Purpose & Objectives

Providence English Private School (PEPS) is committed to providing an educational environment based on respect, equality, and safety, in which every student, member of staff, parent, and visitor is treated with dignity and is free from discrimination, harassment, and violence in any form.

The objectives of this policy are to:

• Set out clearly what constitutes discrimination and violence, and make explicit that neither will be tolerated at PEPS;
• Promote a school culture of mutual respect, inclusion, and equality across all aspects of school life;
• Provide clear, accessible routes for reporting discrimination or violence, and confidence that reports will be taken seriously;
• Ensure a fair, consistent, and safeguarding-led response to every incident, balancing the needs of the person affected with a fair process for the person responsible;
• Support the prevention of discrimination and violence through education, awareness, and role-modelling by staff.

Scope

This policy applies to all students and staff at PEPS, and to parents, guardians, and visitors while engaging with the school community. It covers conduct on the school premises, during school-organised activities and educational visits off-site, on school transport, and online where the conduct involves members of the school community or affects the school environment (see Section 16).

This policy addresses discrimination and violence as distinct but related concerns; where an incident also constitutes bullying, it is addressed jointly with the school's Anti-Bullying Policy, and where it involves a child protection concern, the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy takes precedence in guiding the school's response.

Legal & Regulatory Framework

This policy is grounded in the following UAE legal and regulatory framework:

• UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 2 of 2015 on Combating Discrimination and Hatred, which prohibits acts that stir up religious or racial hatred or discriminate against individuals or groups on the basis of religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour, or ethnic origin;
• UAE Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 concerning Child Rights ("Wadeema's Law"), which protects children from all forms of abuse, including physical and psychological violence;
• UAE Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 concerning the Rights of People of Determination, which protects against discrimination on the basis of disability;
• The UAE Ministry of Education's National Child Protection Policy and the Sharjah Private Education Authority's (SPEA) regulatory and inspection requirements.

Where any provision of this policy appears to conflict with the above frameworks, the more protective standard shall prevail.

Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

• Discrimination means treating a person less favourably than another, directly or indirectly, on the basis of a protected characteristic (see Section 6), whether intentional or not.
• Harassment means unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that has the purpose or effect of violating a person's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.
• Violence means any act that causes, or is intended to cause, physical harm, injury, or psychological harm to another person, including physical assault, threats of violence, and intimidation.
• Hate speech means any form of communication — spoken, written, or online — that disparages a person or group on the basis of a protected characteristic.
• Bullying is repeated, intentional behaviour intended to hurt another person, physically or emotionally, and is addressed primarily under the school's Anti-Bullying Policy, though it may overlap with this policy where it is discriminatory or violent in nature.

Guiding Principles

• Every member of the PEPS community has the right to learn and work in an environment free from discrimination and violence.
• Zero tolerance applies to acts of violence and serious or repeated discrimination; every report is taken seriously and acted upon.
• Prevention through education is as important as response — PEPS actively teaches respect, equality, and safe conduct rather than relying solely on sanctions.
• Responses are fair, proportionate, and consistent, and are informed by the age and developmental stage of those involved.
• Confidentiality is respected throughout, while ensuring safeguarding concerns are always shared with those who need to know.

Protected Characteristics

This policy protects members of the school community from discrimination on the basis of, including but not limited to:

• Race, colour, and ethnic or national origin;
• Religion or belief;
• Nationality;
• Gender;
• Disability or additional learning needs;
• Socioeconomic background;
• Family structure or status;
• Any other characteristic that results in a person being treated unfairly or excluded.

Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is strictly prohibited at PEPS, by any member of the school community, towards any other:

• Direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of a protected characteristic;
• Harassment, ridicule, or exclusion related to a protected characteristic;
• Hate speech, including racist, sexist, xenophobic, or other discriminatory remarks, jokes, or imagery, in person or online;
• Physical violence, including hitting, pushing, or any other act intended to cause physical harm;
• Threats of violence or intimidation, whether direct or implied;
• Possession or use of a weapon or any object used to threaten or cause harm;
• Incitement or encouragement of others to discriminate against or act violently towards another person;
• Retaliation against a person who reports an incident of discrimination or violence, or who supports someone in doing so.

Illustrative examples of each are provided in Appendix B.

Roles & Responsibilities

The Principal & Senior Leadership Team

Hold overall responsibility for the culture, implementation, and effectiveness of this policy across the school, and for ensuring serious incidents are addressed promptly and appropriately.

Child Protection Coordinator

Leads the school's response to reports involving safeguarding risk, and acts as the central point of oversight for patterns or trends in discrimination and violence incidents.

Teachers & Section Supervisors

Model respectful conduct, embed the principles of this policy in everyday teaching and classroom management, and respond to and record incidents in their section promptly.

Student Counsellor & Social Worker

Provide support to students affected by discrimination or violence, and to students whose behaviour is a concern, working alongside families where appropriate.

Students

Are expected to treat one another with respect, to report concerns rather than remain silent bystanders, and to engage constructively with the school's response where they are involved in an incident.

