The greatest wealth is sharing:
The golden thread of inclusivity
Led by: Anne Doerr
Deputy Head of Learning Area, Sutton College
• How to build stronger, more enriched learning
communities by embracing differences and diversities.
• Case study of creating an Equality and Diversity strategy
that is inclusive!
• Make it a golden thread. Tip and hints on how to ensure
equality and diversity moves from a tick box exercise to
a core deciding factor in all aspects of college life.
Activity
Spend a 2-3 minutes looking at the
pictures and captions and match them to
the names
As a group draw out 3 main points about
Equality and Diversity from their
stories
Fred Astaire
Charles Darwin
Lucille Ball
Thomas Edison
Rosa Parks
Walt Disney
Helen Keller
Harrison Ford
Elvis Presley
Susan Boyle
Sidney Poitier
To build a stronger, more enriched learning
community by embracing differences and
diversities.
SCOLA 2012-2015
Equality Strategy and Action Plan
• Framework for creating equality of
opportunity for all our staff and students,
which is assisting us in achieving the college
strategic aims
• Encourage enthusiasm for lifelong learning
• Help people achieve their potential
Single Equalities Act
9 Protected characteristics (a group which is
protected from discrimination under equality
legislation)
Age
Disability
Gender
reassignment
Marriage or Civil
Partnership
Pregnancy and
maternity
Race
Religion or Belief
Sex
Sexual
Orientation
Approach to strategy:
• responsibility is shared
• Applies to everyone: staff, learners,
visitors, contractors
• College is committed to encouraging everyone
to treat others with respect
• Challenge discriminatory practice or attitudes
• Participate in learning which will challenge
them to adopt good practice
• Raise awareness of all
• Operate fair, open and transparent procedures
for recruitment of staff and learners
• Provide training
• Operate fair and transparent assessment
processes for learners.
• Promote the use of inclusive language
• Introduce and update policies which support
inclusion and diversity
• Ensure that all college policies, procedures,
functions, activities, strategies and decisions
embed the aims of promoting equality and
diversity
• Review performance against the protected
characteristics
• Action plan is a “live document”
• Equality and Diversity Committee meet termly
to update plan.
• Cross-section of employees and also learner
representation on the Committee
Most recent meetings
Included on the agenda:
• Process for interviewing students declaring
concerns with mental health.
• Report 13/14 course approval
• Volunteers in the classroom
• Action plan update
• Safeguarding
SCOLA 2012-2015
Equality Action Plan Contents
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Strategy and policy
The Learner journey
The Staff journey
Services Department
Procurement
Involvement
Case Studies
Examples
• Diverse learning achievements showcased at
the Adult Learners Award evening May 2013
• Provision for people with mental health
difficulties
• Family Learning
Regional Award winners:- Angela Hanken won the
NIACE London Senior Learner Award, Sam Keelan was
awarded the OCN London Highly Commended Award
and Lynn Scarth received a Certificate of Achievement
Family Learning @ SCOLA
• The SCOLA Family Learning Team put on
courses which prioritise family adults who do
not have Maths and/or English GCSE A-C
grade.
We also work with our partners
to prioritise their target families including:
• Families with children who are underachieving
or at risk of underachieving
• Children eligible for Free School Meals
• Families on low incomes
• Lone parents
• Family adults or children with disabilities
• Dads/male carers
Who we work with:
Schools
Children
Centres
Health
Visitors
EIPS
Libraries
Merton
AE
SCVS
Home
Start
Family
Focus
Other
partners
Case Study:
Kengathevy started with a Family Maths course
at SCOLA in 2009. She then went on to do her
Level 2 Cache Certificate and Level 3 Diploma in
Children and Young People’s Workforce which
she completed this year. She has now found
employment as a result of the Cache Diploma.
Case Study:
“The family course helped me realise I would
like to work. During the Cache course I had a
placement at a Children's Centre. Then I got a
paid job at the Day Nursery attached to the
Centre. The knowledge and understanding I
gained from the courses gave me confidence
and made the job interview easy.”
Case Study:
Michelle attended a Love Literacy accredited
course at Green Wrythe Primary. She said, “I
LOVED this course. It was informative, inspiring,
interactive, fun and interesting, every
session….It has really helped me decide I would
like to continue with my education, in
teaching. I am looking to get into a teacher
training course…”
What our partners say about us…
“This course has managed to engage - and sustain
engagement - with some of our most vulnerable and
hard-to-reach families with amazingly positive
results.
The programme boosted their sense of self-worth
hugely and impacted on their own children's
attendance at school which is a significant success.”
Stanley Park Children’s Centre Manager, Love Literacy course
Hard to reach families…
• We have put on targeted courses for groups
such as Contact a Family who are an
information service who deal with the whole
spectrum of disabilities within families.
• We also put on courses with Family Focus and
Home Start who support families with
children under 5, supporting needy and
vulnerable families.
Top tips for making E and D a golden thread
• Draw up Single Equality Checklist for Policies
and Practices (see example)
• Make sure:
– the Equality Policy sets out the commitment to
promote equality and diversity working in
practice.
– proactive and supportive monitoring takes place.
This is the key to delivering diversity
Top tips for making E and D a golden thread
• Develop networks and links, and speak to
those who don’t access the service and find
out why
• Respond and communicate to the learners
and have multiple channels to hear their voice
• Ensure staff are recruited fairly
• Ensure training and development
opportunities are open to all
• Ensure that course entry requirements are fair
and inclusive
Top tips for making E and D a golden thread
• Be sensitive to the concerns, needs and expressed
issues
• Create an atmosphere of trust, respect and mutuality
• Use data to measure the engagement, performance,
progression and attainment of learners and staff
against all characteristics
• Be realistic and proactive in addressing differences
• Review and monitor policies to determine whether
there are any unintended consequences for some
groups and that they are effective for all target groups.
Activities
• Share in 3s examples of innovative inclusive
practice
• Look at 2 Ofsted Reports where the E and D
has been rated “outstanding”
• What can we learn from what we have
shared ?