Inclusion
Hayfield Cross Church of England School is fully inclusive and all staff are committed to providing the best education possible for every pupil. We believe all children and young people are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they:
- achieve their best
- become confident individuals living fulfilling lives,
To contact the Inclusion team please telephone 01536 606093.
Being Inclusive
At Hayfield Cross we feel that it is our duty to equip our children with the knowledge and skills they will need for life in modern day Britain.
Protected Characteristics
The term 'Protected Characteristics' was first introduced in The Equality Act 2010. This act defined nine specific characteristics that are protected from discrimination. It's the result of years of campaigning by organizations like trade unions and equality and human rights NGOs.
There are nine of them: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We have a legal obligation to promote equality and tackle discrimination based on these characteristics. It's essential to ensure that everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources, regardless of their background or identity.
The Protected Characteristics are:
At Hayfield Cross, we learn about treating people equally and fairly through our PSHE Curriculum, through our RE and Collective Worship programmes and across other areas of our curriculum.
Talking to children about LGBT+
We believe it is important to create a safe environment for any of our pupils, staff or families that may identify as LGBT+ and also provide positive education around LGBT+ topics. Children often use the word ‘gay’ as a derogatory term, sometimes without understanding what it means. To children ‘gay’ often means stupid. The most important thing is to emphasise that no words should be used to hurt people. When we hear ‘gay’ used derogatorily it’s always incumbent upon us to address this inappropriateness. It is not necessary with children to add sexual connotation to the word. It is invariably enough to explain to children that being gay means being attracted to or loving someone of the same sex in a ‘romantic’ relationship. Using the word ‘gay’ in a disparaging way is seen as homophobic and as such is unacceptable. Teachers need to be as vigilant about this as they would if racist or disablist language were used. Children may have heard the word ‘gay’ in the playground or from older siblings or friends and may repeat it without knowing what it means. Indeed, it does not matter so much when children hear about same-sex relationships for the first time. What is important is that it is dealt with sensitively and respectfully – as should be the case with any ‘difference’ that children may experience in their lives now or in the future. Children may also use other LGBT+ terms in a derogatory and/or incorrect way and, again, it is the responsibility of the school to correct children sensitively and age-appropriately.
Pupil Well-Being
At Hayfield Cross Church of England School, we understand that pupils’ wellbeing and mental health is paramount to them being happy, healthy and successful learners. Please see the Pupil Well-Being Pathway in the sidebar to see how we support pupils well-being.