Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Here at St Ambrose College we are proud that people who practice faiths other than Christianity are an integral part of our community. A number of our students are active members of faith traditions such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Whilst retaining our Catholic identity, we are committed to showcasing these faiths and ensuring the needs of the students who practise them are met.

Every year we celebrate Interfaith Week by inviting students of other faiths to meet and share their experiences. Many of these students are committed members of our Interfaith Group. The group meets every half term to improve the provision for students of other faiths. Amongst their aims and achievements are establishing a dedicated multifaith prayer space, ensuring catering is appropriate for the requirements of all faiths represented in our school, and spreading awareness of different faiths amongst students and staff.

We are committed to holding an Interfaith Day every year during which all students are exposed to testimony from students and guest speakers. As part of this day, our weekly Mass is replaced by an Interfaith Celebration and students are invited to wear clothes which reflect their faith or culture. Activities during the day are planned and led by the Interfaith Group.

By recognising and valuing students of other faiths, we believe we are ensuring that our school is as welcoming and inclusive as possible. Far from diminishing our Catholic identity, multifaith provision enhances the richness of religious dialogue in school and allows our Christian students and staff to live out the virtues of their own faith:

“Do to others as you would have them do unto you.” Luke 6:31

Equality objectives action plan

Please see the document provided below.

SILVER EQUALITIES AWARD

Saint Ambrose College has achieved the Silver Equalities Award. The award took 18 months to achieve, providing the College with a framework to audit and focus on four main strands:

Leadership and Management
Personal Development
Behaviour and Welfare
Teaching and Learning

The Equalities Award provides support and guidance for schools to effectively promote equality, diversity and inclusion and allows schools to showcase their commitment to equality.

The Equalities Award audit has been designed by a team of equality and education experts to allow schools to fulfil their statutory duties to:

Eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations (Equality Act 2010)
Promote community cohesion (Education and Inspections Act 2006)
Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism (Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015)
Safeguard children and promote spiritual moral, social and cultural development (Education Act 2002)

ANTI-RACIST School Award

Saint Ambrose College is committed to working towards achieving the Anti-racist School Award.

As a part of this anti-racist work launched in September 2020, we have started working towards the anti-racist school award with Leeds Beckett University.

The award focus on the following areas to embed school improvement:

Governance
Leadership and Management
School Environment
Professional Learning and Development
Hidden Curriculum
Pedagogy and Curriculum
Parents/Carers and Community Partnerships

This award aims to improve race equality within schools while promoting safety and wellbeing for BAME staff, students, parents, carers, and those in the community. We are taking a whole-school approach to anti-racism, identifying any gaps in which to develop and strengthen our school systems. We are committed to the long term work that is required for institutional change.

interfaith group at sac

Universal Prayer for Peace

Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth;
Lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust;
Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace.
Let peace fill our heart, our world, our universe.

interfaith prayer

Interfaith Prayer

Creator God,

We thank you for the amazing diversity of your creation.
So much life, expressed in different forms, living in a huge variety of ways.
We thank you that this diversity is expressed in human life, people all made in your image, yet living, believing and hoping in different ways.
Many gather together, expressing shared beliefs, as part of faith communities.

In the richness of your creative diversity, we give thanks to faith communities who gather together to express shared beliefs that may be both similar and different to our own.

Help us to step out to meet people of other faiths and beliefs, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.