Protected Characteristics

What are protected characteristics?

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:

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Race
Religion or belief
Marriage or civil partnership
Sex
Sexual orientation
Pregnancy and maternity

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 tennis club)
When you have contact with public bodies like your local council or government departments

The 9 Protected Characteristics are actively promoted in school through:

Our school ethos statements, SDP, and SEF
Our school core values
Our school behaviour policy
Conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community
Active engagement and communication with parents and carers
Assemblies
British Values
Discussion within curriculum subjects
Promoting articulation by building appropriate language and a coherent vocabulary
Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE)
Religious Education (RE) lessons, RSE lessons and Protected Characteristic talks
Sporting, Art and Cultural Events
Pupil Voice
Educational visits
Real-life learning outside the classroom
Guest speakers
Developing links with local, national and international communities
Extra-curricular activities, after-school clubs, charity work and work within the local community

Embedding Protected Characteristics into the whole ethos of St Mary's promotes:

Self-esteem, self-knowledge and self-confidence
Respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process
Acceptance of responsibility for their own behaviour
Respect for their own and other cultures
Understanding of how they can contribute positively to school and home life and to the lives of those living and working in the locality and further afield
An understanding of Equality, Human Rights and Protected Characteristics
An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety
An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
An understanding of the importance of identifying and combating discrimination

Valuing All God's Children

Central to Christian theology is the truth that every single one of us is made in the image of God. Every one of us is loved unconditionally by God. We must avoid, at all costs, diminishining of any indvidual to a stereotype of a problem. At Monken Hadley we offer a community where everyone is a person who is known and loved by God, and supported to know their intrinsic value.

At Monken Hadley this is championed through our school vision which shapes all aspects of our school life. This is, in turn, scrutinsed through regular church school inspections (SIAMs) and OFSTED. Our latest reports can be found here.

Church of England: Valuing All God's Children