Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School

Provision for pupils with particular religious, dietary, language or cultural needs

This policy should be read alongside the Equality and Diversity Policy

The Admissions Policy of Barnardiston Hall is that the School has ‘no discrimination in regard of gender, disability, race, religion, cultural background, linguistic background, sexual orientation or academic or sporting ability’. We are also mindful of Standards 8 and 16 of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools concerning both the provision and preparation of food and drink and equal opportunities.

This is evidenced by the following:

• Barnardiston Hall welcomes girls and boys in approximately equal numbers. The School is non-selective and accepts children that it believes will benefit from the type of education and extra-curricular activities that it provides regardless of academic, sporting or other ability.

• Barnardiston Hall welcomes children with disabilities and has currently and have in the past accommodated children with:
  • Acute renal failure
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Diabetes
  • Epilepsy
  • Autism
  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Severe nut allergy
  • GP6 Deficiency
  • Asthma
  • Cancer
  • Dairy Allergy

Adaptations are made to the school menu’s, to classrooms and classroom equipment and to the curriculum where possible to ensure that children with disabilities are able, as much as possible, to participate fully in the life of the School.

• Barnardiston Hall welcomes children of all religious and non-religious persuasions and the Head of Curriculum, Mr Paul Whittles is available to speak to parents should they have any concerns regarding our Religious Studies lessons.

• Cultural background. Barnardiston Hall is delighted to welcome many international students each year and we embrace the cultural diversity that they bring. We currently have students from Spain, Bulgaria, Thailand and Hong Kong in the School. We explore and discuss the beliefs of other religions in our Religious Studies lessons and celebrate festivals such as Chinese New Year and Diwali as appropriate.

• We welcome international students who are both bi-lingual as well as those for whom English is very much a ‘second language’. Our specialist EFL teacher provides support for children with little English and they are able to be taught in the Bridge until such time as they are able to access the curriculum. However, we are able to integrate non-English speaking students immediately into lessons such as IT, sport, music, drama and art to ensure that quickly settle into the general life of the School.

Updated July 2013