​The Wonder Lab Project CIC is committed to promoting equality and diversity in all aspects of our work with children aged 5-16 years. We believe that every child deserves an inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment where they can thrive and achieve their full potential. This policy outlines our commitment to equality and diversity and the procedures we have in place to ensure that all children, staff, and volunteers are treated fairly and with respect. Purpose The purpose of this policy is to:

● Promote equality and diversity within the tuition centre.

● Ensure that all children, staff, and volunteers are treated with respect and dignity.

● Eliminate discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.

● Foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Scope This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, children, and parents associated with The Wonder Lab Project CIC. Legal Framework This policy is guided by the following legislation:

● Equality Act 2010

● Children Act 1989 and 2004

● Human Rights Act 1998

● Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 Definitions

● Equality: Ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents.

● Diversity: Recognising, respecting, and valuing differences in people.

● Discrimination: Unfair treatment of a person or group based on characteristics such as race, gender, disability, religion, or age.

● Harassment: Unwanted behaviour that violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating environment.

● Victimisation: Treating someone unfairly because they have made a complaint about discrimination or harassment.

 

Principles

 

1. Inclusion: We welcome children from all backgrounds and abilities.

2. Respect: We treat all children, staff, and volunteers with respect and dignity.

3. Equality of Opportunity: We ensure that everyone has access to the same opportunities.

4. Diversity: We value and celebrate the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our community.

5. Non-Discrimination: We do not tolerate discrimination in any form. Implementation Admissions

● Non-Discriminatory Admissions: Admissions are based on availability and alignment with our values, without discrimination based on race, gender, disability, religion, or socioeconomic status.

● Accessibility: We ensure our facilities and programs are accessible to children with disabilities and special educational needs. Curriculum and Activities

● Inclusive Curriculum: Our curriculum reflects and respects the diversity of the children we serve.

● Equal Participation: All children have the opportunity to participate in all activities and programs. Staff and Volunteers

● Training: Regular training on equality and diversity for all staff and volunteers.

● Equal Opportunities: Recruitment, training, and promotion are based on merit, without discrimination.

● Support: Providing support and reasonable adjustments for staff and volunteers with disabilities or specific needs. Environment ● Safe Space: Creating a safe, inclusive environment where all children feel valued and respected.

● Anti-Bullying: Implementing a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying and harassment. Reporting and Addressing Issues

● Reporting: Encouraging children, parents, and staff to report any concerns related to discrimination, harassment, or victimisation.

● Investigation: All reported concerns are taken seriously and investigated promptly and fairly.

● Action: Appropriate actions are taken to address and rectify any instances of Responsibility Overall responsibility for this policy rests with the Board of Directors, Toyin Sanyaolu, Jayne Harding and Fred Mbaziira, who are responsible for approving, monitoring and reviewing this policy. The Chief Executive Officer has responsibility for ensuring that the policy is implemented throughout the organisation and that all staff, volunteers and contractors understand their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. All employees, volunteers, directors and contractors are responsible for: • Treating everyone with dignity and respect.

• Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.

• Challenging discriminatory behaviour.

• Reporting concerns or incidents of discrimination.

• Following this policy at all times. Complaints Under This Policy The Wonder Lab Project C.I.C. is committed to ensuring that all concerns relating to discrimination, bullying, harassment, victimisation or unfair treatment are taken seriously and dealt with promptly and fairly. Anyone who believes they have experienced or witnessed discrimination, harassment or victimisation may make a complaint. Complaints may be made by:

• Children and young people

• Parents or carers

• Staff

• Volunteers

• Partner organisations

• Members of the public Complaints should be submitted by email or in writing to: The Directors The Wonder Lab Project C.I.C. 17 New Road Avenue Chatham ME4 6BA Email: thewonderlabproject@gmail.com Where appropriate, concerns may also be raised verbally with a member of staff, who will assist the individual in making a formal complaint if required. Complaints Process The Wonder Lab Project C.I.C. is committed to ensuring that all complaints relating to discrimination, harassment, bullying, victimisation or unfair treatment are handled fairly, promptly and confidentially. Anyone wishing to raise a concern should do so by emailing thewonderlabproject@gmail.com or by writing to the Directors. All complaints will be acknowledged within 3 working days, investigated impartially, and a written response will normally be provided within 10 working days. Where a complainant remains dissatisfied, they may request that the matter is reviewed by a Director not previously involved in the investigation, where possible.

