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F EATURE S I NC LUS I ON DOWNLOAD RESOURCES AT Download five FREE resources at tinyurl.com/ tp-LGBTresources Mel Lane (she/her) is a former primary school teacher and teacher trainer, and is now head of education at education resource provider Pop’n’Olly. popnolly.com www.teachwire.net | 29 Visibility LGBT+ people have flown in space, dived in The Olympics, invented an early version of the computer, and much more. When we are talking about someone’s achievements, and they happen to be LGBT+, we can drop that fact in as part of the teaching, letting children know that being LGBT+ is just another way to be a human. For example, if you’re teaching your class about space exploration, mention that astronaut Sally Ride was a lesbian and had a lifelong partner who helped her teach kids about science. We don’t need to avoid words like ‘gay’, ‘lesbian’ or ‘non-binary’. We can explain them in simple, age-appropriate language, such as saying that ‘gay means a man who loves a man’, etc. For those of us who grew up without this kind of inclusive language at school, it can feel a bit forced at first, but it soon becomes second nature. Toilets and uniform Children are great at problem-solving. In my Year 6 session, I read a children’s book about a trans child going to school and then asked the children if they think they would welcome a trans child in their school. They always say an enthusiastic, ‘Yes, of course’. The children’s ideas for making things more inclusive include making at least some toilets available for any gender and making sure that all school uniform can be worn by anyone. For the children, it’s simple. What’s more, it’s so easy to do that the majority of schools I work with have now made ideas like this a reality. Parents I’ve worked with thousands of school children and virtually all the parents have been supportive of LGBT+ inclusive work. We know that 82 per cent of parents support teaching children about same-sex parents (Just Like Us, 2022). Sadly, some people have been frightened by misinformation. Giving families the opportunity to be a genuine part of the conversation and be involved in how your school develops its inclusivity policies can help them feel more confident, and, most importantly, to feel heard and respected. When talking to parents, it’s a great idea to group teaching about different protected characteristics together – being LGBT+ is just another way to be a human, and equal and fair treatment in schools is governed by The Equality Act 2010. Giving families an opportunity to review resources that teach about different races, religions, disabilities and LGBT+ identities helps to frame this particular strand of inclusivity as part of a celebration of diversity designed to ensure that all children and families feel respected, welcome and included in your school. This almost certainly ties in very well with your school’s existing ethos and values, whichever words you use to express that with the children. Resources If you’re developing or updating your school’s inclusion policy, you might want to take a look at the RSHE guidance ( tinyurl. com/tp-RSEguidance ), as well as Pop’n’Olly’s free ‘Discussions with parents’ resource that brings together current information on legal frameworks ( tinyurl.com/ tp-pnoFREE) . Prejudice is a learned behaviour, but preventing it from developing is much easier than you might think. Just a few simple actions regularly repeated can be transformative for children, staff and families in your school. TP