No Outsiders and Lyfta
Protected Characteristics
Teaching Protected Characteristics at Bardfield Academy
Why? We believe it is important that all children gain an understanding of the world they are growing up in, and learn how to live alongside, and show respect and acceptance for their diverse community and society. Bardfield Academy promotes equality and children’s understanding of the 9 protected characteristics in a number of ways.
What? We aim to educate the children into what these protected characteristics are and create a culture that emphasises that no form of discrimination is tolerated and that as a school community we show respect and acceptance for those who share the protected characteristics. We want all children to understand the importance of equality and acceptance.
How? Through personal development opportunities woven through the curriculum, explicit assemblies about protected characteristics, through the RSE curriculum (Relationship and Sex Education) and from exposure to age appropriate texts from our literature spine and books that are part of No Outsiders, we are able to promote children’s awareness and understanding of these characteristics effectively. We also use Lyfta to broaden their worlds and apply this same acceptance and respect to people across the globe. Children have a Lyfta assembly and discussion every fortnight travelling across the world and gaining an understanding of different lifestyles and issues impacting people around the world, this is done through videos and sometimes we join “live” lyfta lessons connecting with children around the Globe.
www.lyfta.com
We ensure that teaching is delivered sensitively and that the materials used to support teaching are appropriate for the age and maturity of the children. We also expect all staff to model acceptance and respect to all members of our community in their behaviour and attitudes.
For example:
Year 2: Relationships Friendships; feeling lonely and managing arguments, bullying; words and actions and respect for others.
Year 3 Relationships: Families; family life and caring for others. This will include looking at different family structures including single parents, same sex parents, step parents, blended families, foster and adoptive parents.
Year 4 Relationships: Respect for self and others; courteous behaviour; safety and rights. This will include looking at the rights of the child and how to protect these rights.
Year 5 Health and wellbeing Identity; personal attributes and qualities; similaries and differences; individuality; stereotypes.
This will include looking at gender identity and how this may not correspond to biological sex.
Year 6 Relationships Different relationships, changing and growing adulthood; independence, moving to secondary school.
This will include learning about different relationships including marriage and civil partnerships.
SEAT RSE Policy Feb 2022
We work closely with parents when planning and delivering the RSE curriculum ensuring that parents know what will be taught and when, and clearly communicate the fact that parents have the right to request that the child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE.
Look at us learning
Everyone is welcome, we use ‘no outsiders’ to teach the children about acceptance of others. Using children’s story books as a basis to generate discussions we ensure the children are taught about the 9 protected characteristics.
Parents are invited to attend sample ‘no outsiders’ lessons: Reception read ‘Blue Chameleon’ and children talked about how Chameleon felt left out because of his colour. They had lovely ideas to make him feel welcome and included.
