Equalities & Additional Intervention

We believe that all children should be equally valued at our Academy. We will strive to eliminate prejudice and discrimination, and to develop an environment where all children can flourish and feel safe. We have a range of agreed policies.

Harris Academy Battersea is committed to inclusion and part of the Academy’s strategic planning involves developing cultures, policies and practices that include all learners. We aim to engender a sense of community and belonging, and to offer new opportunities to learners who may have experienced previous difficulties. This does not mean that we will treat all learners in the same way, but that we will respond to learners in ways that take into account their varied life experiences and needs.

We believe that educational inclusion is about equal opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender, demographic group, ethnicity, additional need, attainment and background. We pay particular attention to the provision for, and the achievement of, different groups of learners:

• Students from families that are financially disadvantaged (PP - Pupil Premium)
• Students who arrive with below nationally expected ability in any area (LAPs)
• Boys or Girls
• Students from minority faiths, ethnicities, travellers, asylum seekers, refugees
• Students who have English as an additional language (EAL)
• Students who have Special Educational Needs or a Disability (SEND)
• Students who are Gifted and Talented (G&T)
• Students who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT)
• Students who are Looked After Children (LAC)
• Young carers, sick children, children from families under stress

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LGBTQ+ commitment statement

Click HERE to download our LGBTQ+ whole-school stance document.

Core principles at Harris Academy Battersea:

• To stand against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in all their forms is to challenge these types of prejudice actively and to continue to reflect, develop and improve upon the ways in which we do this.
• To recognise and celebrate all forms of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression is to take an intersectional approach and to understand that these protected characteristics may be influenced by race/ethnicity, faith, gender, ability status and other social characteristics.
• To recognise and celebrate diversity involves increasing student and staff awareness of the LGBTQ+ community.
• To recognise and celebrate diversity is to ensure that students and staff feel supported and are able to thrive in an inclusive environment of safety, dignity and respect, irrespective of gender, gender expression or sexuality.

Overarching aims:

• To recognise that homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying is a problem that needs to be addressed.
• To deliver a clear stance to staff and students regarding LGBTQ+ at HABS and its status as a protected characteristic, ensuring that staff feel supported and confident in delivering whole-school practice and explicitly tackling harassment and bullying.
• To inform and educate staff and students regarding the LGBTQ+ community and ways in which to tackle homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. Enlist the help of external organisations (such as the Stonewall Foundation and the Inclusive Mosque Initiative) where necessary to carry out staff training and student interventions and workshops.
• To develop student understanding and awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and to educate students regarding LGBTQ+ history and the status of protected characteristics, championing LGBTQ+ role models.
• To revisit curricula across the school to ensure that LGBTQ+ issues and role models are part of the HABS curriculum throughout the academic year.
• To actively promote inclusion and visibility by celebrating the LGBTQ+ community (for example, through Pride Month celebrations).
• To incorporate student voice and offer students a forum in which to ask for support, make suggestions regarding school practice and have difficult conversations or mentoring within a safe and supportive environment.
• To utilise the working group to promote LGBTQ+ issues and awareness to staff and students through our shared principles and to hold the school to account on its working practices.

Steps taken to date:

• Establishment and continuation of the Working Group.
• Assemblies delivered to Year groups as part of Pride Month.