Equality & Diversity

Lesson Details

• Subject: Business Studies
• Year Group: Year 11
• Lesson Duration: 90 minutes
• Class Size: 5 students
• Curriculum Area: GCSE Business (Pearson Edexcel / AQA / OCR)
• Topic Focus: Equality and Diversity in the Workplace
• Key Legislation: Equality Act 2010
• Industries Explored: Retail & Hospitality (UK-specific examples)
• Skill Focus: Retrieval Practice

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Recall the key features of the Equality Act 2010 and its relevance to businesses.
2. Identify real-world examples of how equality and diversity are applied in the retail and hospitality industries.
3. Apply retrieval practice techniques to reinforce knowledge through interactive activities.

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Lesson Structure

0 - 10 mins: Engaging Starter – “Equality in Action”

• Quick-Fire Retrieval (Whiteboard Game)
  • Teacher provides key terms related to the Equality Act 2010 (e.g., Protected Characteristics, Discrimination, Reasonable Adjustments).
  • Students write what they remember about each term on mini whiteboards.
  • Peer discussion to expand or correct answers.

Wow Factor:

• Show a real news headline about a UK retailer or hospitality business facing an equality or diversity issue.
• Quick discussion: "What went wrong?" and "How could this have been handled differently?"

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10 - 25 mins: Retrieval Challenge – “The Memory Timeline”

• Recapping the Equality Act 2010:

  • Students work in pairs to recall when the Equality Act 2010 was introduced, why it was needed, and its key aspects.
  • Use flashcards with specific legal terms and challenge students to arrange them in the correct order of importance in business settings.

• Industry-Specific Focus:

  • Pose a scenario problem: A high-street retailer is accused of failing to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled customers.
  • Use a think-pair-share method: Students recall how businesses should comply with the Equality Act in such cases.

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25 - 45 mins: Hospitality & Retail Case Studies – “Equality in Business”

• Retail Industry Example:

  • Case Study: A UK supermarket chain introduces gender-neutral uniforms and diverse hiring practices.
  • Students retrieve knowledge on how these policies align with the Equality Act 2010.

• Hospitality Industry Example:

  • Case Study: Hotel chain accused of indirect discrimination by refusing flexible shifts for employees with childcare responsibilities.
  • Students recall relevant laws and suggest legally compliant business responses.

• Quick Discussion: "Where else have you seen businesses promoting equality?"

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45 - 65 mins: Scenario-Based Retrieval – “Equality in the Workplace”

• Students are divided into two teams. Each team receives a business scenario where an equality issue is present.
• They must:
  1. Identify the protected characteristic involved.
  2. Suggest the correct legal response under the Equality Act 2010.
  3. Justify why their solution aligns with best business practices.
• Rotate scenarios between teams for a recall challenge.

Bonus Memory Boost:

• Pull terms from earlier activities to help embed learning through repetition.

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65 - 85 mins: Creative Task – “Diversity & Inclusion Pitch”

• Business Simulation:

  • Students become business consultants for a retail or hospitality company seeking to improve diversity and inclusion.
  • Each student must pitch a new equality policy based on retrieval of the Act’s legal principles.
  • Example Prompts:
    • "How should a fashion retailer make their hiring process more inclusive?"
    • "How can a restaurant ensure fair promotion opportunities?"

• Peer Feedback: Each student receives at least one positive comment and one improvement suggestion.

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85 - 90 mins: Lesson Wrap-Up – “5, 3, 1” Retrieval Method

• Write Down...

  • 5 key things they remember about the Equality Act 2010.
  • 3 ways retail and hospitality businesses apply the law.
  • 1 question they still have (encouraging independent thinking for next lessons).

• Teacher collects responses to assess gaps for future review.

Final Reflection:

• Ask students:
  • "How has retrieval practice helped you remember these ideas today?"
  • "What real-world examples will help you keep this knowledge strong?"

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Differentiation & Support

• Higher-Attaining Students:

  • Extra challenge – students conduct a quick counter-argument exercise, playing devil’s advocate and debating real-world limitations businesses might face when implementing the Equality Act.

• Students Needing Support:

  • Provide a Knowledge Retrieval Map with key ideas already outlined to aid recall.
  • Use visual aids, such as simple flowcharts showing how businesses apply equality measures.

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Assessment for Learning (AfL) Strategies

• Mini-whiteboard retrieval checks.
• Retrieval challenge with flashcards.
• Case-study problem solving to assess understanding of industry examples.
• 5, 3, 1 self-reflection at the end of the lesson.

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Homework (Optional Extension)

• Students research a recent UK court case involving discrimination in the retail or hospitality industry and write a 100-word summary on whether the business complied with the Equality Act 2010.

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Teacher Reflection

• What retrieval methods worked best?
• Were students confident in linking the law to real business settings?
• What misconceptions arose, and how should they be addressed in upcoming lessons?

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Why This Lesson Will Wow Teachers:
✅ Highly interactive retrieval practice with multiple recall modes.
✅ Directly aligned with the UK GCSE Business syllabus & protected characteristics law.
✅ Industry-specific case studies keep learning relevant.
✅ Engaging business consultancy pitch develops applied understanding.

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This lesson delivers high-impact retrieval practice while making business law relatable and engaging for Year 11 students. 🚀