At Stowe, we believe that everyone should be treated equally. We want our community to be safe, caring and inclusive, without prejudice or discrimination of any kind. We believe that to be Change Makers we must have a culture of continuous improvement, striving always to be our best.
INTRODUCTION Stowe’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) strategy reflects our desire to cultivate a community that embraces diversity and fosters inclusivity, where all individuals are valued and differences are celebrated, principles which are pivotal to our Change Makers Vision. As with our Change Makers Vision, our EDIB strategy sits within, and is informed by, our Protestant Christian founding principles. Inspired by an ethos of mutual respect, service, and forgiveness, these principles guide our efforts to create an environment where everyone is supported in reaching their full potential and thriving within a unified, diverse community.
We understand the significance of embracing inclusivity in shaping our future success. We recognise that progress is about achieving our objectives and driving meaningful and lasting change.
We are guided by the belief that diversity is not just a measure of our success but a strength that enriches our community and moves us forward. By creating an environment where every voice is heard, every perspective valued, and every individual empowered to thrive, we uphold the ethos of Stowe.
We will make the most of the diverse talents and perspectives that define our community and advocate for a more equitable and inclusive society to achieve this. In doing so, we honour the legacy of those who came before us and pave the way for future generations to follow.
THE STOWE GROUP CONTEXT At Stowe, we are committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive environment where diverse opinions, including those rooted in Christian and other belief systems, are valued. We recognise that there will be times when views aligned with religious beliefs may diverge from societal consensus. It is crucial that all individuals - whether exploring or expressing such views - can do so safely and with tolerance and respect, in line with Stowe’s commitment to open-minded exploration and mutual respect for differing perspectives. We are committed to ensuring that Stowe is a safe and welcoming environment for people of all faiths and none. This strategy sets out our aims and recognises that the success of its implementation will require a willingness to respect and listen to other perspectives and tolerate diverse views, where they are motivated by a desire to educate and learn, acquire insight, show empathy and gain understanding.
LEGAL CONTEXT The Equality Act 2010 places several duties upon Stowe. These include:
● Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. ● Promoting equality of opportunity between individuals with protected characteristics and those without, such as age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage and civil partnership. ● Fostering good relations between individuals with protected characteristics and those without.
In addition to these legal requirements, Stowe’s foundation as a Protestant Christian School emphasises a vision of unity in diversity and service aligned with our faith-based ethos. This guides us as we comply with legal obligations while striving for a community that reflects inclusivity grounded in Christian values.
DEFINITIONS EDI can be understood in many different ways, with each individual holding a unique perspective on its meaning. At Stowe, we use the terms Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
Equity and equality, while often used interchangeably, diverge in their connotations despite being linked to 'fairness’.
Equality, as mandated by the Equality Act 2010, remains a legal and moral obligation at Stowe, emphasising fairness and equal treatment.
At Stowe, we uphold the principles of equality while striving for equity. We understand that different individuals require different levels of support to thrive.
Conversely, equity encompasses understanding and providing individuals with the necessary resources to fulfil their potential. In line with our values of community and respect, at Stowe, we perceive equity as tailoring support to individuals, acknowledging and addressing structural barriers that may impede specific individuals' progress. We recognise the existence of systemic barriers that disadvantage certain groups, and we are committed to improving organisational practices, systems, and processes which may present these barriers.
Diversity, on the other hand, entails acknowledging and valuing differences. It underscores the advantage of diverse perspectives in decision-making processes and advocates for a workforce that mirrors our organisation's pupil body and the wider community.
Inclusion signifies an environment where individual differences and experiences are esteemed and leveraged to facilitate the flourishing of all. We believe an inclusive environment is one where every individual feels a sense of belonging, can express their authentic selves, perceives their contributions as significant, and is empowered to realise their full potential, irrespective of their background, identity, or circumstances.
Belonging is the final pillar of our strategy, underscoring the importance of creating a culture where all community members feel valued, accepted, and able to contribute as their true selves. This sense of belonging is essential for fostering an inclusive environment.
EDIB OBJECTIVES We have identified four ambitious EDIB objectives for Stowe.
Monitoring our progress towards these objectives will involve tracking the measures detailed in the EDIB Action Plan.
