Equality and diversity

All educational settings must have a fully inclusive culture which promotes and values diversity and strives to provide equality of opportunity for every child and young person.

This opportunity should be provided regardless of a child or young person’s race, belief, gender, gender identity, special educational needs or disability.

It’s the responsibility of everyone to challenge prejudice, recognise the diverse needs individuals may have and work to remove barriers that create discrimination. This discrimination can be physical, attitudinal or institutional.

Legal requirements

The Equality Act 2010 provides a legal framework which protects the rights of individuals and advances equality of opportunity for all.

Meeting these legal requirements requires regular reviews of practice, policies and procedures to make sure they do not discriminate against anyone with the ‘protected characteristics’ stated in the Act.

The rights of children with special educational needs or disabilities are also protected by the SEND Code of Practice 2014.

For more information about SEND and the support and services available visit our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) web pages.