LGBT in Education: What Does Best Practice Look Like?

In teaching Relationships Education and RSE, schools should ensure that the needs of all pupils are appropriately met, and that all pupils understand the importance of equality and respect.

5 minute read | #LGBT #relationships #equality #sexeducation #diversity

In the latest statutory government guidance on relationships and health education, two statements are devoted to LGBT content:

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)

36. In teaching Relationships Education and RSE, schools should ensure that the needs of all pupils are appropriately met and that all pupils understand the importance of equality and respect. Schools must ensure that they comply with the relevant provisions of the Equality Act 2010, (please see The Equality Act 2010 and schools: Departmental advice), under which sexual orientation and gender reassignment are amongst the protected characteristics.

37. Schools should ensure that all of their teaching is sensitive and age-appropriate in approach and content. At the point at which schools consider it appropriate to teach their pupils about LGBT, they should ensure that this content is fully integrated into their programmes of study for this area of the curriculum rather than delivered as a standalone unit or lesson. Schools are free to determine how they do this, and we expect all pupils to have been taught LGBT content at a timely point as part of this area of the curriculum.

It’s a start. But that’s all it is. Neither statement provides school leaders or class teachers with any guidance. Rather, schools are left to figure out for themselves what to include and how this content should be taught.

Of course, a degree of autonomy in any curriculum is crucial: a one-size-fits-all approach in education will never work in every setting. Where schools are struggling now is knowing what ‘sensitive’ and ‘age-appropriate’ approaches and content look like. Educators are left wondering:

What is considered best practice?
How and where does LGBT content fit into our curriculum?

What resources are available to schools?
If we’re not sure how to get it ‘right’, is it best to avoid it altogether?

Teacher Training Is Key

The importance of staff training on teaching about LGBTQ+ was highlighted at the BESA Curriculum Conference in November 2021. A panel made up of Suha Yassin, John Galloway, Mo Wiltshire and Jo Duffy discussed improving diversity and inclusion through curriculum design and delivery.

It was agreed that there needs to be a shift away from those who belong to the LGBTQ+ community or who have personal experience or knowledge bearing the responsibility of preparing and delivering LGBT content in schools. Training for all staff is needed to raise levels of knowledge and confidence.

The Importance of Positive Representation

Further discussion took place around what’s being covered in schools. Progress has been made when it comes to addressing homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying. However, it’s essential that educational settings begin to think more carefully about the way the LGBTQ+ community are being represented if lessons are linked to negatives rather than positives.

So, what more needs to change?

Celebrating diversity

This a wide-ranging concept. It begins with an awareness of diversity, helping young children see the wonderfully rich diversity that exists all around them. It stretches from valuing the different experiences and backgrounds of the children we teach to celebrating awareness days; from learning about significant historical events to celebrating the progress, breakthroughs and achievements that are still occurring.

Promoting tolerance, acceptance and respect

Character education, building core values in children and young people, is essential – and it needs to start early. There are endless ways that these values can be developed through the academic and wider curriculum. They should form part of the whole-school ethos and be modelled by all staff. Children should learn about the impact on groups and individuals when these values aren’t practised but let’s make sure we don’t fuel a notion of a minority group who are only ever victims.

Representation, inclusivity and belonging

In libraries and classrooms, we need picture books that depict different relationships, families and individuals.
We need school staff to embrace the practice of introducing themselves to their class at the start of the year with their name and pronouns.
We need gender-neutral/gender-inclusive language to be used in schools, such as ‘folks’, ‘children’, ‘kids’, ‘siblings’, ‘parents’ or carers’.
We need to ensure that presentations, posters and classroom resources are fully inclusive. That means that children and young people see themselves and their families represented in visual images and that information conveyed is accessible by all.
We need to become aware of our own many identities - looking through an intersectional lens - and helping those we teach discover – and take pride in - their many identities.
We need to build trust with all members of the school community and make sure that everyone feels welcome.
Schools and colleges should be providing safe spaces and opportunities for pupils to share, discuss and ask questions about LGBTQ+.

The Relationships and Sex Education Curriculum

Our relationships and sex education curriculum needs to be relevant and representative. Children in primary schools can learn about different families and gain basic knowledge about different relationships. They can also start learning about gender: gender stereotypes, gender-nonconformity, gender identity and the use of pronouns. Towards the end of primary, pupils can be taught the difference between sexuality and gender orientation.

Secondary school students should learn about homosexual relationships when learning about heterosexual relationships, without the former being taught as an ‘add-on’ or as a deviation from the norm. Pupils should be aware of what it means to be asexual, too. Loving relationships, consent and autonomy, and safe sex practices are essential for all students to learn about regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Relationships and Sex Advice and Support

Lastly, let’s think about where children and young people are getting any supplementary information about relationships, sex, sexuality and gender orientation. More than ever before, we have access to an infinite amount of ‘information’ online but it isn’t all factual, useful, accurate, realistic, unbiased or inclusive. If we don’t provide guidance for children and young people with where to seek information and support, they will be left to wade through the vast sea of online content themselves.

It’s vastly important that we tell all children and young people whom they can talk to and where they can get advice from if they need support or want to find out anything about gender, sexuality, sexual health or relationships. Ideally, this should include a contact within school or college who can offer genuine advice and support. This brings us full circle back to the importance of teacher training. Let’s seek to upskill our workforce so that any member of school staff feels adequately prepared to provide the support and guidance all our learners deserve.