Equality and Diversity Policy

Statement of intent

Our setting is committed to valuing diversity by providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children and families.

Aim

We aim to:

• provide a secure environment in which all our children can flourish and in which all contributions are valued;
• include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity;
• provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and people with disabilities;
• improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity; and make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities of the setting

The legal framework for this policy is:

• Race Relations Act 1976;
• Race Relations Amendment Act 2000;
• Sex Discrimination Act 1986;
• Children Act 1989; and
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.

Methods Admissions

Our setting is open to all members of the community.

• We advertise our service widely.
• We reflect the diversity of members of our society in our publicity and promotional materials.
• We provide information in clear, concise language, whether in spoken or written form.
• We provide information in as many languages as possible.
• We base our admissions policy on a fair system.
• We ensure that all parents are made aware of our equal opportunities policy.
• We do not discriminate against a child or their family, or prevent entry to our setting, on the basis of colour, ethnicity, religion or social background, such as being a member of a travelling community or an asylum seeker.
• We do not discriminate against a child with a disability or refuse a child entry to our setting because of any disability.
• We develop an action plan to ensure that people with disabilities can participate successfully in the services offered by the setting and in the curriculum offered.
• We take action against any discriminatory behaviour by staff or parents. Displaying of openly racist insignia, distribution of racist material, name calling, or threatening behaviour are unacceptable on or around the premises and will be dealt with in the strongest manner.

Employment

• Posts are advertised and all applicants are judged against explicit and fair criteria.
• Applicants are welcome from all backgrounds and posts are open to all.
• We may use the exemption clauses of the Race Relations Act and the Sex Discrimination Act where this is necessary to enable the service to best meet the needs of the community.
• The applicant who best meets the criteria is offered the post, subject to references and checks by the Criminal Records Bureau. This ensures fairness in the selection process.
• All job descriptions include a commitment to equality and diversity as part of their specifications.
• We monitor our application process to ensure that it is fair and accessible.

Training

• We seek out training opportunities for staff and volunteers to enable them to develop anti-discriminatory and inclusive practices, which enable all children to flourish.
• We review our practices to ensure that we are fully implementing our policy for equality, diversity and inclusion.

Curriculum

The curriculum offered in the setting encourages children to develop positive attitudes about themselves as well as to people who are different from themselves. It encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking.
We do this by:

• making children feel valued and good about themselves;
• ensuring that children have equality of access to learning;
• recognising the different learning styles of girls and boys, making appropriate provision within the curriculum to ensure each child receives the widest possible opportunity to develop their skills and abilities;
• positively reflecting the widest possible range of communities in the choice of resources;
• avoiding stereotypes or derogatory images in the selection of books or other visual materials;
• celebrating a wide range of festivals;
• creating an environment of mutual respect and tolerance;
• helping children to understand that discriminatory behaviour and remarks are hurtful and unacceptable;
• ensuring that the curriculum offered is inclusive of children with special educational needs and children with disabilities;
• ensuring that children learning English as an additional language have full access to the curriculum and are supported in their learning; and
• ensuring that children speaking languages other than English are supported in the maintenance and development of their home languages.

Valuing diversity in families

• We welcome the diversity of family lifestyles and work with all families.
• We encourage children to contribute stories of their everyday life to the setting.
• We encourage parents/carers to take part in the life of the setting and to contribute fully.
• For families who speak languages in addition to English, we will develop means to ensure their full inclusion.
• We offer a flexible payment system for families of differing means and offer information regarding sources of financial support.

Food

• We work in partnership with parents to ensure that the medical, cultural and dietary needs of children are met.
• We help children to learn about a range of food, and of cultural approaches to mealtimes and eating, and to respect the differences among them.