Ethos and values

Protected Characteristics

Promoting the Protected Characteristics at Marlborough Primary:

We work to ensure that our children understand that:

There are no outsiders at Marlborough Primary

Everyone is different

We celebrate our differences

We are all equal in our differences

The Equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have. Under the Equality Act, there are nine Protected Characteristics:

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Race
Religion or belief
Marriage or civil partnership
Sex
Sexual orientation
Pregnancy and maternity

At Marlborough Primary, we actively promote these in our curriculum and work to embed them into our ethos.

Under the Equality Act you are protected from discrimination:

When you are in the workplace
When you use public services like healthcare (for example, visiting your doctor or local hospital) or education (for example, at your school or college)
When you use businesses and other organisations that provide services and goods (like shops, restaurants, and cinemas)
When you use transport
When you join a club or association (for example, your local rugby club)
When you have contact with public bodies like your local council or government departments

The books below are read as class texts over the course of the year to encourage positive and guided discussion of the protected characteristics. This is further enhanced through opportunities in our school curriculum (particularly through PHSE and RE) and our assembly curriculum.

At Marlborough Primary, we strive to create an environment where children can share their opinions and ask questions.

At Marlborough Primary school our ethos is ‘We try to be our best selves and treat others as we would like to be treated.’

Everyone works together to value and celebrate the diversity of our society and to promote respect, tolerance and understanding of all, as part of preparing our children to be good citizens in a modern British society.

Our ethos links directly to our 5 golden rules:

We work hard and give our best,
We look after property,
We are kind and gentle to each other,
We show respect for each other,
We are honest.

Our school motto is ‘Bright minds, bright futures’.

All those involved with Marlborough Primary School in Washington aim to provide every child with opportunities to acquire the skills to enable them to learn the things they need for a bright future. They are encouraged to be creative, enthusiastic and risk taking in their learning.

Our school values are represented by the Building Learning Powers animals. They are as follows:

Elephant (Relationships) - I can learn from and learn with others towards a shared goal.
Fox (Reflectiveness) - I am able to think and talk about what I have learnt and how I have learnt it.
Beaver (Resourcefulness) – I am ready, willing and able to learn in different ways.
Monkey (Risk-taking) - I am prepared to have a go even if there is a possibility of failure.
Penguin (Resilience) – I can stick at tasks even when they become difficult.

By rewarding children when they display any of the Building Learning Powers, we believe this encourages these qualities, and underlies all teaching and learning.

There are several ways of communicating the ethos and values to those around us. The most important people who need to know them are the children. The best way to inform them is by displaying the behaviour which demonstrates them. At Marlborough Primary School, every adult in the school attempts to display these qualities and thereby model the behaviour we hope to see.