St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery

Vision for Diversity and Inclusion

At St Joseph’s our intention is to be the best and most inclusive school in West Berkshire. We believe that an inclusive culture, diverse experiences, perspectives, and gifts are seen to enrich our school community. Equality and equity both promote fairness, equality achieves this through treating everyone the same regardless of need, while equity achieves this through treating people differently dependent on need.

We will ensure:

• that we understand and recognise difference and diversity in terms of ethnicity, beliefs, experience, needs and outlook and that this understanding is reflected in our practice and policies
• that we promote and provide a welcoming culture where people feel safe, respected, and have individual value and worth. An inclusive culture starts from the premise that everyone in the school – children, teachers, support staff and parents – should feel that they belong, realise their potential, and contribute to the life of the school

• that we will provide high quality training for staff to ensure that our practice is consistent and our vision is shared and embedded throughout the school

• We will consider the question ‘‘Have we created conditions where every person can contribute in their unique, meaningful way and feel safe and secure doing that?’’​

  PHSE Curriculum Vision

  In PSHE, children will gain the skills to grow in confidence and to develop a sense of responsibility within themselves. They develop and nurture their own God-given gifts, form positive relationships with others built on respect and develop a healthy and safe lifestyle. The personal development of each pupil will be nurtured within the ethos of our Catholic School through their on-going PSHE education. Opportunities will exist for children to access outside professionals to discuss topics such as healthy lifestyles, personal safety, relationships, diversity, citizenship and the wider world. Our diverse community is fully represented, and children will develop a real understanding and appreciation of the world.

 Pupils will follow carefully designed schemes of learning which offer consistency and progression as pupils move through the school. PHSE is taught both through explicit lessons but is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum and in the day to day life of the school. It is taught and recorded through a variety of mediums including presentations, art, drama, photography and the innovative use of technology. Pupil leads (School Council, Eco Club) are actively involved in planning PSHE activities. They also contribute their views on relevant topics as part of the ‘pupil voice’ within school. The school participates in National Awareness and Fundraising events such as Anti-bullying week. In addition to regular, timetabled lessons, we offer additional opportunities across the curriculum and through enrichment activities. Our School Council, Eco Council, House Captains and Head Boy and Head Girl are elected by the children through a democratic vote each year and take on relevant leadership roles across the school. Children in Year 6 take on a responsibility around the school and are assigned ‘Buddies’ with a child in Reception Class.