Equality & Diversity at Orchard Meadow
Orchard Meadow Primary School is dedicated to ensuring that all members of the school community and the wider community are treated equally, fairly, and with respect by the school and by each other. This applies to the school as a place of education, a business, and an employer. Prejudice, discrimination (direct or indirect), and victimisation are not tolerated, and we work hard to instil in our pupils a strong understanding of right and wrong, including the importance of inclusion, acceptance, and compassion towards others.
The school’s main priority is to provide the best education and care that we can and establish a cooperative working relationship between home and school, to aid the development, progress, and needs of all the children in our care.
The Single Equality Plan sets out how the school will satisfy its duties under the Equality Act to eliminate all discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other behaviour prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, to foster good relations between persons with and without protected characteristics and promote equality of opportunity regardless of whether a person has a protected characteristic (such as race, gender, transgender, disability, age, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief and sexual orientation). The school aims to comply with this duty, in both the delivery of its services and the employment of its staff.
Our curriculum
Our curriculum has been written in line with our school values and with an explicit intent to promote diversity and equality – through a diverse curriculum that celebrates the achievements of thinkers, activists and role models who reflect the diverse make-up of our school.
Our class families are named after heroes who personify our diverse curriculum and community and these are discussed in daily family time, assemblies and in specific curriculum units.
Our PSHCE curriculum addresses equality and diversity in an age-appropriate way so that pupils understand the central importance of treating others with respect and kindness, no matter their gender, race or any other characteristic.
For example:
Nursery unit: Why is it important that we are all different?
Year 1: How can we show respect for others’ differences?
Year 4: How should our similarities and differences be celebrated?
Year 5: How many of us are different and why is this awesome?
Year 6: How does the phrase ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes’ help us understand others?