The Pre-school Learning Alliance is committed to helping pre-schools provide equality of opportunity for all children and families and take positive action to eliminate discrimination in all areas of their work. As a member of the Alliance, Bobtails works in accordance with all relevant legislation, including

 

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Race Relations Act 1976

Sex Discrimination Act 1986

Children Act 1989 / 2004

 

We believe that the settings activities should be open to all children and families, and to all adults committed to their learning, development and care. We aim to ensure that all who wish to work in, or volunteer to help with, our pre-school have an equal chance to do so.

 

Admissions

The pre-school is open to every family in the community. The waiting list is not operated on a first come, first served basis but on a fairer system. We use the following system for accepting children from the waiting list: See Admissions policy.

Families joining the pre-school are made aware of its equal opportunities policy, which is regularly reviewed.

 

Employment

Any vacancies will be advertised. The pre-school will appoint the best person for each job and will treat fairly all applicants for jobs and all those appointed.

Commitment to implementing the settings Equal Opportunities Policy will form part of the job description for all workers.

 

Families

The pre-school recognises that many different types of family group can and do successfully love and care for children. The pre-school aims to offer support to all families.

 

The pre-school offers a flexible payment system for families with differing means.

 

Festivals

Our aim is to show respectful awareness of all the major events in the lives of the children and families in the pre-school, and in our society as a whole, and to welcome the diversity of backgrounds from which they come.

In order to achieve this:

  • We aim to acknowledge all the festivals, which are celebrated in our area and/or by the families involved in the pre-school.

  • Children will be made aware of the festivals which are being celebrated by their own families or others, and will be introduced where appropriate to the stories behind the festivals.

  • Before introducing a festival with which the adults in the pre-school are not themselves familiar, appropriate advice will be sought from parents and other people who are familiar with that festival.

  • Children and families who celebrate at home festivals with which the rest of the pre-school is not familiar with, will be invited to share their festival with the rest of the group, If they themselves wish to do so.

  • Children will become familiar with and enjoy taking part in a range of festivals, together with the stories, celebrations and special food and clothing they involve, as part of the diversity of life.

 

Early Years Foundation Stage

All children will be respected and their individuality and potential recognised, valued and nurtured. Activities and the use of play equipment offer children opportunities to develop in an environment free from prejudice and discrimination. Management of resources within the pre-school will ensure that both girls and boys have full access to all kinds of activities and equipment and are equally encouraged to enjoy and learn from them.

 

Appropriate opportunities will be given to children to explore, acknowledge and value similarities and differences between themselves and others.

 

 

 

Resources

These will be chosen to give children a balanced view of the world and an appreciation of the rich diversity of our multi-racial society.

Materials will be selected to help children to develop their self-respect and to respect other people by avoiding stereotypes and by using images and words, which reflect positively the contribution of all members of society.

 

Additional Needs

The pre-school recognises that children have a wide range of needs which differ from time to time, and will consider what part it can play in meeting these needs as they arise.

Planning meetings and events will take into account the needs of people with additional educational needs and disabilities.

 

Discriminatory Behaviour/Remarks

Any discriminatory language, behaviour or remarks by children, parents or any other adults are unacceptable in the setting.

Our response will aim to demonstrate support for the victim(s), to help those responsible to understand and overcome their prejudices and to make it clear that such behaviour/remarks will not be tolerated.

Details of inappropriate behaviour will be recorded on an Event log, this record will be shared with the parent/carer at the end of the day and together we will work on strategies to insure the behaviour does not continue.

 

Language

Basic information, written and spoken, will be clearly communicated in as many languages as are necessary and possible.

Bilingual/multilingual children and adults are an asset to the whole group. Parents will be encouraged to speak to children in their first language at home.

Children and parents who have English as a second or additional language will be valued and their languages recognised and respected in the pre-school.

 

Food

Working in partnership with parents, children’s medical, cultural and dietary needs will be met. 

 

Meetings

The setting will make every effort to ensure that the time, place and conduct of meetings enable the majority of parents to attend so that all families have an equal opportunity to be involved in and informed about the setting

 

Recruitment

The setting will strive by recruitment to ensure that the staff levels reflect the community it serves. All vacancies will be advertised as widely as budgets allow.

Application forms will not include questions, which potentially discriminate against the grounds specified in the Statement of Intent.

At interview no questions will be posed which could potentially discriminate, all candidates will be asked the same questions, and members of the selection group will not introduce nor use any personal knowledge of candidates acquired outside the selection process.

Candidates will be given the opportunity to discuss the reasons why they were not successful.

 

Staff

All staff are expected to co-operate with the implementation, monitoring and improvement of this and other policies.

All staff are expected to challenge language, actions, behaviours and attitudes which are oppressive or discriminatory.

All staff are expected to participate in equal opportunities training.

 

Training

The nursery recognises the importance of training as a key factor in the implementation of an effective equal opportunity policy.

The nursery will strive towards the provision of equal opportunity training for all staff.