At High Halden Church of England Primary School, our approach to equality is deeply rooted in our Christian ethos and values. Guided by our core values — ❤️ Love, 🙌 Respect, 🤝 Trust, 💝 Generosity, 🧠 Wisdom, and 🌈 Hope — we believe that every child and adult is made in the image of God, uniquely valued and loved.

We are committed to nurturing an environment where all members of our school community feel safe, respected, and celebrated, regardless of background or identity.

🛐 A Christian Commitment to Equality

Our work is underpinned by the Church of England’s guidance, particularly:

📘 Valuing All God’s Children (2023) – This key document supports Church schools in challenging all forms of prejudice and ensuring that every child is treated with dignity, compassion, and love.
📖 The Church of England Vision for Education – A vision centred on life in all its fullness (John 10:10), promoting wisdom, hope, community, and dignity for all.

These principles affirm that equality and inclusion are not only legal duties, but also Christian responsibilities.

📚 The Equality Act 2010 and Our Legal Duties

The Equality Act 2010 brought together earlier laws to form one comprehensive act protecting people from unfair treatment. It introduced the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which all schools must follow.

🛡️ Protected Characteristics

The Act protects individuals from discrimination based on the following characteristics:

• 🎂 Age

• ♿ Disability

• 🔁 Gender Reassignment

• 💍 Marriage & Civil Partnership

• 🤰 Pregnancy & Maternity

• 🏾 Race

• 🛐 Religion or Belief

• 🚻 Sex

• 🌈 Sexual Orientation

🧭 Our Equality Duties

As a Church of England school and a public body, we have both moral and legal responsibilities. We must show due regard to:

🚫 Eliminate discrimination, harassment, and victimisation
📈 Advance equality of opportunity for all
🤝 Foster good relations between people of different backgrounds and beliefs

🗂️ Specific School Duties

To support our commitment, we:

1. 📢 Publish information demonstrating how we comply with the equality duty

2. 🎯 Set and review measurable equality objectives

Our full commitments are outlined in our
📄 Single Equality Scheme Policy 

🌟 Living Out Equality in Our School

We believe that equality is everyone’s responsibility. At High Halden, this means:

• 🌍 Promoting a school culture of welcome and inclusion

• 🧒 Teaching children to value themselves and others as God’s children

• 🛐 Respecting and learning from all faiths and world views

• 🧠 Encouraging empathy, understanding, and courage to stand against prejudice

We are proud to be a school where every child is supported to flourish — spiritually, emotionally, and academically — as part of God’s diverse family.