Rainbow Tick accreditation
The Berry Street School is proud to be Rainbow Tick accredited. We have implemented changes to ensure that our school is inclusive for LGBTIQA+ students and our staff. Berry Street School is proud to be a place where all students are welcomed and can feel safe to explore and express their identity and is a place where everyone feels like they belong.
What is the Rainbow Tick?
The Rainbow Tick Accreditation Program is a voluntary program which supports organisations' to understand and implement LGBTIQA+ safe and inclusive services.
The Rainbow Tick Standards are made up of six standards that organisations are assessed and accredited against. The six Rainbow Tick Standards are:
- Organisational capability
- Workforce development
- Consumer participation
- A welcoming and accessible organisation
- Disclosure and documentation, and
- Culturally safe and acceptable services.
These standards ensure a whole of organisational approach to creating an inclusive organisation and service for students and staff.
What did Berry Street School do?
We created a Rainbow Tick Working Group with staff representatives from each campus and the Whole School Team. Some campuses gave students the opportunity to create student-led Pride groups. We celebrated days like Wear It Purple and IDAHoBIT, and had various excursions and incursions that amplified LGBTIQA+ voices and lived experience.
These included a visit to the Victorian Pride Centre, guest speakers, attending local Pride Parties and campus-specific lessons and celebrations to increase student & staff understanding.
We reviewed all our policies and procedures to ensure they are inclusive of LGBTIQA+ communities. We also wrote new policies including one which sets the standard for Berry Street School on how we will support LGBTIQA+ students. All of our staff have also completed training on LGBTIQA+ inclusive practice.
We made sure there were books in our libraries with LGBTIQA+ characters, and we put up posters around our campuses which send the message to LGBTIQA+ students that they are welcome.
We know that the work of inclusion does not stop with Rainbow Tick Accreditation. We will continue working to ensure that LGBTIQA+ students feel safe and like they belong at our school.
