Nursery equal opportunities policy

Recruitment

At The University of Dundee Day Nursery Ltd we aim to promote an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and prejudice and discrimination are challenged through positive reinforcement. We are committed to promoting an environment where everyone receives equal opportunities. We do not discriminate on the grounds of age, gender, sexuality, class, family status/background, disability, learning difficulty, ability, ethnicity, culture, religion, or home language.

The following outline our key priorities when promoting equal opportunities within the setting.

Children

At the nursery we aim to provide an environment that celebrates diversity which will benefit all children and employees. We challenge inappropriate attitudes and practices with positive reinforcement to ensure children and employees have a positive attitude towards equality and diversity. Inappropriate attitudes and practice will also be dealt with by following our Behaviour Management Policy and Procedure and our Disciplinary Procedure.

We accept all children from the age 0 to 5 years regardless of their age, gender, class, family status/background, disability, learning difficulty, ability, ethnicity, culture, religion or home language. Part of our Fist Settling in Session Procedure is to gain all the relevant information from parents to ensure we meet each child’s individual needs.

When a new child is settling into nursery, we will endeavour to provide resources that reflect an individual child’s home life to make the child feel safe and secure.

At The University of Dundee Day Nursery Ltd we recognise all children have the right and entitlements and we work in partnership with parents to make sure their individual needs are met. Please also refer to our Partnership with Parents Policy.

All children in our care will be treated fairly and will have an equal right to be listened to and valued in the setting. We encourage all children to recognise their own unique abilities and to gain an understanding of themselves as individuals with their own beliefs.  We also encourage all children to celebrate their differences within the group and encourage them to play together and make friends, as well as encouraging them to value and respect each other. We use the GIRFEC SHANARRI for each child to ensure they are safe, healthy, achieving, natured, active, respected, responsible, and included whilst in our care.

We recognise the effect we have on children’s thinking and aim to create an honest learning environment in which children’s questions are answered accurately and one which is sensitive to their individual needs and feelings.

We aim to provide an environment and resources that celebrate diversity. We understand that all children have a need to develop and by providing the appropriate range of resources, children can explore and discover the things and people around them. This will enable them to develop their awareness of the diverse community they live in. All children in our care will receive equal access to all resources and these that have difficulties accessing the resources, will be given the support they need.

At the nursery we focus on child-initiated play and will provide the support, equipment, and resources the children need to develop their individual ideas to their full potential. We use responsive planning to ensure that every child’s interests and needs are used to inform future planning.

We will use posters, pictures, and other resources to display positive attitudes towards disability, ethnicity, cultural and social diversity to ensure all children and their families feel valued. We aim to make religious and cultural festivals that are celebrated in the local community a key part of the children’s time at nursery. We take a multi-sensory approach to any festival we celebrate, encouraging children to dress up, eat and drink to fully immerse themselves in the culture they are experiencing. We welcome visitors of all faiths and abilities to the nursery and value their contribution to the curriculum.

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