Equality and Diversity

Burnt Oak believes that it has a duty to promote understanding and respect for the wide diversity of its pupils, staff and wider community.  We recognise the importance of equality and will not unfairly discriminate in the recruitment or treatment of staff and pupils on the basis of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, disability, marital status, family commitments, religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation, age or social class.

Burnt Oak is committed to promoting and achieving equal opportunities in all its functions through:

• Recognising and redressing the needs of vulnerable groups in the school, and its community;
• Countering deprivation and supporting self-sufficiency;
• Combating discrimination in all its forms and working actively to promote equality of access and opportunity.

Our school is inclusive; we focus on the well-being and progress of every child and we are committed to ensuring all members of our community are of equal worth. We therefore make every effort to ensure that there is no direct or indirect discrimination in any of our policies or practice, for both staff and pupils. This means that everyone will be treated fairly and equally regardless of their race, nationality, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, belief or age.

Curriculum Policies will take account of equality issues.  The school will look at the way in which diversity impacts on the curriculum by:

• Reviewing the curriculum and its delivery;
• Considering equality issues when planning the timetable;
• Ensuring that assessment is free of unfair discrimination;
• Training staff to support these aims;
• Utilising community links to promote cohesion;
• Ensuring all children can access and can engage the curriculum irrespective of their disability;
• Challenge bias and stereotypes in an educational, holistic approach;
• Give pupils regular opportunities to learn about human circumstances which differ from their own;
• Through our creative curriculum enabling children to be positive citizens in society;
• Fulfilling all the requirements of the Locally Agreed syllabus for Religious Education;
• Teaching children to have an awareness of their own spiritual development and to understand right from wrong;
• Helping children understand the importance of truth and fairness, so that they grow up committed to equal opportunities for all;
• Enabling children to have respect for themselves and high self-esteem, and to be able to live and work co-operatively with others.

Burnt Oak values and celebrates diversity and endeavours to meet each pupil’s individual needs.

We aim to provide equal opportunities for all our children to learn and develop. This includes:

• Minority ethnic and faith groups
• Pupils for whom English is an additional language
• Girls and boys
• Children with a SEND need
• Gifted and talented children

Burnt Oak aims to enable all children the opportunity to achieve their best academically, emotionally and socially through:

• Providing high quality learning to enable children to acquire the skills, knowledge and concepts relevant to their future;
• Promoting an ethos of care, mutual respect and support, where effort is valued and success celebrated;
• Enabling children to become active, responsible and caring members of the school and wider community.

The school works towards these aims by:

• Promoting high quality learning and attainment;
• Developing and nurture children’s wellbeing;
• Supporting children to make healthy life choices;
• Fostering relationships with families and the local community;
• Providing high quality curriculum entitlement and a high quality learning environment;
• Promoting the Burnt Oak values to enable the children to value themselves and each other.

This is achieved through:

• Thorough long and short term planning which includes differentiation for all needs;
• Continually reviewing and analysing pupils progress and intervention data;
• Considering of different learning styles
• Making reasonable adjustments and additions to the learning environment including resources, whole class adjustments and transition as laid out in Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans;
• Making information more accessible through translation and interpreters where needed;
• Providing high quality training for staff;
• Ensure specialist support from an outside agency is given when needed.

As a learning community we will promote inclusive policies and practice.