 

The Wonder Lab Project does not tolerate victimisation of anyone who raises a genuine concern in good faith, and all complaints are used as an opportunity to improve our policies, practices and the inclusivity of our services.

Stage 1 – Informal Resolution Where appropriate, concerns should first be raised informally with a member of The Wonder Lab Project team. We aim to resolve informal concerns within 5 working days.

Stage 2 – Formal Complaint If the issue cannot be resolved informally, a formal complaint should be submitted by email or in writing. We will: • Acknowledge receipt within 3 working days. • Conduct a fair and impartial investigation. • Speak with those involved where appropriate. • Review any relevant evidence. • Provide a written response within 10 working days, where possible. If additional time is required, we will explain why and provide an updated timescale.

Stage 3 – Escalation If the complainant remains dissatisfied, they may request that the complaint be reviewed by a Director who has not previously been involved in the matter, where possible. Requests for a review should be submitted within 10 working days of receiving the outcome. A final written response will normally be provided within 15 working days. Protection from Victimisation No person will be treated unfairly because they have: • Raised a concern. • Made a complaint. • Supported another person's complaint. • Given evidence during an investigation. Any form of retaliation or victimisation will be treated as a disciplinary matter. Monitoring and Continuous Improvement The Board of Directors will monitor the implementation of this policy by: • Reviewing complaints and outcomes. • Monitoring equality and diversity issues. • Reviewing participant feedback. • Updating the policy in line with legislative changes and recognised good practice. This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if required following changes to legislation, organisational structure or significant incidents.

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Uniform and Clothing Policy

THE WONDER LAB PROJECT CIC | THE WONDER LAB ACADEMY LTD

September 2026 Policy owner: Management and Safeguarding Team Review date: September 2027 Applies to: Children, parents/guardians, STEM instructors, volunteers and programme participants.

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Purpose

The Wonder Lab Project CIC and The Wonder Lab Academy Ltd are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, professional and engaging learning environment for all children participating in our STEM activities.

This policy establishes uniform and clothing requirements to promote safety, consistency, organisational identity and appropriate preparation for practical scientific and engineering activities.

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Mandatory Uniform Requirements

All children attending regular Wonder Lab Academy STEM Clubs are required to wear:

• An official Wonder Lab Academy branded T-shirt.

• An official Wonder Lab Academy branded laboratory coat during designated STEM activities.

• Comfortable trousers, leggings or other appropriate clothing suitable for movement and practical activities.

• Secure, closed-toe footwear suitable for the activity.

Only official Wonder Lab Academy laboratory coats are permitted as part of the Academy uniform. Laboratory coats displaying the branding of other organisations, schools or educational providers are not permitted unless management has granted an exception.

Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring their child attends wearing the required uniform.

The organisation may provide reasonable exceptions for trial sessions, one-off events, financial hardship, disability, sensory needs, medical requirements or other circumstances approved by management.

For school-based workshops and externally commissioned activities, separate uniform arrangements may apply.

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Clothing Suitability and Risk of Damage

STEM activities are practical and may involve:

• Science experiments, liquids, dyes and food colouring.

• Paint, glue, ink and other craft materials.

• Soil, plants, water and outdoor environmental activities.

• Robotics, engineering equipment and construction materials.

• Forensic investigations, fingerprint powders and chromatography.

Parents and guardians are strongly advised not to send children wearing expensive clothing, new clothing, school uniforms, designer clothing or garments that could be easily damaged.

