Equal Opportunities Policy

Stepping Stones Day Nursery is committed to providing for equality of opportunity and anti – discriminatory practice and ensuring that every child, family and employee is included and not disadvantaged because of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties or disabilities, gender or ability; working in accordance with all current legislation, including

Disability Discrimination Act (1995)
Race Relations Act (1976)
Sex Discrimination Act (1975)
The Children Act (1989)
Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014)

The setting will not discriminate against, harass or victimise any child or their family and we will make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children to prevent them being put at substantial disadvantage. Therefore all children will be inclusive within the setting by removing the barriers to learning.

Admissions

The nursery is open to every family in the community. Families joining the setting are made aware of its equal opportunity policy. Stepping Stones includes and welcomes everyone. We incorporate children as well as the right of the parents / carers, students and staff. We invite and welcome;

Children who are disabled and those with special educational needs
Those from socially excluded families, such as the homeless or those who live with a parent who is disabled or has a mental illness.
Children from traveller communities, refugees or asylum seekers and those from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

We believe that all children are entitled to enjoy a full life in conditions which will help them take part in society and develop as an individual, with their own cultural and spiritual beliefs.

Employment

The setting will appoint the best person for each job and will treat all applicants and those appointed fairly. Please refer to Recruitment Policy and employment and training policy.

Families

The setting recognises that many types of family successfully love and care for children.

The nursery offers a flexible payment system for families with differing means.

Our Ethos

All babies and children have a right of full access to early year’s education through the Early Years Foundation Stage (2012). Through careful observation, assessment and planning we aim to meet the individual needs of all babies and children within our setting.
All children have the right to expect to learn in a caring and considerate environment where the staff and children are all valued for their contribution to nursery life, ensuring that inclusion and equal opportunities are put into practice.
The setting is committed to the early identification of children with special educational needs and to adopting clear and open procedures which are outlined in the SEND policy. This will raise our quality and standards of the overall setting.
The setting is committed to working with parents who are fully involved in all decisions that affect their children’s education.
The setting will provide, within available resources, the highest possible quality support and inclusive education for children with special educational needs.

All children within the setting will be respected and their individuality and potential recognised, valued and nurtured. Children are entitled to enjoy a full life in conditions which will help them take part in society and develop as an individual, with their own cultural and spiritual beliefs.

Activities and the use of play equipment offer children opportunities to develop in an environment supported by practitioners whom ensure that there own knowledge about different cultural groups is up to date, therefore being free from prejudice and discrimination. Appropriate opportunities will be given to children to explore, acknowledge and value similarities and differences between themselves and others.

Stepping Stones Day Nursery uses a valuable play based curriculum to promote positive interaction. We recognise that typical British values is an essential part of child development and to be totally successful needs to be done in partnership with parents and carers.

‘The principles of acceptance, sharing and respect for others ‘ cultures should be at the heart of all good nurseries and is already implicitly embedded within the Early Years Foundation Stage 2014.’

(Nikki Morgan Education Secretary (2014)

We as a setting are aware that Britain has undergone rapid economic and social change in the last few decades and we now live in an increasingly diverse society.

With this in mind we aim to teach the children in our care to be acceptable of others’, live together peacefully and recognise that each and every one of them is a valuable asset to a multi-cultural world.

We will endeavour to do this by;

Teaching children to be kind, helpful and respectful of others
Teaching children about the world around them and use the seasons, weather and British special days etc. to plan meaningful learning experiences.
Teaching children to be part of the local community.
Planning to celebrate festivals and mark special days from the world about us.
Teaching children about compromise. That some of us believe one thing, someone else believes a totally different thing but we can all play together and respect each other.
Teaching children to work together we provide them with projects that involve everyone in the provision and we plan group times, where children learn to listen, take turns and value contributions from others.
Teaching children about the world in which they live and also the wider world through books, planned activities, resources, outings and much more.

These are a few examples of how the above could look in practice;

Democracy – Making decisions together

Manager and practitioners can encourage children to see their role in the bigger picture, encouraging children to know their voices count, value each others’ views and values and talk about their feelings, for example when they do and do not need help.

