Protected Characteristics

Promoting the Protected Characteristics at Warmsworth Primary School 

At Warmsworth Primary School we actively promote respect of everyone around us, promote inclusion and diversity, and appreciate and celebrate the differences and similarities between us.

This is integral to the ethos of our school. We recognise that we are all different and celebrate this. 

The Equality Act in Great Britain became law in 2010.

It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation - everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have.

Under the Equality Act, there are nine Protected Characteristics:

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Race
5. Religion or belief
6. Marriage or civil partnership
7. Sex
8. Sexual orientation
9. Pregnancy and maternity

At Warmsworth Primary School, we actively promote these protected characteristics in our curriculum and work to embed them into our ethos.

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 (for example, your local rugby club)
• When you have contact with public bodies like your local council or government departments

The 9 Protected Characteristics are actively promoted in our school through:

• Our school ethos and core values
• Our school behaviour policy
• Conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community
• Active engagement and communication with parents and carers
• Assemblies and theme days 
• British Values themes 
• Discussion within curriculum subjects,
• Promoting articulation by building appropriate language and a coherent vocabulary
• Personal Education lessons (Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE))
• Religious Education (RE) lessons,
• Relationships and Sex Education lessons
• ProtectedCharacteristic talks
• Educational Visits and Visitors
• Learning outside the classroom 
• Sporting, Art and Cultural Events
• Pupil Voice
• Developing links with local, national and international communities
• Extra-curricular activities, after-school clubs, charity work and work within the local community

Embedding Protected Characteristics at Warmsworth Primary School promotes:

• Self-esteem, self-knowledge and self-confidence- Our curriculum and ethos of a school support this on a daily basis, and tailored support is provided for identified children by our inclusion team at Warmsworth Primary School 
• Understanding that we all have wonderful talents and attributes- Our reward system celebrates this both on a daily basis, on a weekly basis through celebration assemblies and through special events such as music and arts performances by our children, sporting events, visits and visitors, assemblies etc. 
• Respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process- Our annual elections for our school councillors to represent the Sports Council, Eco-Council, and Enterprise Council follows a democratic process and this is further supported in our curriculum across all age groups. 
• Acceptance of responsibility for their own behaviour and teaching children to make good choices- Our Behaviour and Rewards policy support our while school ethos and clearly sets out our expectations and behaviour management. Our parent and child-friendly guides ensure that our whole school community understands our expectations. This is further supported by our extensive Personal Education Curriculum which supports chidldren in acquiring knowledge to be well-informed about the choices that they make.
• Respect for their own and other cultures- Our Personal Education Curriculum, alongside our Religious Education Curriculum, leads on this area of learning, but are supported throughout the curriculum through foci on famous people from all cultures, reading texts featuring narratives from around the world etc. 
• 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- Across the school year we support a range of charities through raising funds eg. Children in Need, Red Nose Day etc, and also support our local foodbanks and individual causes, as the opportunities arise. Some of our children have taken part in litter picking in the local area, and others have collected hygiene products for refugees. 
• An understanding of Equality, Human Rights and Protected Characteristics- Our ethos of our school and our extensive curriculum informs children of this knowledge and provide opportunities for our children to develop their understanding and response to these laws.
• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety- Our Personal Education Curriculum and assemblies provide learning and understanding of these processes to supprt our children in later life. This is supported, as required, by the assistance of our PCSO team who have spoken to our year 5 and 6 children about the laws around social media and its usage. 
• An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law- Our Religious Education Curriculum provides learning of a range of faiths, as do our planned assembly themes.
• 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- In addition to our Religious Education and Personal Education Curriculums, constant reminders are provided to ensure that everyone's religion or beliefs are respected and appreciated. 
• An understanding of the importance of identifying and combating discrimination- These themes are covered through our Personal Education, Religious Education Curriculums and planned assembly themes. Any incident that may have occurred, that may involve any type of prejudice, is seen as an opportunity to reflect, provide further education and equip our children to make better choices.