Despite reasonable precautions, clothing may become stained, marked, wet or damaged during normal participation in practical activities.

The Wonder Lab Project CIC and The Wonder Lab Academy Ltd will not ordinarily accept responsibility for incidental clothing damage arising from normal participation in activities where reasonable care has been taken.

However, nothing in this policy excludes or restricts liability where the organisation has failed to exercise reasonable care and skill, acted negligently, or where liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

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Laboratory Coats and Personal Protective Equipment

Official Wonder Lab Academy laboratory coats form part of the uniform and may provide a degree of protection against minor splashes and stains.

A laboratory coat is not a substitute for activity-specific personal protective equipment (PPE).

Where required by the activity risk assessment, the organisation will provide suitable safety goggles, gloves, aprons or other protective equipment.

Children must follow instructions regarding PPE and must not remove required protective equipment while participating in an activity.

Staff must ensure that laboratory coats and other protective clothing are appropriately sized, suitable for the activity and do not create additional hazards.

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Health, Safety and Personal Responsibility

The organisations will take reasonably practicable steps to protect children during activities, including:

• Completing and reviewing appropriate activity risk assessments.

• Providing suitable supervision and age-appropriate instructions.

• Ensuring equipment and materials are appropriate for participants.

• Providing necessary PPE and maintaining suitable safety procedures.

• Recording and responding to accidents, incidents and near misses.

• Making reasonable adjustments for children with disabilities or additional needs.

Children are expected to follow safety instructions, handle equipment responsibly and avoid behaviour that could endanger themselves or others.

Parents and guardians must inform the organisation of relevant medical conditions, allergies, disabilities, additional support needs or safety concerns that may affect participation.

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Accidents, Injuries and Liability

The Wonder Lab Project CIC and The Wonder Lab Academy Ltd recognise that some practical educational activities involve foreseeable risks, even where appropriate precautions have been taken.

The organisations will not automatically be responsible for every accidental injury occurring during an activity, including incidents caused solely by a child's own actions, provided the organisations have fulfilled their applicable duties of care.

Each incident will be assessed according to its circumstances, including the child's age, understanding, supervision, foreseeable risks and whether reasonable precautions were taken.

Nothing in this policy excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury resulting from negligence, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded.

The organisations will not seek to avoid their legal safeguarding responsibilities or duty of care through this policy.

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Non-Compliance with Uniform Requirements

Where a child attends without the required uniform, staff may:

1. Remind the parent or guardian of the uniform requirements.

2. Offer a temporary alternative, where available and appropriate.

3. Discuss reasonable adjustments or support where necessary.

4. Restrict participation in an activity only where clothing creates a genuine safety risk that cannot reasonably be managed.

Repeated non-compliance may result in a meeting with management and a review of the child's club arrangements.

Children will not be publicly embarrassed, humiliated or unfairly penalised because of family financial circumstances, disability or other protected characteristics.

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Responsibility for Personal Belongings

Parents and guardians should ensure that children do not bring unnecessary valuables, expensive accessories or personal items to STEM activities.

The organisations are not responsible for loss or damage to personal belongings unless caused by a failure to exercise reasonable care or another circumstance giving rise to legal liability.

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Policy Agreement

By enrolling their child, parents and guardians agree to comply with the uniform and clothing requirements, subject to their statutory rights and any agreed reasonable adjustments.

Failure to comply may result in appropriate action in accordance with the organisation's policies.

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Code of Conduct, Behaviour and Exclusion Policy

THE WONDER LAB PROJECT CIC | THE WONDER LAB ACADEMY LTD

Policy version: 1.0 Effective date: 24 October 2026 Policy owner: Management and Safeguarding Team Review date: October 2027 Applies to: All children, students, parents, guardians, visitors, employees, volunteers, directors, contractors and associates.

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Purpose

The Wonder Lab Project CIC and The Wonder Lab Academy Ltd are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, inclusive and welcoming learning environment.

We believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, explore and develop their skills without fear of bullying, intimidation, harassment, discrimination or abuse.

We operate a zero-tolerance approach to threatening, abusive, violent and deliberately intimidating behaviour.

This policy establishes expected standards of conduct and explains the consequences of behaviour that places others at risk or undermines the safety and wellbeing of our community.

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Expected Standards of Behaviour

All children, parents, guardians and visitors are expected to:

• Treat staff, instructors, volunteers, directors, other children and families with dignity and respect.

• Follow reasonable instructions given by staff.

• Communicate respectfully and appropriately.

• Respect organisational property, equipment and facilities.

• Avoid actions that could cause physical or emotional harm.

• Respect individual differences, disabilities, backgrounds and protected characteristics.

• Raise complaints through the appropriate channels rather than engaging in confrontational behaviour.

Parents and guardians are expected to support the organisation's behaviour and safeguarding procedures.

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Prohibited Behaviour

The Wonder Lab Project CIC and The Wonder Lab Academy Ltd will not tolerate:

Verbal abuse: Shouting aggressively, swearing at others, making threats, using degrading language or deliberately humiliating another person.

Physical abuse or violence: Hitting, kicking, pushing, biting, throwing objects at others, physical intimidation or deliberately causing injury.

Threatening behaviour: Any words, actions or gestures that reasonably cause another person to fear violence, harm or serious intimidation.

Bullying and harassment: Repeated or serious behaviour intended to intimidate, isolate, humiliate or harm another individual, including discriminatory harassment.

Discrimination: Unlawful discriminatory conduct relating to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

Online abuse: Threatening emails, abusive messages, cyberbullying, harassment through social media or inappropriate communications directed at staff or participants.

Unsafe conduct: Deliberate misuse of scientific equipment, dangerous behaviour, refusing critical safety instructions or intentionally placing others at risk.

Retaliation or victimisation: Threatening or mistreating someone because they have raised a legitimate complaint, reported a safeguarding concern or supported an investigation.

These standards apply during activities, on organisational premises, at external events and to communications connected with the organisations.

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Behaviour Management for Children

Our approach to managing children's behaviour is age-appropriate, supportive, proportionate and consistent with safeguarding responsibilities.

For ordinary behavioural incidents, the following three-stage process will normally apply.

Stage 1 — First Warning

The child receives a clear verbal warning and an explanation of the behaviour expected. Parents or guardians are informed where appropriate.

Stage 2 — Formal Warning

Where behaviour continues or another significant incident occurs, parents or guardians and the Designated Safeguarding Lead are informed. A behaviour support plan or reasonable adjustments may be considered.

Stage 3 — Suspension or Exclusion Review

Continued serious misconduct may result in temporary suspension or permanent exclusion following a management review, considering safeguarding, the child's individual needs, previous incidents and proportionality.

The organisation reserves the right to bypass the warning stages where a serious incident creates an immediate or significant risk of harm.

The three-stage process is not intended to punish behaviour arising from a disability without considering the organisation's legal obligations and appropriate support.

Immediate Removal from Activities

The organisations reserve the right to require any parent, guardian, visitor or other adult to leave the premises immediately where their behaviour poses a genuine threat to the safety, wellbeing or security of children, staff or other participants.

Examples include physical violence, credible threats, aggressive intimidation, serious harassment or dangerous conduct.

Where a child poses an immediate risk, staff may stop the child's participation, move other children to safety, provide appropriate supervision and contact the child's parent or guardian.

A child must never be left unattended, sent away alone or released to an unauthorised person as a disciplinary measure.

Where necessary, emergency services may be contacted.

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Permanent Exclusion

The Wonder Lab Project CIC and The Wonder Lab Academy Ltd reserve the right to permanently exclude a child from their programmes where there is a serious, evidenced and ongoing risk to the safety or welfare of others that cannot reasonably be managed.

Grounds may include:

• Serious physical violence or credible threats.

• Persistent bullying or harassment despite appropriate intervention.

