Butterflies Pre-school & Priory Kids Club – Equality & Diversity Policy

The Butterflies Pre-school & Priory Kids Club is committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for children and families.
We aim to:

• Provide a secure environment in which all our children can achieve to their full potential and in which contributions are valued;
• Include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity;
• Provide positive non-stereotyping information about different ‘protected characteristics’ (see end of policy for a list of protected characteristics)
• Improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of equality and diversity;
• Be inclusive through all activities in the pre-school.

The legal framework for this policy is:

• Race Relations Act 1976
• Race Relations Amendment Act 2000
• Sex Discrimination Act 1986
• Children Act 1989
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
• Equality Act 2010

Methods

Admissions

The Butterflies Pre-school & Priory Kids Club is open to all members of the community.

• We will advertise the pre-school & Club widely
• We will reflect the diversity of our society in our publicity and promotional materials
• Information, written or spoken, will be clearly communicated and in as many languages as possible.
• We do not discriminate against a child with a disability or refuse a child entry to the pre-school & Club

Employment

Posts are advertised and all applicants are judged by fair criteria.

• The applicant who best meets the criteria will be offered the post, subject to references and CRB checks. All job descriptions include a commitment to equality and diversity as part of their specifications.
• We monitor the application process to ensure that it is fair and accessible.

Training

• We seek out training opportunities for staff and volunteers
• We will review our practices to ensure that we are fully implementing our policy for equality and diversity

Curriculum

The curriculum in the pre-school encourages children to develop positive attitudes to people who are different from themselves. It encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking. The structure within the club will also help children to develop positive attitudes and care for people different from themselves.

We will do this by:

• Making the children feel valued and good about themselves
• Ensuring that children have equality of access to learning
• Reflecting the widest possible range of communities in the choice of resources
• Avoiding stereotyping or derogatory images in the selection of 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 unacceptable
• Ensuring that children whose first language is not English have full access to the curriculum and are supported in their learning

Valuing Diversity in Families

• We welcome the diversity of family life and work with all families
• We encourage children to contribute stories of their everyday life into the pre-school & club
• We encourage parents/carers to take part in the life of the pre-school/club and to contribute fully
• For families who have a first language other than English, we value the contribution their culture and language offer
• We offer a flexible payment system for families of differing means

Food

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

Meetings

• Meetings with parents/carers are arranged to ensure that all families can make them
• Information about such meetings is communicated in a variety of ways – written, verbal and in translation – to ensure that all parents have information about the pre-school/club and meetings.

Protected Characteristics – age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion & belief, sex, sexual orientation.