Rationale
Machrie Nursery is committed to taking positive and proactive steps to ensure that we provide a safe and caring environment, free from discrimination, for everyone in our community.
We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, so that every child and family is included and supported.
We treat everyone with respect, and we have a positive attitude to diversity, so that every child is included and not disadvantaged because of ethnicity, sex, culture, religion, language, background, ASN, disability, or needs.
Aims
We recognise everybody’s worth and ensure equality across all areas. We want to respect others and be sensitive and understanding.
We want to do this because we think that when people can be themselves, they perform better and achieve their full potential and this in turn helps us to better reflect the community which we serve.
To promote an ethos of equality, equity and effective working relationships.
To ensure there are equal opportunities for everyone and none are discriminated against.
To ensure we all recognise, respect and value our differences.
This policy aligns with the Equality Act 2010 & GCC’s Equal Opportunity’s Policy Statement.
Objectives
To take cognisance of and adhere to the 9 protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 which are:
Age
Disability
Gender Reassignment
Marriage And Civil Partnership
Pregnancy And Maternity
Race
Religion Or Belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation
We will support all children and families in accessing learning and community events regardless of social or economic status.
We will make every effort to encourage families to celebrate their cultures and will actively involve parents/carers to celebrate their beliefs.
We will be positive about differences and support children’s acceptance of difference.
We will celebrate and value cultural, religious, and community events & experiences.
We will provide positive images of all children
We will encourage children to talk about their own home and community life, and to find about other children’s experiences.
We will value & respect each other.
We will ensure that children learning English as an additional language have opportunities to express themselves in their home language.
We will take reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning.
We will liaise with external agencies to help children overcome barriers to their learning and development.
Children who require additional support for whatever reason will have this reflected in their care plan/pastoral notes/WAP.
Risk assessments will be devised to ensure children with medical or physical accommodations are supported within the nursery.
We will ensure access to our ‘Foodbank’, ‘Clothes bank’ and ‘Toy bank’ for our families in need which is open to all without judgement or favour.
We will ensure all staff can equally access professional learning opportunities to enhance their knowledge and develop their professional journey.
We will welcome all parents and carers to our ‘Stay and Play’ sessions where they can emulate the staff’s work at home with their child and be provided with the necessary resources which all contain suggested learning notes.
We will welcome all parents and carers into our Nursery School for a variety of skills-sharing with our children e.g. gardening, cultural exchange, storytelling, drama etc.
Success Criteria
To ensure Machrie Nursery does not operate in a discriminatory manner or in any way against its commitment to equal opportunities.
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Drafted Aug ’23 Angela O’Hear Hodos
Reviewed 16th September 2025 Stephanie Glen Acting Head of Nursery