Student Voice Involving students to bring about positive change in secondary schools and colleges Chris Dye Education Officer

Why is involving young people important? Peer to peer approach is most effective Young people are best placed to inform anti-homophobic bullying work Builds trust with young people Shows commitment Young people develop new skills and knowledge Improves students’ self-confidence

Stonewall Youth Volunteering Programme 150 young people Residential – 3 & 6 month review – Youth Awards Youth Leader Who they reached with their campaigns…. 7,000 school and college students 2,200 young people in other settings 1,650 university students 29 MPs and councillors 620 teachers and other school staff 80 school governors 65 head teachers

Education for All Campaign Guide Student Survey Workshops/Assemblies Teacher training Celebrate a national event Set up a student group

What students need to support their campaigns Staff champion Support from leadership Suitable campaign type Right audience & timing Targets Targets Helping to get permission Accessing resources Dealing with discrimination Resources the school has YP skills and confidence levels School/college environment Senior staff invested Built into timetable Embedded in curriculum YP involved in work Their own year group or another? Will staff be receptive? Who is already interested? Realistic Specific Deadlines Success is clear

What Stonewall Youth Volunteers have done ‘Senior management asked me if I could provide more training for teachers in this area…since the first workshops I have had teachers come up and tell me how they confronted homophobia in their class…this is something I am proud of.’ ‘My contact was incredibly enthusiastic and encouraging and has given me the school’s Equality Policy to look over.’ ‘I amended the entire citizenship curriculum and made a PowerPoint presentation that teachers are now using in class.’ ‘I have successfully started a lunchtime club for LGB students and it is running every Wednesday during lunchtime.’

Engaging young people in schools and colleges Updating policies Creating student-friendly versions of policies Raising awareness with students Developing and delivering training for staff Marking events like Anti-Bullying Week Creating a gay-friendly environment e.g. by displaying posters; suggesting books to be stocked in the library Attitude surveys

The posters can be used to engage young people Make sure young people have access to the Stonewall website for young people www.youngstonewall.org.uk

www.youngstonewall.org.uk

Student Voice Involving students to bring about positive change in secondary schools and colleges Nell Beecham Stonewall Youth Volunteer

Student Voice Involving students to bring about positive change in secondary schools and colleges Andrew Plaistowe Head of Year 7 Highgate School Toby Sharpe Former pupil Highgate School

What am I going to talk to you about? Under Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 schools were scared of doing assemblies like this Section 28 was repealed by the government in November 2003, but there is still much controversy about discussing gay issues in schools. What am I going to talk to you about? A local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". Section 28, The Local Government, Act 1988

HIGHGATE SCHOOL LGBT SOCIETY

,

Y7 PSHE Do you think And Tango Makes Three should be banned? Why do you think some people say that it should be?

When do we learn to be prejudiced?

Middle school assembly Here’s a question ­shortly coming to an examination ­paper near you. What have mathematics, geography or science to do with homosexuality? Nothing at all, you say? Zero marks for you, then. For, mad as this may seem, schoolchildren are to be bombarded with homosexual references in maths, geography and ­science lessons as part of a Government-backed drive to promote the gay agenda. Alas, this gay curriculum is no laughing matter. Absurd as it sounds, this is but the latest attempt to brainwash children with propaganda under the ­camouflage of ­education. It is an abuse of childhood. And it’s all part of the ruthless campaign by the gay rights lobby to destroy the very ­concept of normal sexual behaviour. 24 January 2011

What next?

Discussion How do you already involve young people in your work? What do you need to do to engage young people in your work to prevent and tackle homophobic bullying and celebrate difference? What are the challenges and how can these be overcome?

www.youngstonewall.org.uk education@stonewall.org.uk 08000 50 20 20