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

Marriage or civil partnership

Pregnancy and maternity

Race

Religion or belief

Sex

Sexual orientation

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 sports club)
• When you have contact with public bodies like your local council or government departments
• We use the British values and the protected characteristics in the Equality Act as a framework to prevent discrimination of any kind in our community and explicitly teach our pupils to report any discrimination to a trusted adult immediately.

The 9 Protected Characteristics are actively promoted at St Peter’s Catholic School through:    

Our school vision and mission

Our FAITH Catholic Character virtues

Our consistent behaviour routines and norms

Our student leadership programme

Our wider community outreach and engagement

Our PSHE curriculum and explicit teaching of FAITH, British Values and the Equality Act

Our wider curriculum areas

Our wider opportunities for external speakers, workshops and external visits

Our community voice

Our enrichment programme