E10 - Key Terms Recap

Equality means...

• challenging discrimination and removing barriers, so everyone has opportunities to achieve their desired outcomes

• providing identical care and support to each person, regardless of their needs

• focusing more on those with additional needs

Answer explanation

To provide equality, you must identify each individual's barriers and minimise them as much as possible, to ensure everyone has an equal chance at achievement.

A barrier is...

• a specific adjustment required to meet the needs of the child

• anything that prevents a child from being fully engaged in learning

• something that makes it easier for a child to achieve, e.g. high-income family

Answer explanation

A barrier is any factor which prevents a child from being engaged in learning.

Barriers can include;

Low-income background, ethnic minority, physical disability, learning disability and many more.

Can you think of any other factors which may prevent learning?

An organisation which values diversity would...

(mark all correct answers)

• Celebrate people's differences

• Recognise the benefits of different values, abilities and perspectives

• Create an environment that welcomes and values different backgrounds, thinking, skills and experience

• Only recruit staff who are able to work full-time and speak English

Inclusive practice means to provide a space where everyone has _____ ______ to _____________, and where everyone feels valued and accepted.

• a criminal records check

• a safe space to disclose confidential information

• the same barriers to learning

• equal access to opportunities

Answer explanation

Inclusive practice means to provide a space where everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources, and where everyone feels valued and accepted.

For example, you have a child who is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair, and you are doing a sports activity to promote physical development (opportunity). It wouldn't be inclusive to exclude this student - we should make adjustments so they have equal access. What could we do to ensure this child still has the opportunity to develop physically?

What is a reasonable adjustment?

• A change which reduces barriers to participation for an individual, to provide inclusivity

• A change which applies to all children to reduce barriers to participation, to provide inclusivity

Arjun has recently moved to the UK. He speaks and reads Urdu fluently, but does not speak or read much English. His teacher is planning a literacy activity, where the children read a chapter from a fiction story and draw the main character.

What would be suitable reasonable adjustments for Arjun? Think which would help him to develop English reading/speaking.

• A translator that speaks Urdu and English to give support and provide the book in both Urdu and English

• Provide the book in Urdu only

• Have a translator read the story to him in Urdu

Answer explanation

Although these are all suitable adjustments, the best way to include Arjun AND help him to develop English reading/speaking is to have support from a translator and give the book in both English and Urdu.

The translator can clarify anything he does not understand and help him pronounce English, and Arjun can start to associate the English words with Urdu words, helping him to read English.

Which legislation sets out the 9 protected characteristics, which it is against the law to discriminate against a person for having?

• Equality Act 2010

• United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child 1989

• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022

• Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974

Answer explanation

Under the equality act, it is against the law to discriminate against a person for possessing any of the 9 protected characteristics:

- Age

- Race

- Disability

- Marriage or Civil Partnership

- Religion or belief

- Sex

- Sexual orientation

- Gender reassignment

- Pregnancy and maternity

A company advertises for a job. The employer refuses to recruit a woman over a man who is less qualified for the role.

This is an example of:

• Direct discrimination

• Indirect discrimination

Answer explanation

Direct discrimination is when you're treated differently and worse than someone else for certain reasons.

This person was refused for the role because of their sex (female), even though they were more qualified than the man who got the job.

This is an example of discrimination against protected characteristics, set out in the Equality Act 2010.

A deaf student is given written work to do in a music lesson where students play musical instruments.

This is an example of...

• Direct discrimination

• Indirect discrimination

Answer explanation

Again, this student was directly discriminated against (treat differently) because of their protected characteristic (disability). They did not have equal access to the opportunity of playing music.

What reasonable adjustment could we provide to include a deaf student in a musical activity?

A new school policy forbids students from wearing any form of jewellery. Jasveen, who is a Sikh, is asked to remove her Kara bangle even when she explained her reason for wearing it.

This is an example of...

• Direct discrimination

• Indirect discrimination

Answer explanation

Indirect discrimination is when there is a practice, policy or rule which applies to everyone equally, but disadvantages some people more than others.

Everyone in the school is banned from wearing jewellery, but students of faith like Jasveen are prevented from following their religious customs because of this rule.