• Deliberate actions that create a substantial risk of injury.

• Repeated serious breaches of safety procedures.

• Serious misconduct by a parent or guardian that makes continued attendance unsafe or unmanageable.

A child may also be excluded where their parent or guardian has engaged in serious threatening, violent or abusive behaviour towards employees, directors, instructors, volunteers or associates.

However, the child's interests must be considered separately, and reasonable alternatives should be explored where practicable.

Exclusion decisions must not be discriminatory, retaliatory, arbitrary or disproportionate.

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Parent and Guardian Conduct

Parents and guardians must communicate respectfully with all employees, volunteers, directors and representatives.

Disagreements about activities, fees, safeguarding, discipline or organisational decisions must be addressed through the formal complaints procedure.

The organisations will not accept:

• Threats against staff members or their families.

• Physical intimidation or aggressive confrontations.

• Abusive or harassing telephone calls, emails or messages.

• Repeated targeted harassment of staff or directors.

• Attempts to intimidate staff into disregarding safety or safeguarding policies.

• Threats or retaliation against individuals who raise legitimate concerns.

Where such behaviour occurs, management may restrict communication to a designated representative, require written correspondence, prohibit an adult from attending premises or events, or terminate service arrangements where lawful and proportionate.

Restrictions must not prevent legitimate safeguarding disclosures, complaints or the exercise of statutory rights.

 

Safeguarding and Equality

All behaviour management decisions must be consistent with the organisations' safeguarding and equality responsibilities.

Before taking disciplinary action, staff should consider the child's age, developmental stage, disabilities, SEND, communication needs, emotional wellbeing and any relevant safeguarding circumstances.

Reasonable adjustments and appropriate support must be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Legislation.gov.uk

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Staff must never use corporal punishment, humiliation, degrading treatment, unlawful restraint or discriminatory sanctions.

Safeguarding concerns must be referred to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Jayne Harding, or the appropriate statutory authority where required.

Concerns about staff conduct must be handled under the safeguarding allegations procedure, independently of ordinary behaviour complaints.

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Reporting and Recording Incidents

All serious incidents involving threatening behaviour, bullying, violence, harassment or significant safety concerns must be recorded.

Incident records should include the date, location, people involved, factual description, witnesses, immediate actions, parental communication and management decisions.

Records must be handled confidentially and stored in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Where appropriate, incidents may be referred to the police, local authority safeguarding services or other relevant authorities.

Suspension, Exclusion and Appeals

Before a permanent exclusion is confirmed, management will ordinarily:

1. Review the incident and available evidence.

2. Consider the child's needs, safeguarding circumstances and reasonable adjustments.

3. Give the parent or guardian an opportunity to provide their account.

4. Consider proportionate alternatives.

5. Issue a written decision explaining the outcome and any applicable arrangements.

Where there is an immediate safety concern, temporary protective measures may be implemented while the matter is investigated.

Parents or guardians may submit a written appeal within 10 working days of receiving the decision.

Where reasonably practicable, the appeal will be reviewed by a director or suitable independent person who was not responsible for the original decision.

A written appeal outcome should normally be provided within 15 working days of receiving the appeal, or an explanation given where additional time is required.

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Fees and Refunds Following Exclusion

Where participation is suspended or terminated, fees and refunds will be assessed in accordance with the enrolment agreement, the circumstances of the decision and applicable consumer law.

The organisations will not automatically retain all prepaid fees following an exclusion.

Any deductions or charges must be lawful, fair and proportionate.

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Organisational Commitment

The Wonder Lab Project CIC and The Wonder Lab Academy Ltd are committed to protecting their children, employees, volunteers, directors and associates.

Every individual has the right to work, learn and participate in an environment free from violence, bullying, intimidation, discrimination and harassment.

The organisations reserve the right to take reasonable and lawful action to protect that environment, including restricting access, suspending participation, terminating enrolment and reporting serious misconduct to the relevant authorities.