1. Francesca Hall School Support Officer Stonewall
Tackling homophobic bullying and celebrating difference in primary schools
Francesca Hall
School Support Officer
Stonewall

2. What is Stonewall?
At Home: Equal Marriage, Parenting, Health, Sport, Hate Crime, Immigration
At School: Education for All campaign - Homophobic bullying
At Work: Workplace equality, Diversity Champions programme
International: Global workplace equality, supporting communities 2

3. Education for All
National campaign tackling homophobia and homophobic bullying in schools across Britain
Education for All coalition of over 70 organisations
Education Champions
School Champions
College Champions
Work with young people
Resources and guidance
Education for All Conference

4. Homophobic bullying in primary schools
More than two in five primary school teachers say children in their schools experience homophobic bullying
Seven in ten primary school teachers hear homophobic language in school
More than eight in ten have had no specific training to prevent and tackle homophobic bullying

5. Who experiences homophobic bullying?
Children who:
are thought to be “different” in some way
boys who don’t “act like boys”
boys who don’t play sports
girls who don’t “act like girls”
girls who do play sports
work hard in class or underachieve
aren’t “part of the gang”
have gay family members and friends

6. ANYONE

7. What does it look like?
A six year old boy had often showed feminine tendencies, preferring to dress-up in female clothes etc. He would ask to carry my handbag. He always dressed up as a woman during playtime. He became withdrawn and refused to play with others for fear of name calling from others – this continued into the classroom. His mother was asked to come to school and the issue was discussed. The boy is very withdrawn, he is wary of older boys. His behaviour has deteriorated as has his school work. Abigail, teacher, faith primary school (Wales)
Stonewall, The Teachers’ Report (2009)
Mark, eight, explains that because he has gay parents ‘when people say “gay”… I feel worse than other people’.
Stonewall, Different Families (2010)

8. Why is this work important?
Government estimates that 6% of the population is lesbian, gay or bisexual
Some pupils will have gay family members or same-sex parents
Not tackling homophobic bullying early on can lead to more serious bullying down the line

9. Why is this work important?
Children grow up in many different families.
Pupils should be able to talk about their families.
Pupils should be able to be themselves.
Homophobic bullying is an issue in primary schools and leads to more serious bullying down the line.
Fear of bullying can stop children from talking about their families and from doing what they enjoy.
All children need to be prepared for life in 21 century Britain.

10. Why is this work important: the impact later on
Three in five LGB students at
secondary school who experience
homophobic bullying state that this has
had an impact on their school work
One in three say that they’ve changed
their future educational plans as a result
Nearly one in four (23 per cent) lesbian,
gay and bisexual young people have tried to take their own life at some point. More than half (56 per cent) of gay young people deliberately harm themselves

11. What’s the impact later on?
‘I was a straight A* student. I got 100 per cent in my science exams, I’m really proud of that. But because of bullying my classwork and coursework has suffered, leaving me with a lower grade, about a C/B’.
Ian, 16, secondary school (South East)
Simon, 14, secondary school (South West)
‘I feel that I don’t want to carry on in school if this what I have to put up with and hide what I feel all the time’ 11

12. Your duties as a teacher
Education and Inspections Act 2006– legal duty on schools to safeguard and promote the welfare of children
The Public Duty of the Equality Act 2010
Government priority
New Ofsted framework

13. Barriers
What do you think are the main barriers stopping teachers from addressing homophobic bullying or from talking about same-sex relationships?
Faith and cultural beliefs
‘Should we be making a big deal of this?’
‘It’s not an issue at our school’
Parents
‘Children are too young to learn about these things’

14. Positives
Nine in ten teachers believe that school staff have a duty to prevent and respond to homophobic bullying
93% of teachers who addressed LGB issues or different families in class received no complaints from parents
95% would do it again

15. Emily, teacher, primary school (East Midlands)
I teach primary age children who use the terms ‘poof’, ‘queer’ etc. when name calling.
Emily, teacher, primary school (East Midlands)
At primary level to call another child gay is currently a term of abuse.
Jill, teacher, primary school (Yorkshire & the Humber)
- Gender stereotypes – they stop us from doing what we really want to do.

16. Language
What should a teacher do if a child asks them what ‘lesbian’, ‘gay’ or ‘bisexual’ means? Is it OK to tell them?
What should you do if a child uses homophobic language? Who should you involve?
What should you do if a student uses the word ‘gay’ to mean rubbish? Is this just harmless banter?

17. It’s OK to explain words to children in an age-appropriate manner
Ignoring them or saying you can’t tell them won’t help
All teachers should take a consistent approach to homophobic language, like all other forms of discriminatory language
Tell children why it’s wrong and how it can be hurtful
If unsure, ask a line manager or senior manager how the school deals with homophobic behaviour

18. Best Practice St Luke’s Primary School, Brighton
A language code was developed with the help of the ‘E-teams’
The code agreed that the use of the term ‘gay’ as a put down was hurtful and never acceptable
Included how to report incidents of the use of homophobic language
From all what you have heard, what are the different angles you can approach the topic from?
Have a look at The Teachers’ Report – p. 17 and 18

20. Building an inclusive curriculum
An inclusive curriculum which talks about different families:
makes all children, including those with LGB family and friends, feel included
reflects the lives of all children in your class
helps tackle prejudice and discrimination
helps create an environment of respect
gives children the opportunity to discuss difference in a safe and structured environment
Building an inclusive curriculum

21. Primary school literature
And Tango Makes Three
King and King
Spacegirl Pukes
The Sissy Duckling
More at

22. Best Practice Malmesbury Park Primary School, Bournemouth
Developed a family diversity lesson
Allowed children to discuss
similarities and differences
Celebrated difference
Used The Family Book and The
Picnic in the Park
From all what you have heard, what are the different angles you can approach the topic from?
Have a look at The Teachers’ Report – p. 17 and 18

23. Resources
More at the FREE microsite

25. School Champions Book onto our flagship Train the Trainer Course
Free pack of Stonewall’s acclaimed resources
Free good practice seminars Priority and discounted registration for Stonewall conferences
Access to role model visits
Use of the Stonewall School Champion logo and now Bronze, Silver and Gold accreditation

26. More Information Francesca Hall School Support Officer
stonewall.org.uk/educationforall
@stonewalluk

27. Questions?