Equality and Diversity in Milton Keynes
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Equality and Diversity in Milton Keynes www.milton-keynes.gov.uk Issue date: November 2013 Produced by MKC Equality and Diversity Context in Milton Keynes Contents Context 4 Diverse Black and minority ethnic communities in Milton Keynes 6 Our equality commitment 7 Part A: A good practice guide 9 Equality and community cohesion 9 Addressing the child or family 12 Assemblies 13 Cultural behaviour 14 Dietary requirements 15 Dress codes and school uniform 16 Engagement with parents and carers 17 Extended holidays 19 Festivals 20 New arrivals 21 Refugees and asylum seekers 23 Setting and school ethos 26 School visits and extra-curricular activities 27 Supplementary Schools 28 Translation 29 Part B: Community information 32 Communities and Culture 35 Faith 79 Language 100 Context Diverse Black and minority Equality and Diversity ethnic communities in Milton Keynes Context The first edition of Equality and Diversity in Milton Our equality commitment Keynes was published in 2002, in response to Equality and community schools’ recognition that the borough and its cohesion early years settings and schools had become Addressing the child increasingly diverse. It has provided accessible or family information about the diverse black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, their faith backgrounds Assemblies and language heritages and has become the Cultural behaviour basis for many schools’ understanding of cultural diversity in our borough. Equality and Diversity is Dietary requirements now used as a training tool across the council. Dress codes and school uniform This third edition recognises that Milton Keynes is continuing to grow and diversify. This edition continues to focus on early years settings and schools, but it is a valid Engagement with resource for other professionals; both in the Children and Families Service Groups parents and carers and across the council. It is set out in two parts: Extended holidays Part A: Festivals A good practice guide with specific information on key aspects of the inclusion of children and young New arrivals people from diverse communities. Refugees and asylum seekers Part B: Setting and school ethos Background information on three key aspects of School visits and diversity: cultural heritage, religion and language. extra-curricular activities The guidance is designed as a quick reference for practitioners who seek to gain Supplementary schools deeper insight. There are clear, identified links between all aspects of background information, for example, between cultures and religion. Translation Communities and Culture Faith Language 5 Equality and Diversity Context in Milton Keynes Diverse Black and minority Diverse black and minority ethnic communities Our equality commitment ethnic communities in in Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Throughout the guidance we will endeavour to: Our equality commitment Milton Keynes has a rich, vibrant and varied community and thrives on its diversity. • promote a positive attitude to difference As the population of Milton Keynes has grown it has become increasingly diverse. • challenge stereotypes The latest annual pupil data records over 156 languages being spoken by children Equality and community cohesion and young people in Milton Keynes’ schools. • communicate directly with local people The proportion of the school population made up by BME children and young Equality is at the heart of everything the council does, provides and in how it shapes Addressing the child people is 34.1%, which has grown significantly since 2005, when it was 20.7%. the place our citizens live, learn and work in. It is encapsulated in the council’s or family 20.3% of our BME children and young people are learning English as an additional Equality Vision: language (EAL), although they are at a wide range of stages of acquisition; from new Assemblies arrivals, with limited English, to advanced learners who operate at a high level of English, at or above age-related expectations. There is a high level of commitment “ Improve the way we engage, think, plan and act to provide for diverse needs from our settings and schools; with each establishment to deliver equality and accessibility for everyone, Cultural behaviour having a dedicated coordinator of ethnic minority achievement (EMA). every day.” Dietary requirements The council complies with the Equality Act 2010, but always seeks to work beyond mere compliance and actively works with partners to remove barriers and create Dress codes and school opportunities for all. uniform This is enshrined in the council’s equality commitment: Engagement with parents and carers To deliver equitable services by: • assessing the impact of its policies, projects and plans and making reasonable Extended holidays adjustments; • removing barriers, making services accessible to local people and Festivals communities; and • improving engagement with local people and stakeholders. New arrivals To shape the development of the borough by: • understanding the needs and preferences of local people; Refugees and asylum seekers • advancing equality of opportunity for individuals and families; and • fostering good community relations, where everyone is treated with respect. Setting and school ethos To build a diverse and competent workforce, volunteers and councillors by: School visits and • adopting policies and practices that make best use of the differing skills and extra-curricular activities talents of individuals and create a harassment free environment; • ensuring the council workforce is proportionately reflective of the ever Supplementary schools changing community and compares well with other councils; and • creating tools and products that support individuals to have due regard to Translation equality. www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/corporateplan Communities and Culture Faith Language 6 7 Part A: A good practice guide Diverse Black and minority Equality and community cohesion ethnic communities in Milton Keynes This section will explain the statutory responsibilities of early years settings and Part A: schools to ensure equality for all children and young people, staff, parents and Our equality commitment the communities they represent. They are held responsible under the duties of the ‘Equality Act 2010’ and the ‘Duty to Promote Community Cohesion’. Equality and community A good cohesion Equality Act 2010 The Equality Act 2010 was created to simplify the previous plethora of legislation, Addressing the child practice replacing the existing anti-discriminatory laws with a single act, which is easy or family to access and understand. It aims to remove inconsistencies and harmonise definitions across the protected characteristics, to create common approaches. Assemblies guide The act provides clear and consistent protection through three general duties, where public bodies must pay ’due regard’ to the need to: Cultural behaviour 1. eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010; Dietary requirements 2. advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and Dress codes and school uniform 3. foster good relations between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. Engagement with Having ’due regard’ means; consciously thinking about the three aims of the general parents and carers duty as part of the process of decision-making. This means that consideration of equality issues must influence the decisions reached by settings and schools in Extended holidays how they act as employers; develop, evaluate and review policy; design, deliver and evaluate services; and how they commission and procure from others. Festivals Having ’due regard’ to the need to advance equality of opportunity involves considering the need to: New arrivals • remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics; Refugees and • meet the needs of people with protected characteristics; and asylum seekers • encourage people with protected characteristics to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is low. Setting and school ethos The act extends the scope of legislation to include the use of positive action. School visits and Complying with the general duty may involve taking positive actions, for example: extra-curricular activities • making provision specific for the advancement of opportunity for certain underrepresented, under-achieving children and young people or for those Supplementary schools facing difficulties • recognising that disabled people’s needs are different from those of Translation non-disabled people. In considering the need to meet the needs of disabled people, including children, young people and parents, schools should take account of disabled people’s specific disabilities. This might mean making Communities and Culture reasonable adjustments to remove barriers for them • building good community relations through awareness of minority or Faith majority cultures. Language 9 Equality and Diversity Part A: A good practice guide in Milton Keynes The general duty is underpinned by a number of specific duties which provide Community cohesion Diverse Black and minority a framework to help schools meet the general duty. The specific duties require ethnic communities in The term ’community cohesion’ means working towards a society in which there is Milton Keynes schools to: a common vision and sense of belonging by all communities; a society