Promoting inclusive values
Notre Dame is an inclusive school. We are fully committed to paving the way in creating the future we would like our students to be part of – with equality of opportunity and freedom from any kind of discrimination. These are not simply words spoken, we expect inclusion to be the responsibility of every member of our school community.
We proactively raise consciousness and develop positive attitudes across the school, emphasising and celebrating the value that diversity brings. All ambitions are valid at our school. We encourage our students to champion and support each other – to be each other’s cheerleaders. We call out and challenge stereotyping and prejudice if and when it occurs.
Committed to inclusion
Being a Faith school, we also believe every individual is viewed as a child of God and is imbued with inestimable human dignity. Our school’s foundation and religious ethos is based on Catholic values and traditions. As such, the school is inclusive and welcomes and respects all rights and freedoms of the individual pertaining to other religions and faiths (and no religion or faith).
Notre Dame School promotes British values.
Our 12 Commitments to Inclusion are:
- Creating and maintaining an environment in which the dignity of all is respected, and in which individual differences and the contributions of all are recognised and valued.
- Ensuring that the dignity of all and the celebration of diversity is integral to the curriculum, including but not exclusively through PSHE and RE.
- Promoting equality and inclusion in the school – in the playground, the classroom and the staffrooms.
- Ensure equality of access to the whole school experience for all pupils / students and prepare them for life in a diverse society.
- Promote attitudes, values and skills that challenge discriminatory behaviour.
- Provide opportunities for pupils / students to appreciate their own cultural heritage, religion and beliefs, and celebrate the diversity within the school.
- Celebrate diversity and promote the positive contribution of different ethnic groups to the curriculum area being studied.
- Celebrate what members of the school community and those beyond share in common.
- Seek to involve and support all parents / carers as their child’s primary educators.
- Take account of the different learning needs of different groups of pupils / students, using an appropriate range of teaching strategies to enable all learners to progress and achieve
- Reflect our commitment to equality and promotion of positive attitudes to equality and diversity in curriculum planning.
- Maintain a culture of mutual respect, in which everyone is welcomed to the school.
