Diversity and Reach Out

Equality and inclusion are central to our core REACH values.

We seek to celebrate the identity and individuality of each and every pupil as well as our wider school community, creating a culture of acceptance and safety. We also have a legal responsibility as a school to eliminate discrimination and ensure all of our students have an equal opportunity to succeed in life. Our newly appointed Diversity and Reach Out team have a dedicated focus of ensuring we are as inclusive and progressive as possible, not only within our curriculum but the whole culture of the school. Our ambition over the next two years is to achieve the EqualiTeach Equalities Award

Early initiatives began with a celebration and education of LGBTQ+ to mark the month of PRIDE, where we launched June with flying a range of Pride flags at the front of school. During Diversity week, 21st – 25th June, pupils from across the year groups spent time reflecting on ‘Their True Self’, recognising and celebrating their uniqueness and differences. Students also encountered other aspects of diversity, such as Human Migration and anti-Semitism, during their Humanities lessons. Form Time was used to encourage students to think about issues relating to Diversity, such as the appropriate use of language, all designed to generate discussion and deeper understanding. Our most recent initiative was a House Diversity Competition where students created artworks based on the theme of Diversity in order to create a spectacular display in our student entrance to the school building.

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Within Sixth Form, we have appointed a team of Diversity Reps who stand as active role models across the school, supporting and leading other students in meetings to discuss matters of equality and inclusion, looking at ways to make everyone feel as valued as possible. We are excited about our future plans to further celebrate and acknowledge all forms of diversity, driving towards an open and accepting culture for all staff, students and our wider community. Over the next year, the Diversity and Reach Out team will be working across faculty areas to ensure that our subject curriculums acknowledge and celebrate diversity of all kinds. We believe that driving diversity to the core of our curriculum and making connections wherever possible will help to reduce any misconceptions students have about our diverse world and will help them to understand why discrimination, of any form, is unacceptable, either in or out of school. Diversity will also play a key role in our pastoral provision, through our Big Picture and Sixth Form Progression curriculums and our weekly assembly programme. This focus will ensure that Harrogate Grammar School continues to be a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our students.

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The Red Kite Alliance RED Award has been developed to support schools to review, strengthen and celebrate their provision in terms of equality, diversity, respect for individuals and community cohesion.

Engagement with the award signals a clear commitment to place this agenda at the heart of the life and work of the school.

The Award Provides
• a framework within which schools can evaluate their current provision in terms of equality, diversity, respect for individuals and community cohesion;
• a route map to help schools to build on what they already do well, to plan actions to strengthen their provision and to embed a cohesive, inclusive, respectful ethos across the entire school;
• a vehicle for schools to celebrate the richness and diversity of the whole school community, as well as the school’s collective achievements in this area of its provision.

The Red Kite Alliance RED Award also supports schools to meet their statutory duties, including those which fall
under The Equality Act 2010.

Harrogate Grammar School is proud to be a part of this initiative and we would like to let our school community know that we have completed the first stage of this process and have submitted our audit and action plan. As a school community we are committed to working towards the next stages of the award, in order to strengthen, and continue to celebrate, the diversity of our community and to work towards equality in all its forms and equitable provision in our aim of ‘Excellence for all’.

Diversity and Reach Out

Equality and inclusion are central to our core REACH values.

Harrogate Grammar School

About Red Kite Learning Trust

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