Inclusion and Diversity – Bourne Academy

PASTORAL

Celebrating Inclusion and Diversity

As a Trust we promote the values of diversity, equality and inclusion working to support all minority groups in school, including LGBTAQIA+, BAME, students of different racial backgrounds and equality rights for women.

All schools in the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust, work to support our students in a variety of ways, including as seen in our Positive Pride Group, which is a student-led group that provides a safe place for students to socialise, support each other, talk about LGBTQIA+ and other minority group issues, to work towards seeing an end to homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, racism and sexism.

Our Trust policies have been written in consultation with Think2Speak and relate to a number of school policies, including: Equal Opportunities; Safeguarding; Behaviour; Anti-Bullying and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). Our policies set out in more detail the Trust’s approach to LGBT, BAME, racial and equality rights matters in line with the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the Equality Act 2010.

Our school aims

To provide an inclusive environment in which LGBT students and staff and also for staff and students from different cultures and of different genders are valued and respected.
To promote understanding of and support the needs of LGBT students and staff, and also for staff and students from different cultures and different genders.
To familiarise LGBT, racial; and gender awareness and issues through the provision of an inclusive curriculum.
To monitor and tackle LGBT, racial and sexist language and bullying.

Key principles

We focus on the wellbeing and progress of every student where all members of our community are of equal worth. We believe that the Equality Act 2010 provides a framework to support our commitment to valuing diversity, tackling discrimination, promoting equality and fostering good relationships between people. It also ensures that we continue to tackle issues of disadvantage and underachievement of different groups.

Our approach to equality is based on the following key principles:

All learners are of equal value.
We recognise and respect all individual characteristics by promoting and support inclusivity.
We foster positive attitudes and relationships and a shared sense of cohesion and belonging.
We observe good equalities practice in recognising and supporting students and offering a voice to all elements of the school community.
We aim to create an inclusive environment in which every student can co-exist successfully and harmoniously.
We have the highest expectations for all our students which gives them a firm platform for life after school.

Quality objectives

We are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all students, irrespective of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, belief, religion or socio-economic background.

In order to further support students, raise standards and ensure an inclusive environment, we promote these four core objectives:

To monitor and analyse student achievement by race, gender and disability and act on any trends or patterns in the data that require additional support for students. To be done Termly
To ensure that by December 2021 all Trust publications including material shared via social media represents all students including those from BAME/LGBTQIA+ and all other identified groups.
To improve the student understanding of equality through the educational delivery of PSHE/SMSC/RSHE
Student led support groups created in all schools to allow a student voice to provide peer on peer support and shape educational and pastoral resources.