Equality and Diversity at Darwen St James’ CE Primary Academy

At Darwen St James, we welcome children into a warm, supportive, and safe family. Our mission is nurturing ambition through a living faith. We believe every child can achieve great things, no matter their background or starting point.

We bring our Christian values to life every day through action, support, and community:

  • Hope: Giving every child the belief that they can build a bright, successful future.

  • Courage: Helping our pupils try new things, face challenges, and stand up for what is right.

  • Love: Caring for every child and family, ensuring everyone feels safe, valued, and included.

  • Perseverance: Teaching children to keep going, even when learning or life gets tough.

  • Friendship: Building strong, kind relationships across our whole school community.

Our Bible Verse (1 John 3:18):

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech alone, but with actions and in truth.”

How We Put Equality and Diversity Into Action

We treat every child and family with fairness, dignity, and respect. In line with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty, we are committed to removing barriers to learning and ensuring equal opportunities for everyone.

Our Commitments What This Means for Our Pupils and Families
Stopping Discrimination We do not tolerate bullying, prejudice, or unfair treatment based on race, religion, disability, family setup, or background.
Equal Opportunities We make sure every child—including those who need extra support—gets the help, resources, and encouragement they need to succeed.
Building a Strong Community We bring people together, celebrate our differences, and teach our children to respect everyone in our town and the wider world.

Our 7 Principles of Equality

To guide us in our statutory duties and daily practice, we follow these seven core principles:

  1. Everyone Matters: Every child, parent, carer, and member of staff is of equal value to our school family.

  2. We Respect Differences: We recognise and celebrate diversity in our school and local community.

  3. Everyone Belongs: We foster positive relationships so every child feels they belong and are welcomed.

  4. Fair Hiring and Support: We recruit, employ, and train staff in a fair way that supports our school’s Christian vision and values.

  5. Removing Barriers: We actively work to reduce inequalities and remove obstacles that stop children from succeeding.

  6. We Listen: We consult with families, pupils, and staff to make sure our school works well for everyone.

  7. Stronger Together: We believe our work should benefit the whole Darwen community.

Protected Characteristics

These principles help us live out our values of hope, courage, love, perseverance, and friendship. By law, there are nine "protected characteristics." We take practical steps to challenge discrimination and protect everyone against unfair treatment based on:

  • Age

  • Disability

  • Gender reassignment

  • Marriage and civil partnership

  • Pregnancy and maternity

  • Race

  • Religion or belief

  • Sex

  • Sexual orientation