Inshes Primary School Aims and Equality Act 2010

1. Tuesday 15thNovember 2016

2. School Aims - The aims of Inshes Primary are to: • provide children with a variety of opportunities and challenges to equip them with the necessary skills to be life long learners. • deliver an innovative, stimulating and challenging curriculum which extends and challenges all and ensures all needs are met. • continually learn and develop from each other both formally and informally. We share and value the expertise of others. • be open to new ideas and to adapt our teaching and learning accordingly, continuously updating our knowledge and skills. • provide opportunities for each person to contribute and communicate openly, for the benefit of the team. • ensure that all members of the Inshes community have a sense of belonging through their unique qualities being valued and encouraged. • treat each other the way we want to be treated ourselves, to listen to each other and to truly understand and value each person as unique.

4. Equality, Diversity and Human Rights • Equality is about creating a fairer society where everyone has the opportunity to be all they can be. Sometimes this means providing extra help. Equality has a basis in anti-discrimination law. • Diversity is about recognising and valuing difference, where everyone is respected for who they are. • ‘Human Rights’ are basic rights and freedoms that belong to everyone. There is a special set of rights for children (UNCRC).

5. The Equality Act 2010 • Brings together all equality law in one place • A clearer, streamlined law to tackle disadvantage and discrimination • Protection in law on grounds of ‘protected characteristics’ • Includes duties for the public sector

6. Protected characteristics • Age • Disability • Gender reassignment • Marriage and civil partnership • Pregnancy and maternity • Race • Religion and belief • Sex • Sexual orientation Age and being married or in a civil partnership apply to schools as employers, not with regard to pupils

7. What the Act protects against • Discrimination - harmful, detrimental, unequal treatment of another directly or indirectly on the grounds of a particular characteristic. • Everyone has several of the protected characteristics, so the Act protects everyone against unfair treatment.

8. What actions are unlawful? • The Act defines a number of types of unlawful behaviour, including: • Direct discrimination. • Indirect discrimination. • Failing to make reasonable adjustments • Discrimination arising from disability. • Harassment. • Victimisation.

9. Recognising discrimination

10. Prejudice and Stereotypes Discriminatory behaviour commonly results from prejudicial attitudes and stereotypes. • Stereotype (beliefs/knowledge) - Assumptions based on a general image of that group. • Prejudice (feelings) - Unjustified attitude (usually negative) towards an individual based on their membership of a social group. • Discrimination (behaviour) - Actions (usually negative) towards an individual or group of people. May be unlawful.

11. Issues for other protected characteristics • Female pupils are protected from discrimination because of pregnancy or maternity. • Pupils are protected because of their gender reassignment. • Segregation of pupils by race is always direct discrimination (positive action can be used). Single sex classes may be allowed • The Act permits single sex sports

12. Getting It Right For Every Child SHANARRI Health and Wellbeing Indicators: Safe Healthy Achieving Nurtured Active Respected Responsible Included

13. Our Next Steps . . . • We are currently looking at our school aims • Anti-Bullying Week (this week) Each class has a lesson(s) on Bullying. • Highland Schools Bullying Behaviours Survey

14. Highland School Bullying Behaviours Survey • Pupils from P5-7 • Taking part in online survey – 10 questions • Individual • Confidential & Anonymous • Guidance from teachers • Completed by Friday 18th November • Data returned and then we will identify next steps