Teach Primary Issue 19.6

FEATURES PASTORAL 4 | RESPECT, NOT TOLERANCE We don’t tolerate others – we respect them. When children say, “It’s just a joke” or “My family says it’s wrong”, we must respond with clarity. Beliefs are personal. Behaviour is not. All children deserve to feel safe, valued, and accepted in school, regardless of their family background. Set a class agreement that unkind language has no place here, and model what it means to stand up for each other. 5 | BRING IN REAL PEOPLE Meeting real people from diverse families – people who aren’t celebrities or stereotypes – helps children build empathy and understanding. At More Than Flags and Rainbows, our workshops are based on showing that gay and bisexual people are real, with feelings, and deserve to be respected and treated with kindness. These sessions help pupils put a human face to the issues, ask questions in a safe space, and challenge any assumptions they might have picked up from media or playground talk. They also show children that there’s nothing strange or unusual about the people behind the label. 6 | CELEBRATE A ‘GOOD TO BE YOU’ DAY A Good to Be You Day celebrates the brilliant mix of people in your school – different families, cultures, and personalities – without singling anyone out. Invite visitors to talk about their lives, run mini presentations where pupils share what makes them proud, or host a story time featuring diverse families. Add joy with fun activities: a glitter station, badge- making (“I’m proud of…”), self-portrait walls and a compliment chain. You could even have a dress-to- express day or a classroom parade. The aim is to usualise difference and make every child feel valued, visible and celebrated – all while having fun. A one-off gay rights lesson won’t do much, but showing that everyone is valued will make a big difference, says Ian Timbrell 6 ways to stop homophobia in its tracks IAN TIMBRELL is a former deputy headteacher and is the founder of the not-for- profit More Than Flags and Rainbows. His book It’sMore Than Flags andRainbows (£18.99, Independent Thinking Press), is out now. morethanflagsandrainbows.com | @morethanflagsandrainbows | @itimbrell 1 | NAME IT TO TAME IT You can’t challenge what you don’t name. Homophobia doesn’t just mean loud insults – it also shows up in muttered comments, jokes at someone’s expense, or phrases like “That’s so gay.” If we don’t teach adults and children what homophobia looks and sounds like, they’re likely to brush it off as ‘just words’. Use class discussions and assemblies to help pupils recognise the full range of homophobic behaviour – and help staff feel confident addressing it. 2 | CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY Every school needs a clear, inclusive anti-bullying policy that explicitly mentions homophobia – and every adult in the building needs to know how to act on it. That means training staff to recognise and respond to homophobic incidents with confidence. Develop a short script that empowers staff to know what to say in these situations. Make sure pupils and parents know the rules, too. When the message is consistent, children understand that all families are valued, and prejudice won’t be excused – regardless of personal belief. 3 | USUALISE DIVERSE FAMILIES Including a book with two mums, or reading a story where a child lives with their grandad, isn’t ‘special’ – it’s usual. We say usualise , not normalise , because the goal isn’t to make people ‘normal’ – it’s to make all kinds of families feel like a usual part of school life. The mistake schools often make is relying on a one-off ‘gay lesson’ to tick a box. But that approach sends the message that some people are different (or not normal) and need to be learned about separately. Instead, make sure children see a wide range of families – including same-sex parents – in everyday learning, from reading books to family tree activities. When difference is usualised, there’s nothing left to mock or fear. www.teachwire.net | 11