Bullying Continued from page 16


In November 2009, pupils and staff completed an “equalities questionnaire” which found: n 75 per cent of pupils were hearing homophobic bullying/language on a daily basis.


n 65 per cent of staff felt the pejorative use of the word gay was not homophobic


n No staff had received training to enable them to support LGBT pupils or tackle homophobia.


These statistics shocked us and we immediately set about communicating


our resolve to all stakeholders in order to address these issues. Anti-Bullying Week letters to parents and governors provided an effective opportunity for this. In assembly, the pupil questionnaire data was fed-back to pupils and


discussed and I took the opportunity to make the effects of homophobic bullying real to the children by sharing my own experiences of being bullied at school by pupils and staff for being gay. The pupils were highly receptive and were able to make clear links to other forms of discrimination. Our next step was to publish an equalities core priority as part of our


school development plan. I provided training for all staff and engaged in discussions with pupils that would establish explicit agreements around the use of homophobic language. In January 2010, I delivered a one-day INSET to all staff, from the


premises manager to teachers to cover supervisors. Having showed the excellent Stonewall DVD FIT, I led the staff through a range of reflective activities in a safe, respectful environment that enabled us to challenge assumptions and misconceptions. Once staff were familiar with the level of the problem and the potential


effects upon standards and pupil welfare, any barriers to talking about homophobia and LGBT people fell away. As one member of staff said, if these statistics were around racist bullying we would not hesitate to address the problem. Other activities involved clarifying the nature of homophobic language


and bullying, finding curriculum and assembly opportunities to raise these issues, and developing a strategic approach to the use of relevant role models.


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Staff undertook a series of role-plays aimed at generating agreed


responses to help deal positively with incidents without compounding negative associations further. We explored further support for teachers, relevant resources, books


about different families, and ways to measure the impact of the strategies we were about to employ. Teachers were also supported in writing and delivering lessons.


Governor and parent workshops were held and key policies, home-school agreements and behaviour charters were all amended to make explicit reference to homophobic and transphobic bullying. By November 2011, we were showing a drastic reduction in the amount


of homophobic and other forms of prejudice-based bullying. Attendance was up as was attainment, trends which have continued. Subtler effects included a greater sense of cohesion and acceptance and a greater willingness on behalf of pupils, parents and staff to be authentic and open about who they are. We now start each school year with a whole-school topic called Our


Diverse Heritage which is complemented by an Overcoming Adversity topic in the spring term. Teachers find relevant opportunities to discuss homophobia and


use LGBT role models in the same manner they would address racism and issues around body image and disability. Philosophy for Children techniques have proved to be a powerful tool in structuring the sessions. Our strategy was now being termed “Inclusion for All” and over the


course of the next year news of this work spread to other schools and was featured in the national press. I also documented our work at Alfred Salter alongside my own


experiences of homophobic bullying on a website, including interviews with school staff at every level who have worked to tackle homophobic bullying (see further information for details). In September this year, I turned Inclusion for All into a charitable


organisation and now Alfred Salter will be running three training days this academic year. Reflection has enabled us to gain a clear sense of the overarching


strategies that enable this work to be most effective in providing a school culture and ethos wherein all forms of prejudice-based bullying can be addressed. These include: n A school culture based upon the rights and respect of the individual. n Activities that develop self-awareness and empathy. n The use of a diverse, relevant range of role-models, including pupils, staff, celebrities, sports people and parents.


n Whole-school events that celebrate and encourage the sharing of individuals and their family backgrounds.


n Use of LGBT people to support whole-staff training and debunk misconceptions from outset.


n Using pupil voice data to drive the process. n Transparency. n Schools expressing their statutory obligations with clarity. n Child-centred. n Teaching around homophobia alongside racism or other forms of prejudice.


n Sharing good practice. n Engaging in activities that enable staff to recognise how open to making assumptions they are.


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- We keep our friendly, professional and dedicated team small to ensure pricing is extremely competitve.


For more information visit www.itbproductions.co.uk


email: josh@itbproductions.co.uk or call 0773 858 9083 18


n Whole-school agreements. Homophobic bullying is endemic, it damages children’s lives and


contributes to the lowering of standards. Homophobic bullying has gone unchecked in our schools for many years resulting in countless individuals suffering physical and emotional damage and seeing their live chances compromised as a result. School leaders may express hesitation in engaging in this work, for


fear of offending parents or people of faith. However, our role as school leaders is to face challenge and drive forward innovation for the sake of the brilliant young people in our care.


• Shaun Dellenty is deputy headteacher at Alfred Salter Primary School in the London Borough of Southwark. Follow him on Twitter @ShaunDellenty.


Further information n Inclusion For All: www.shaundellenty.com n Alfred Salter will begin delivering its training from November 15, 2012. Visit http://cpdnet.org/product/tackling-homophobic- bullying-language-in-schools/


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