Protected Characteristics

Promoting the protected characteristics at South Parade Primary School.

We work to ensure that our children understand that:

- There are no outsiders at South Parade

- Everyone is different

- We celebrate our differences 

- We are all equal in our differences

The Equality Act 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 South Parade, we actively promote these 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 at South Parade through: 

• Our comprehensive, age appropriate PSHRE curriculum
• Our school vision and ethos
• Our golden rules
• Our school behaviour policy
• A robust and rigorous whole school accountability for safeguarding
• Being reactive to issues, analysing patterns in behaviour (categories)
• Conscious role modelling by all adults in the community
• Key stage (age appropriate) assemblies
• The promotion of British Values in school life
• Developing a love of reading through a range of authors and genres
• Discussion within curriculum subjects, taking a cross curricular approach
• Respect and positivity promoted in all lessons
• Religious Education (RE) lessons
• Sporting competitions
• EOCT community projects
• School Council
• Mental Wellbeing Champions
• Eco-councillors
• Playground buddies
• Peer reading buddies
• After school clubs
• Early Birds Club
• Experiences (in and out of school)
• Charity and community work
• Safer recruitment
• Our Key Drivers: Life Long Learning (dedicated lead for Primary Futures, bespoke lessons relating to curriculum subjects to promote future careers and aspirations); Eco-School (eco-councillors, curriculum links threaded through); Community (dedicated community lead to drive this)