When appropriate demonstrate democracy in action for example, children sharing views on what the theme of the role play area could be done through a show of hands.

Practitioners can support the decision that children make and provide activities that involve turn taking, sharing, collaboration. Children should be given the opportunity to develop enquiring minds in an atmosphere where questions are valued.

Rules of Law – Understanding that rules matter

Practitioners can ensure that children understand their own rules and others’ behaviour and its consequences and learn to distinguish from right and wrong.

Practitioners can collaborate with children to create the rules and codes of behaviour, for example to agree the rules about tidying up and to ensure that all children understand rules apply to everyone.

Individual Liberty – Freedom for all

Children should develop a positive sense of themselves. Practitioners can divide opportunities for children to develop their self knowledge, self-esteem and increase their confidence in their own abilities. For example through allowing children to take a risk on an obstacle course, mixing colours or talking about their experiences and learning.

Practitioners should encourage a range of experiences that allow children to explore a range of feelings and responsibilities, reflect on their differences and understand that we are free to have a different opinion. For example at Group Time discussions about the transition into school.

Mutual Respect and Acceptance – Treat others as you wish to be treated.

Managers and Leaders should create an ethos of inclusivity and acceptance where views, faiths , cultures and races are truly valued and children are engaged with the wider community.

Children should acquire an acceptance and appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures, know about similarities and differences between themselves and others and among families, faith, communities, cultures and traditions. Sharing and discussing practices, celebrations and experiences.

Practitioners should encourage and explain the importance of acceptable behaviours such as sharing and respecting others opinions.

Practitioners should promote diverse attitudes and challenge stereotypes, for example sharing stories that reflect and value a diversity of children’s experiences and providing resources and activities that challenge gender, cultural and racial stereotyping.

Specific Needs

The setting recognises that all children and young people at some point in their life will have a specific need. The setting will ensure that it will support the needs of all children and families in the community, working with other agencies for additional support if the need arises.

The role of our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator

Our named S.E.N.C.O. at Stepping Stones Day Nursery is Jodie Dunn.

Our Setting based S.E.N.C.O.;

Works with staff to agree and implement the Inclusion Policy
Co-ordinates the Special Educational Needs provision within our setting in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice (2014)
Offers support for parents
Liaises with other agencies
Keeps appropriate records
Assist staff in making observations and assessments
Assist staff in planning for children with Special Educational Needs
Contacts Early Years coordinator (Louise Carter) at an early stage for informal advice and support.

Festivals

Our aim is to show respectful awareness of all the major events in the lives of the children and families in the nursery 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 is celebrated in our area and / or by the families involved in our nursery.

Without indoctrination in any specific faith, 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.
Children and families who celebrate festivals at home, which the rest of the nursery 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 be encouraged to welcome a range of different festivals, together with the stories, celebrations and special food and clothing they involve, as part of the diversity of life.

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 derogatory pictures or messages about any group of people.

Language

Bilingual / multilingual children and adults are an asset. They will be valued and their languages recognised and respected within the setting. Identifying and assessing SEN for young children whose first language is not English requires particular care. As a setting we will carefully look at all aspects of a child’s learning and development to establish whether any delay is related to learning English as an additional language or if it arises from SEN or disability. Difficulties related solely to learning English as an additional language are not SEN.

Food

Medical, cultural and dietary needs will be met.

Discriminatory behaviour / remarks

These are unacceptable in the setting.

The response will aim to be sensitive to the feelings of the victim(s) and to help those responsible to understand and overcome their prejudices.

Under no circumstances will the setting tolerate;

Actively promoting intolerance of other faiths, cultures and races
Failure to challenge gender stereotypes and routinely segregate girls and boys
Isolating children from their wider community
Failure to challenge behaviours (whether of staff, children, parents and other professionals) if they are not in line with the fundamental British values on democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and acceptance for those of different race, cultures and faith.

Equal Opportunities Policy