EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POLICY
Owner: Heads of School, President & Vice President
Reviewers: School Senior Leadership Team
Approved by: President
Date approved: October 2024
Next review due by: October 2026
0. Definitions:
Transgender: denoting or relating to a person whose gender identity does not correspond with the biological sex.
Gender: the male sex or the female sex, especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones.
Sexual orientation: a person’s identity in relation to the gender or genders to which they are sexually attracted; the fact of being heterosexual, homosexual, etc.
Race: each of the major groupings into which humankind is considered (in various theories or contexts) to be divided on the basis of physical characteristics or shared ancestry.
Culture: the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.
Religious Affiliation: the religious or spiritual beliefs and practices to which a person adheres or the religious group to which a person belongs.
Ethnicity: the quality or fact of belonging to a population group or subgroup made up of people who share a common cultural background or descent.
National Origin: one’s or one’s ancestor’s country of birth and includes the physical, cultural, or linguistic characteristics of your country of national origin. The term ancestry refers to the country, nation, tribe, or other identifiable group from which one descends.
National Status: the status of someone as regarding their citizenship of a country.
Disabled: having a physical or mental condition that limits their movements, senses, or activities.
Prejudice: preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
Discrimination: the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of ethnicity, age, sex, or disability.
Sex: Male or Female.
Male: The sex which as an adult normally produces the gametes which fertilise the female sex cell to produce offspring.
Female: The sex which as an adult normally produces the gametes which are fertilised by the male sex cells to produce offspring.
1. PURPOSE
Aim
To ensure that, to the best of our ability, the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion listed in this policy are applied consistently and in all aspects of our school.
2. POLICY
Principles
At BSB, we recognise and seek to act upon the following principles:
• All members of the school community are of equal value
We see all learners and members of the broader community as of equal value regardless of ethnicity, culture, religious affiliation or belief, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin or national status, disability, maternity or any other protected characteristic. The 9 protected characteristics are defined by the UK Department for Education as such: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation.
• We recognise and respect diversity
We recognise that treating people equally does not necessarily involve treating them all the same. Our policies, procedures and activities must not discriminate, but are differentiated, as appropriate, to take account of differences of life-experience, outlook and background, and in the kinds of barrier and disadvantage which people may face, in relation to:
o disability, so that reasonable adjustments are made wherever feasible;
o ethnicity, so that different cultural backgrounds and experiences of prejudice are recognised;
o gender, including those children who are ‘gender questioning’ as defined by the UK Department for Education: https://consult.education.gov.uk/equalities-political-impartiality-anti-bullying-team/gender-questioning-children-proposedguidance/supporting_documents/Gender%20Questioning%20Children%20%20nonstatutory%20guidance.pdf. This includes transgender (before and after gender reassignment surgery), so that the different needs and experiences of all are recognised and respected throughout the organisation. This may include making appropriate provision within school and on school trips and visits for toilet, bathroom, changing and washing facilities, sleeping and accommodation arrangements and also arrangements for contact and non-contact sports including swimming, such as changing and appropriate costume and school uniform. All matters in this regard will be handled on an individual and case-by-case basis working with students and parents or carers, upholding their dignity and in consideration of their wishes and the principles of overarching policies including the Anti-Bullying and Safeguarding and Whistleblowing policies will be upheld.
• We seek to foster positive attitudes and relationships coupled with a shared sense of cohesion and belonging
We intend that our policies, procedures and activities should promote:
o positive attitudes towards disabled and neurodivergent people, good relations between disabled, neurodivergent, non-disabled and neurotypical people, and an absence of harassment.
o good relations and dialogue between groups and communities different from each other in terms of ethnicity, gen-
der identity, sexual orientation, race, culture, religious affiliation, national origin or national status, and an absence of prejudice-related bullying and incidents;
o mutual respect and good relations between all people and an absence of sexual harassment.
• Staff recruitment, retention and development
Our policies and procedures seek to benefit all employees and potential employees, for example in recruitment and promotion, and in continuing professional development regardless of ethnicity, culture, religious affiliation, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin or national status, disability, maternity and pregnancy or any other protected characteristic.
• We aim to reduce and remove inequalities and barriers that already exist
In addition to avoiding or minimising possible negative impacts, we seek to 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; people of the LGBTQ+ community;
We will seek to ensure that the principles above apply to the full range of our policies and practices, including those that are concerned with:
• learners’ progress, attainment and assessment;
• the curriculum;
• learners’ personal development, welfare and well-being;
• teaching styles and strategies;
• admissions and attendance;
• staff recruitment, retention and professional development;
• care, guidance and support;
• behaviour, discipline and exclusions;
• working in partnership with parents, carers and guardians;
• working with the wider community.
Addressing prejudice and prejudice-related bullying
Our school is opposed to all forms of prejudice including:
• prejudices around disability and special educational needs;
• prejudices around racism and xenophobia, including those that are directed towards religious groups and communities, for example antisemitism and Islamophobia, and those that are directed against travellers, refugees and people seeking asylum;
• prejudices reflecting sexism, homophobia, transphobia, other prejudice regarding gender identity.
There is guidance in the Anti-bullying Policy on how prejudice-related and other bullying incidents should be identified, assessed, recorded and dealt with.
Religious observance
We respect the religious beliefs and practices of all staff, pupils and parents, and comply with reasonable requests within the limit of the law relating to religious observance and practice.
Staff development and training
We ensure that all staff, including support and administrative staff, receive relevant training and opportunities for professional development, both as individuals and as groups or teams, within the limitations of our continuing professional development budgets on an on-going or annual basis and as part of the safer recruitment training.
Breaches of the policy
We ensure that the content of this policy is known and available to all staff and The Board and, is published on our website. Breaches of this policy will be dealt with in the same ways that breaches of other school policies are dealt with, as determined by the Headmaster, the Board and our Complaints Policy as relevant.
3. RESPONSIBILITIES
Roles and responsibilities
• The Board is responsible for ensuring that our school complies with legislation, and that this policy and its related procedures and strategies are implemented.
• The Heads of School are responsible for implementing this policy; for ensuring that all staff are aware of their responsibilities and are given appropriate training and support; and for taking appropriate action in any cases of unlawful discrimination.
• All staff are expected to:
o promote an inclusive and collaborative ethos in their classroom;
o address and record any prejudice-related incidents that may occur via implementation of our Behaviour Policy, as well as report anything of a safeguarding nature to the DSL;
o identify and challenge bias and stereotyping in the curriculum;
o support pupils in their class for whom English is an additional language;
o keep up-to-date with equalities legislation relevant to their work.
4. RELATED POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Anti-bullying Policy
Behaviour Policy
Complaints Policy