10th March 2023
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
EMBRACE EQUITY Imagine an equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. On Wednesday it was International Women’s Day; a day that highlights the remarkable achievements of women from all corners of the world, inspiring us to aim higher and achieve greater things. As we commemorate this day, it is important to acknowledge the significance of women in our lives and the positive impact they have made on us. Mrs Bansropun has led an excellent set of assemblies this week to highlight the importance of striving to embrace equity. Whilst the theme of international women’s day was the backdrop, equity is something that permeates all parts of society. It was great to hear Mrs Bansropun unpick the difference between equality and equity. As one of our core values, I have spoken about equity quite a lot in the past. Let’s start with a basic definition of each word. Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. A bit like the diagram below.
Mrs Basropun illustrated this through a simple scenario of someone being hungry: “Imagine that you are babysitting two children, and they are hungry. You go to the fruit bowl, and you start to pick up two apples to give them to each child. However, you remember at the last moment that one of the children is allergic to apples. Instead, you reach for one apple and one banana, and that way you’re being fair, you still give one piece of fruit to each child, but you’re also being equitable because you’re giving each child a legitimate way of satisfying their hunger. If you had gone for two apples, the child who’s allergic to the apple would on the surface have a way to satisfy their hunger, but they couldn’t do that without getting ill. In this way you’re being fair, you’re giving each child a piece of fruit but, you’re also giving them something that is in line with their individual needs so they can be successful.” Mrs Bansropun then educated us about the history of women’s football and the debt that is owed to the Women’s game after a 50 year ban by the FA. It was a great illustration of equity. Have a lovely weekend
James Saunders
NATIONAL CAREERS WEEK This week has also been National Careers Week. A one-week celebration of careers guidance that aims to help support young people develop awareness and excitement about their future pathways. There have been some excellent enrichment activities taking place across the school to bring subjects to life. These include a visit to the Royal Opera House to see a ballet; a visit to Colchester Institute Braintree Campus