Equality Champions

At our school we believe that everyone has the right to feel valued, included and heard. To help promote this vision, we are proud to introduce our Equality Champions, a group of dedicated children who have chosen to take on an important leadership role within our school. 

Who are our Equality Champions?

Our champions are children who care deeply about fairness, kindness and ensuring that every voice matters. They represent our schools Core Values  of Care, Respect and Voice and work together to make sure our school is a welcoming place for all. 

Equality Champions aim to: 

• Promote kindness, care and respect across the school, making sure everyone feels safe and included.
• Celebrate differences and similarities helping others understand and appreciate the many cultures, backgrounds and experiences within our community.
• Listen to pupils' voices, gathering ideas and concerns from their classmates and sharing them with teachers to help improve school life.
• Support equality and equity focused events and activities, such as assemblies, themed weeks and class discussions.
• Model positive behaviour, showing others how to treat people fairly and with empathy.
• Help challenge unfairness, speaking up (with adult support) if they notice someone being treated unkindly or being left out.

Our Equality Champions welcoming Loti Nabombe from Unbottled to our racial literacy assembly 

Our Equality Champions in action learning and sharing about the rights of a child. 

Protected Characteristics

The Equality Act became law in 2010.  It covers everyone in the United Kingdom and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Everyone in the UK is protected.  The Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have.  Under the Equality Act, there are 9 Protected Characteristics. 

Age

Disability

Gender reassignment

Race

Religion or belief

Marriage or civil partnership

Sex

Sexual orientation

Pregnancy and maternity

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
• 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 ethos and core values
• our policies
• our curriculum
• our school's positive behaviour and relationships policy
• conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community
• the active participation of the equality and diversity champions
• discussions within curriculum subjects, taking a cross-curricular approach
• Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) sessions
• Religious Education (RE) lessons, RSE lessons
• Sporting, Art and cultural events
• enrichment opportunities
• pupil voice
• educational trips and visits
• real-life learning outside the classroom
• extra-curricular activities, after-school clubs and charity work
• developing links with the local community
• active citizenship 

Embedding Protected Characteristics into the whole ethos of Arbourthorne Community Primary School promotes:

• self-esteem, self-knowledge and self-confidence
• acceptance of responsibility for their own behaviour
• respect for their own and other cultures
• understanding how they can contribute positively to school and home life and to the lives of those living and working in the local area 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 and beliefs to ourselves (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial and discriminatory behaviour
• an understanding of the importance of identifying and combating discrimination