We want our students, staff and visitors to value what we have in common, and what makes us different
A diverse Academy is an Academy with a rich culture of creativity and innovation. We want to be a place where everyone feels they belong.
We have therefore brought together our work in the areas of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) under the umbrella of Belonging
Belonging Report
Our annual Belonging report provides an update on work towards the Academy’s equality aims and objectives with relevant data and explanatory narratives.
Inspiring Change
Our Dean of Students, Elizabeth Kenny, creates an annual report on the Academy's diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work. Read recent updates:
Work with Blueprint for All
In 2020 and again in 2024 we invited Blueprint for All (a consultancy supporting organisations to achieve business objectives through positive, healthy and inclusive work practices) to undertake a thorough review of Belonging at the Academy.
Read their report.
Access and Participation
We know that not everyone has the same opportunities.
We are committed to making our educational programmes, facilities and expertise available to people from ethnically, economically and socially diverse backgrounds, and we are investing heavily in our widening participation and community-focused activity. Read our full Access and Participation plan here.
Disability, Learning Difficulties and Neurodiversity
We want every student to participate fully in Academy life.
A wide range of support is in place for disabled students and students with specific learning difficulties.
The Academy is fully accessible for staff, students and visitors. Please find full details on the Access to the Academy page.
Mental Health
The new challenges of living away from home and studying in an intensive environment can affect your mental health.
A strong pastoral care system and confidential in-house counselling service are in place to support you throughout your studies. You can also report wellbeing concerns via our Report + Support portal (see section below).
The Students’ Union page has details of peer-led support.
Safeguarding
All students, irrespective of age, are treated equally and provided with the same support facilities, both academic and pastoral. However, where it is felt that special arrangements need to be put in place for students under 18, the Academy will ensure that these are provided.
Report + Support
No student, member of staff or visitor to the Academy should ever be subject to any form of harassment, bullying or discrimination. Such behaviour is at odds with our values and the standards expected of our community.
You can report an incident that you have experienced or witnessed via the Report + Support portal. You can do this anonymously, or with contact details so that you can be supported.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We adhere to the Equality Act 2010, which aims to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and defines nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender, gender identity or reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and sexual orientation.
We believe everyone at the Academy is responsible for:
- Understanding and committing to equity
- Helping to remove barriers, enabling all to fulfil their potential
- Challenging or reporting discrimination and harassment, should it occur
The Academy’s primary objectives to advance equity are to:
- Continue to improve access to our buildings and services
- Continue to develop our widening participation initiatives (we have regular Widening Participation Committee meetings to address any equity issues and monitor our progress against our objectives)
- Promote equity and diversity in our procurement procedures and third-party relationships
To promote equity and diversity in our procurement procedures and third-party relationships.
Equality Impact Assessments
The Academy assesses its policies, procedures and strategies for impact on equality. This is key to identifying issues and addressing them in a strategic way. It also ensures that the Equality Act 2010 Equality Duty is being met. Please view our recent Equality Impact Assessments.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy sets out the Academy's values and the framework of equality, diversity and inclusion in which we operate.
It also highlights the individual roles we each have to play in ensuring the Academy is an inclusive and harmonious place to study and work.
Please read our equality objectives above for more information.
If you have any questions relating to to equality, equity and diversity, contact equality@ram.ac.uk or 020 7873 7478.
Language
And finally, a few words about language.
We are having open conversations about the terminology we use. We regularly review and refresh our language to ensure that it reflects the experiences of different groups and respects every individual’s identity.
We might not get it right every time, but we are listening and learning.