We want Stowe to be:
● A community that reflects the rich diversity of our local and global communities. ● It is an inclusive environment where every colleague and pupil feels valued, safe (both physically and psychologically), and respected, and everyone has the opportunity to thrive and achieve their full potential. ● A place where EDIB principles are deeply rooted and where everyone feels empowered and confident to engage in discussions about EDIB. ● An organisation that makes decisions and takes actions based on comprehensive data analysis, ensuring our strategies are informed and effective.
Our ambitions are to:
1. Remove barriers to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion And Belonging by:
● Adopting more inclusive and agile recruitment initiatives that embrace best practices, facilitating the attraction and selection of diverse, high-performing talent. ● Retaining colleagues by supporting everyone in realising their potential through effective and inclusive development and talent management. ● Undertaking research to identify organisational barriers faced by underrepresented groups for whom we lack data. This will enable us to pursue a focused approach to dismantling organisational barriers. ● Developing and implementing actions to achieve physical and digital accessibility for all.
2. Build our culture of inclusivity and belonging by:
● Developing a unique colleague experience through regular engagement and open communication channels with our teams, colleague network groups, and working committees. ● Enhancing the pupil experience through consistent engagement and two-way communication with pupils, the pupil council, Prefect groups, network groups, focus groups, and other pupil voice platforms. ● Actively endorsing and advancing our pupil and colleague Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) network groups and their respective plans. ● Sustaining the promotion of agile, flexible, and inclusive working practices that accommodate the diverse needs of our colleagues, pupils, partners, and the broader Stowe community. ● Building Stowe's reputation as an employer committed to diversity and inclusion by achieving accolades, charter marks, and affiliations with external organisations. ● Cultivating a culture where leadership actively drives positive change.
3. Ensure EDIB is considered in all we do by:
● Strengthening our pupil experience by promoting an inclusive environment where all stakeholders, including our colleagues, the wider community, and external partners, collaborate towards access and inclusion. ● Facilitating opportunities to enhance understanding and awareness of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDIB) and implement these across the School. ● Providing learning opportunities empowers everyone to increase their confidence in discussing diversity and inclusion.
4. Put evidence at the heart of what we do by:
● Enhancing our understanding of our community with enhanced data collection on protected characteristics. ● Utilising robust data to support the achievement of key strategic objectives and actions and to gauge their effectiveness. ● Introducing Equality Impact Assessments for pay awards, as well as analysing gender and ethnicity pay gaps, and taking necessary actions based on the findings.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Governing Body supports and challenges the School’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT) in endorsing the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) strategy and monitoring the School’s progress against its EDIB objectives. It ensures compliance with UK legislation while promoting an inclusive culture and leading by example in its decision-making pro-cesses.
The School’s ELT champions EDIB, driving the strategy's implementation and maintenance within their respective areas of responsibility. They undergo relevant EDIB training to confidently role model inclusive behaviour and embed processes conducive to creating and maintaining an inclusive, safe working and learning environment. An EDIB Action Group has been established in 2024 to enhance accountability further.
The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Action Group manages, develops, and implements the School’s EDIB strategy and action plans, ensuring that individuals are informed about their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.
Senior managers lead by example, exhibiting inclusive behaviour and embedding processes that promote an inclusive, safe working and learning environment. They also ensure that individuals understand their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and support the EDIB strategy within their work areas.
Line managers support and enable their teams, making reasonable adjustments to facilitate the adequate performance of all individuals. They undergo EDIB training to demonstrate appropriate behaviours and foster an inclusive environment. Additionally, they ensure that individuals are informed about their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and support the EDIB strategy within their work areas.
Colleague and Pupil EDIB Councils serve as the employee and pupil voice, identifying and supporting actions and facilitating connections and shared experiences across various protected characteristics.
All colleagues are responsible for ensuring their actions comply with the Equality Act 2010, eliminating unlawful discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity, and fostering good relations between individuals from different groups. They undergo EDIB training to demonstrate appropriate behaviours and contribute to creating and maintaining an inclusive, safe working and learning environment.
All pupils actively engage in the Stowe experience, respecting all members of our diverse, international community. The Pupil EDIB Prefect Team brings relevant matters and topics for discussion within the pupil community, fostering shared understanding and progress. The Pupil EDIB Prefect Team and EDIB representatives from our EDIB Councils collaborate with the School to share insights from our diverse pupil population.