At Langar Church of England Primary School all staff and governors are committed to working together to provide a safe, nurturing and inclusive learning environment to ensure every pupil is part of the school community, whatever their ability or need.

From April 2012 schools were expected to meet the requirements of the Equality Act. The Equality Act 2012 brings all legislation under a more straight forward law which is less complicated to understand and apply. The Equality Act 2010 replaced all existing equality legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act. The effect of the law is the same as in the past, meaning that “schools cannot unlawfully discriminate against pupils because of sex, race, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation”. There are protected groups and schools have to ensure that the curriculum is delivered to allow access for all. To protect those people considered to have a disability reasonable adjustments must be made.

Langar Church of England Primary School is committed to providing an environment that enables full curriculum access that values and includes all pupils, staff, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional and cultural needs. We are committed to taking positive action in the spirit of the Equality Act 2010 with regard to disability and to developing a culture of inclusion, support and awareness within the school.

Langar Church of England Primary School's Accessibility Plan is drawn up in compliance with current legislation and requirements as specified in Schedule 10, relating to Disability, of the Equality Act 2010. School Governors are accountable for ensuring the implementation, review and reporting of progress of the Accessibility Plan over a prescribed period. 

School Improvement Priority 3: Ensure that children have life skills that will enable them to become key members of our society and future leaders on the global stage. 

Key Objective: 3.2 To promote and celebrate diversity that reflects the cultural make up of modern Britain

Protected Characteristics

There are 9 protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and all schools should be able to demonstrate that no form of discrimination is tolerated and that pupils show respect for those who share the protected characteristics.  

The 9 Protected Characteristics are:                       

•age

•disability

•gender reassignment

•marriage and civil partnership

•pregnancy and maternity

•race

•religion or belief

•sex

sexual orientation

Under the Equality Act you are protected from discrimination:

• When you are in the workplace
• When you use public services like healthcare (for example, visiting your doctor or local hospital) or education (for example, at your school or college)
• When you use businesses and other organisations that provide services and goods (like shops, restaurants, and cinemas)
• When you use transport
• When you join a club or association (for example, your local tennis club)
• When you have contact with public bodies like your local council or government departments

The 9 Protected Characteristics are actively promoted in school through:

• Our school vision statements
• Our school core values
• Our school behaviour policy
• Conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community
• Active engagement and communication with parents and carers
• Collective Worship 
• British Values 
• Picture News 
• Discussion within curriculum subjects, taking a cross-curricular approach
• Promoting articulation by building appropriate language and a coherent vocabulary
• Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) sessions
• Religious Education (RE) lessons and RSE lessons 
• Sporting, Art and Cultural Events
• Pupil Voice
• Educational visits
• Real-life learning outside the classroom
• Guest speakers
• Extra-curricular activities, after-school clubs, charity work and work within the local community

• Embedding Protected Characteristics into the whole ethos promotes:

• Self-esteem, self-knowledge and self-confidence
• Respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process
• Acceptance of responsibility for their own behaviour
• Respect for their own and other cultures
• Understanding of how they can contribute positively to school and home life and to the lives of those living and working in the locality and further afield
• An understanding of Equality, Human Rights and Protected Characteristics
• An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety
• An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
• An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
• An understanding of the importance of identifying and combating discrimination

Jigsaw 3-11 and Preventing Racism

Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, for ages 3-16, is a comprehensive PSHE Programme for Personal, Social, Health Education. Central to the ethos of Jigsaw PSHE is the belief that we are all unique and that should be celebrated and enjoyed. World events have highlighted issues where this belief in equality may either not be shared or perhaps not passed on to our young people explicitly enough. We therefore see this as an opportunity to signpost the inherent response to racism already contained within Jigsaw. This will help teachers and children realise that they have a role to play in forming a better society for now and in the future. It can also support parents when the learning is discussed at home.

In a lesson a week for every year group, learning themes are returned to and developed each year through 6 half-termly units called Puzzles.

These are: • Being Me in My World • Celebrating Difference • Dreams and Goals • Healthy Me • Relationships • Changing Me

This article documents demonstrates where Jigsaw PSHE 3-11 explicitly develops children as compassionate, moral human beings who value each other, diversity and equality.

The Celebrating Difference Puzzle specifically looks at difference in a positive way whilst also studying how difference can be a source of prejudice and discrimination, and how individuals and society can bring about a fair and respectful world. The Jigsaw assembly for Celebrating Difference for all Primary ages specifically discusses differences and the words of the accompanying song, “There’s a Place”, refer to race specifically. There are also many lessons within the other Puzzles which look at relationships and how we should treat each other, what signs of influence and control children should look out for, and how to manage these.

Although the lessons listed may not specifically relate to racial differences, it would be simple to include this aspect if the teacher wished to do so, in order to respond to any current or historic local, national and international events. The references in the right-hand column relate to the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance for England and are listed to show where topics could be linked to racial awareness.