Promoting Protected Characteristics at Farsley Westroyd Primary School

At Farsley Westroyd Primary School, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where every child feels valued and respected. Our approach to promoting the Protected Characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010 is woven into all aspects of school life, ensuring our pupils learn to embrace diversity and treat everyone with kindness and understanding.

Creating a Culture of Respect

Our school motto, "Good to be me, good to be Westroyd, good to be Farsley," aligns closely with our commitment to promoting Protected Characteristics. This motto reflects our belief that every individual should feel proud of who they are, valued within our school community, and connected to the wider community of Farsley. By embracing this motto, we ensure that our pupils learn the importance of self-worth, respect for others, and a sense of belonging, which are fundamental to our approach to promoting the Protected Characteristics.

Respect is at the heart of a thriving school community. Through our curriculum, assemblies, and daily interactions, we teach children the importance of celebrating differences, challenging stereotypes, and recognising the value of each individual. We actively promote the nine Protected Characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

As a school, we have decided to change the names of some of the Protected Characteristics to be in line with our vocabulary progression document for PSHE. Therefore, 'Sex' is now referred to as 'Gender' and 'Sexual Orientation' is now referred to as 'Relationships'. As we look at the Protected Characteristics during our Picture News Assemblies every week, which are shown to the whole school, we felt this vocabulary was more appropriate. These changes can also be seen on our classroom posters to keep it consistent throughout the whole school.

At the start of every school year, we have a week dedicated to British Values and Protected Characteristics to ensure that these are used correctly throughout the year. Every classroom also has a Protected Characteristics poster that is referred to throughout the year.

Embedding Inclusion in Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to explore different cultures, histories, and identities, giving pupils opportunities to learn about and reflect on the diversity of the world around them. In subjects like PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic education), we discuss topics such as equality, fairness, and empathy, helping our pupils understand the importance of inclusion. Literature and history lessons are enriched with diverse stories and accounts, encouraging children to think deeply about the lives of others.

Our class novels have been carefully chosen to cover the Protected Characteristics. Each year group has a book that focuses on cultural diversity, female authors or strong female leads, PRIDE, challenging stereotypes, and other Protected Characteristics, ensuring that our pupils are exposed to a wide range of experiences and perspectives. This list of texts can be found at the bottom of the page.

Assemblies and Celebrations

Assemblies play a key role in promoting equality and diversity. Throughout the year, we hold themed assemblies that celebrate cultural events like Black History Month, Pride, and International Women's Day. During our weekly Picture News Assemblies, we also refer to the Protected Characteristics, providing pupils with opportunities to learn about different experiences and appreciate the contributions of all communities to society.

Supporting Positive Behaviour

We pride ourselves on nurturing a safe, welcoming environment where positive behaviour is encouraged and celebrated. Our behaviour policy reflects our commitment to treating everyone fairly and consistently, with any form of discrimination or bullying being addressed promptly. Pupils are encouraged to be upstanders—actively supporting their peers and standing against behaviour that contradicts our school values.

Student Voice and Participation

We encourage our pupils to play an active role in promoting inclusion across our school. Through our School Council and pupil-led initiatives, students are given opportunities to raise awareness of important issues, share their views, and contribute to making our school a place where everyone feels they belong. We teach our children to recognise injustice and empower them to be part of positive change in school and the wider community.

Working with Families and the Community

Building an inclusive school requires partnership with our families and the wider community. We engage parents and carers through workshops, open evenings, and communications that share our approach to equality and inclusion. By working together, we aim to create an environment that champions the rights and well-being of every child, fostering a sense of belonging for all.

Our Commitment

At Farsley Westroyd Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, identity, or ability, has the opportunity to thrive and succeed. Together, we celebrate our differences and grow stronger as a community.

Class Reader Overview 2024/2025

	Autumn 1 Teacher Recommends	Autumn 2 Cultural Diversity	Spring 1 Protected Characteristics	Spring 2 Female author/strong female lead	Summer 1 PRIDE	Summer 2 Challenging Stereotypes
Nursery	Thud Nick Butterworth	Little Glow Katie Sahota	New baby	Mums are magnificent Simon Philip	Love makes a family Sophie Beer	Dogs don’t do Ballet Anna Kemp
Reception	Elephants can’t fly Charlotte Christie	The Best Diwali Ever Sonali Shar	What happened to you?	My must have mum Maudie Smith	My Magic family by Lottie Jeffs	Pink is for boys Rob Pearlman
Year 1	After the storm Nick Butterworth	We all celebrate Chitra Soundar	My Two Grandads Floella Benjamin  & Margaret Chamberlain	Splash Claire cashmere	All we need is love Krina Patel-Sage	Cinnamon Neil geiman
Year 2	Naughtiest Unicorn Pip Bird	We all celebrate Chitra soundar	Can I build another me? Shinsuke Yoshitake	Izzy the inventor and the unexpected unicorn Zanna Davidson	One More Day Until Pride Gareth Peter	An Alien in the Jam Factory Chrissie Sains & Jenny Taylor
Year 3	The Wild Robot Peter Brown	Nikhil and Jay: Off to India Chitra Soundar	Leonora Bolt Secret Inventor Lucy Brandt	The Princess Rules: The Mammoth Adventure Philippa Gregory	The Last Firefox Lee Newbery	Cyborg Cat: Rise of the Parsons Road Gang Ade Adepitan
Year 4	The Butterfly Lion Michael Morpurgo	Journey to Jo’Burg Beverley Naidoo	Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet Zanib Mian  & Nasaya Mafaridik	Vote for Effie Laura Wood & Mirelle Ortega	Me, My Dad and The End of The Rainbow Benjamin Dean	Speechless Kate Darbishire
Year 5	The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Kate Dicamillo	Kiki Kalliria Breaks a Kingdom Sangu Mandanna	The Black curriculum: Legacies Lania Narjee	Malala’s Magic Pencil Malala Yousafzai	Pride The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag Rob Sanders	Wonder R.J. Palacio
Year 6	The Explorer Katherine Rundell	The Island Armin Greder	Migration: Journeys Through Black British History Millie Mensah	Another Twist in the Tale Catherine Bruton	The Secrets of Sam & Sam Susie Day	The Boy at the Back of the Class Onjali Rauf

Protected Characteristics Classroom Poster