Protected Characteristics

Protected Characteristics at Southwold Primary School

As Southwold Primary School, we are committed to developing pupil understanding and appreciation of diversity, celebrating what we have in common, and promoting respect for the different protected characteristics as defined in law.

The protected characteristics listed under the Equality Act of 2010 are:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Marriage or civil partnership
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Pregnancy and maternity

How We Promote and Embed the Protected Characteristics at Southwold

Equality and inclusion are at the core of the Southwold ethos and Diversity Manifesto. We promote respect for the protected characteristics through:

• Assemblies, which are reactive to current global, national, local, and school events
• Our School Values of aspirations, collaboration, creativity , exploration, perseverance and respect
• Our School Rules: Be Respectful, Be Kind and Be Safe
• Promotion of the British Values (democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs) throughout school life
• A praise-first culture, celebrating the children’s talents and attributes
• Our Diversity, Inclusion and Equality Manifesto, which recognises and celebrates our differences
• Our My Concern and Arbor behaviour logging system – with categories including bullying, racial, and homophobic incidents – where any incidents are seen as an opportunity to reflect, learn, and make better choices next time
• Our PSHE curriculum, actively promoting inclusion and respect
• Our RE curriculum, helping us to understand and celebrate all major world religions
• Our SMSC calendar, highlighting important events and their links to the protected characteristics
• Our extra-curricular opportunities, hook days, Pupil Leadership led days/activities, educational visitors, speakers and trips
• Adult role modelling within the school community
• Our inclusive employment policy

 Protected Characteristics Through Reading

We support our children’s love of reading to include diverse authors and characters. We are constantly adding new age-appropriate books to our class reading areas and school library. Broad representation in the books we enjoy is vital. Firstly, it teaches children with one or more protected characteristic that they are not alone, and that their characteristics are to be celebrated. Secondly, it teaches children outside of those groups to appreciate the differences and commonalities they share with the heroes in their favourite stories.

Books include:

No Outsiders  Celebration Day

Each year, our No Outsiders Leadership group, choose and plan an event to recognise, educate and celebrate our differences. The day is based on a chosen book, with a focus on the protected characteristics. This follows the success of ‘A World for Me and Your’ Culture Day, which was very popular with children, staff, and parents and carers. Children wore traditional clothes or clothes to represent their country, shared information about their home country and tasted foods from a wide range of different cultures.

Next steps:

As we develop our curriculum, Southwold will:

• continue to expand the school’s book corners and school library with relevant materials, ensuring positive representation across the protected characteristics
• consider the protected characteristics in assemblies, providing follow up lesson materials and discussion opportunities
• ensure that the protected characteristics are built into the curriculum and extra-curricular activities
• ensure that all children have been taught about all of the protected characteristics by the time they leave Southwold
• continue to build upon and include members of the wider community within our daily school life

 Embedding Protected Characteristics into the whole ethos of Southwold 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