attitudes towards disabled people, good relations between disabled and non-disabled people, and an absence of harassment of disabled people.
• Positive interaction, good relations and dialogue between groups and communities different from each other in terms of ethnicity, culture, religious affiliation, national origin or national status, and an absence of prejudice-related bullying and incidents.
• Mutual respect and good relations between boys and girls, and women and men, and an absence of sexual and homophobic harassment.

Principle 4: We observe good equalities practice in staff recruitment, retention and development

We ensure that policies and procedures should benefit all employees and potential employees, for example in recruitment and promotion, and in continuing professional development:

• Whether or not they are disabled.
• Whatever their socio-economic status.
• Whatever their ethnicity, culture, race, religious affiliation, national origin or national status.
• Whatever their gender and sexual identity, and with full respect for legal rights relating to pregnancy and maternity.
• Whatever their age.
• Whatever their marriage or civil partnership status.

Principle 5: We aim to reduce and remove inequalities and barriers that already exist

In addition to avoiding or minimising possible negative impacts of our policies, we take opportunities to maximise positive impacts by reducing and removing inequalities and barriers that may already exist between:

• Disabled and non-disabled people.
• People of different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
• Girls and boys, women and men.
• People with a range of socio-economic status.

Principle 6: We consult and involve widely

We engage with a range of groups and individuals to ensure that those who are affected by a policy or activity are consulted and involved in the design of new policies, and in the review of existing ones.

We consult and involve:

• Disabled people as well as non-disabled.
• People from a range of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
• Both women and men, and girls and boys.
• Gay people as well as straight.
• Transgender people.

Principle 7: Society as a whole should benefit

We intend that our policies and activities should benefit society as a whole, both locally and nationally, by fostering greater social cohesion, and greater participation in public life of:

• Disabled people as well as non-disabled.
• People of a range of socio-economic status.
• People of a wide range of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
• Both women and men, girls and boys.
• Gay people as well as straight.
• Transgender people.

Principle 8: We base our practices on sound evidence

We maintain and publish quantitative and qualitative information about our progress towards greater equality in relation to:

• Disability.
• Ethnicity, religion and culture.
• Gender.
• Socio-economic status.

We formulate and publish specific and measurable objectives, based on the evidence we have collected and published (Principle 8) and the engagement in which we have been involved (Principle 7), in relation to:

• Disability.
• Ethnicity, religion and culture.
• Gender.
• Socio-economic status.

We recognise that the actions resulting from a policy statement such as this are what make a difference.

Click here to view our Equality Information and Objectives.