Equality and Equity
Sharps Copse Primary School has a proactive approach to addressing our commitment to the Equality Act (2020) which make it against the law to discriminate against an individual based on a range of protected characteristics. Specific PSHE lessons for each primary school group (Year R – Year 6) address gender and gender identity, religion, race, sexual orientation disability and age using a developmentally appropriate RSE Curriculum
How will we do it?
Class teachers will deliver the progressive RSE and PSHE programme based on the PSHE Associations Thematic Curriculum and support the ethos of inclusion and belonging as part of the school day. Importantly, at Sharps Copse, we ‘usualise’ diversity throughout our main curriculum topics and subjects by using a broader range of people and characters that challenge stereotypes. This way diversity and inclusion are not stand-alone and many sections of society are reflected in our general curriculum.
Our school has a strong commitment to ensure prejudicial language and actions are addressed in a consistent and restorative manner. Our Policies make clear how we monitor and address prejudice-based issues.
The school also has a pupil-led/adult-facilitated diversity and inclusion group which meets to discuss ways to make our school an even more inclusive place. Known as the Patch and Ally Kindness Club, they have had many successes since starting in September 2021 including:
- Renamed ‘Man of the Match’ to ‘Player of the Match’ following leading an assembly for International Women’s Day in KS2.
- Led an LGBTQ+ History Month Assembly in KS2 which included a heart-felt letter written by a child for us all to be allies.
- Led a campaign with Year 6 to reclaim a homophobic slur into a message of inclusion.
- Led a school podcast on Chinese New Year to make other cultures more visible.
- Organised a Trans/Non-Binary visibility event and created the ‘Positivi-tree’ to show support for a known vulnerable group.
Why is it important?
In addition to our statutory obligations and understanding that inclusivity improves wellbeing, it is important we create a school culture in which all children, all staff and the whole school community know that they belong at Sharps Copse and that we all work together to foster an environment of inclusivity through effective personal development.
We strive to ensure that our pupils are surrounded by a consistent message:
- There are no outsiders here
- Everyone is different
- We like being different
- We are all equal in our difference
- We sometimes need different things because of our differences.
- British Values and SHARP Values support diversity and inclusion.