Parents & Guardians

Are expected to reinforce the values of respect and equality at home, to report concerns to the school promptly, and to engage cooperatively with the school's process where their child is involved in an incident.

Prevention & Education

PEPS takes a proactive approach to preventing discrimination and violence, including:

• Embedding respect, equality, and global citizenship themes across the curriculum, assemblies, and pastoral programme, in line with the Global Citizenship Policy;
• Delivering age-appropriate awareness sessions on discrimination, respect, and safe conduct;
• Providing staff training on recognising, preventing, and responding to discrimination and violence, including unconscious bias;
• Celebrating diversity and inclusion through school events and activities;
• Reviewing incident data periodically to identify and address any emerging patterns or hotspots.

Reporting a Concern

Anyone who experiences or witnesses discrimination or violence — a student, member of staff, parent, or visitor — is strongly encouraged to report it. Reports can be made to:

• Any teacher, Section Supervisor, or member of staff, who will pass the report on appropriately;
• The Student Counsellor or Social Worker directly;
• The Child Protection Coordinator;
• Via email, or in writing, in line with the school's Complaints Policy where the report is being made formally by a parent.

No student or member of staff will be penalised for making a genuine report in good faith, even if the concern is not ultimately substantiated. Deliberately false reports made in bad faith are, however, addressed under the Behaviour & Discipline Policy.

Investigation Process

Every report is acknowledged promptly and assessed by a member of the Senior Leadership Team or the Child Protection Coordinator to determine the appropriate response, which may include:

• Speaking separately and sensitively with those involved and any witnesses;
• Reviewing any relevant evidence (e.g. messages, if the incident has an online dimension);
• Informing parents of those involved, proportionate to the severity of the incident and consistent with safeguarding requirements;
• Recording the incident and the school's response in the appropriate log (see Appendix A).

Where an investigation identifies an immediate safeguarding risk to a student, the matter is escalated immediately under the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, in parallel with any process under this policy.

Disciplinary Response & Sanctions

Where discrimination or violence is substantiated, the school responds firmly and consistently, in line with the stepped sanctions set out in the Behaviour & Discipline Policy. Factors considered in determining the response include the severity and impact of the incident, whether it was a first occurrence or part of a pattern, the age and understanding of those involved, and whether the behaviour was premeditated.

Serious or repeated incidents of discrimination or any act of violence may result in sanctions up to and including suspension or permanent exclusion, in accordance with the Behaviour & Discipline Policy, and, where the conduct may constitute a criminal offence under UAE law, the matter may be reported to the relevant authorities.

Zero Tolerance: Physical Violence & Weapons

PEPS operates a zero-tolerance approach to physical violence and to the possession or use of any weapon or object intended to threaten or cause harm on school premises or at school-organised activities. Any such incident is treated as a serious matter requiring immediate action, which may include immediate removal from the classroom or premises, notification of parents, and escalation to the Principal and, where appropriate, the relevant authorities.

Support for the Person Affected

Any student or member of staff affected by discrimination or violence is offered appropriate support, which may include pastoral support from the Student Counsellor or Social Worker, a review of any necessary safety arrangements (for example, adjusting class or seating arrangements), and regular follow-up to check the situation has genuinely improved.

Response & Support for the Person Responsible

Alongside any disciplinary sanction, PEPS seeks to understand the underlying cause of a student's behaviour and, where appropriate, offers restorative and educational interventions — such as guided reflection, restorative conversations, or referral to the Student Counsellor — to reduce the likelihood of repetition and to support the student's own development and understanding.

Online & Cyber Dimension

Discrimination, hate speech, and threats of violence conducted online — including through messaging apps, gaming platforms, or social media — are addressed under this policy where they involve members of the school community or have an impact on the school environment, in conjunction with the school's Digital Citizenship Policy. Students and parents are encouraged to report online incidents in the same way as any other concern under this policy.

Staff Conduct

Staff are expected to model the standards set out in this policy at all times, in their conduct towards students, towards one another, and towards parents. Any allegation of discriminatory or violent conduct by a member of staff is treated with the utmost seriousness and managed through the school's disciplinary procedures and, where relevant, the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy and Safer Recruitment Policy.

Confidentiality & Data Protection

Information relating to a report or incident under this policy is shared only with those who need to know, in order to investigate and respond appropriately, and is otherwise treated as confidential. Records are retained and processed in accordance with the school's Data Protection & Privacy Policy.

Monitoring, Recording & Policy Review

All incidents addressed under this policy are logged centrally, and the Child Protection Coordinator reviews this log periodically to identify trends, hotspots, or recurring concerns that may require a wider response, such as additional training or a targeted awareness campaign. This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains aligned with SPEA and MOE requirements and reflects the school's evolving practice.

Incident Reporting Form

To be completed by the member of staff receiving or witnessing a report, and passed to the Child Protection Coordinator.

Forms of Discrimination & Violence — Examples

This appendix is illustrative and not exhaustive. This policy should be read alongside the Anti-Bullying Policy, Behaviour & Discipline Policy, and Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.