BESA CORNER
This month, in our ongoing feature highlighting the work of members of the UK education suppliers’ trade body BESA, we learn about PDE provider CHAMELON PDE; and hear how THE SAFEGUARDING COMPANY is providing mental health support to UK schools.
Tackling online misogynists
Online misogyny has become synonymous with Andrew Tate, and even though he is the ‘man’ of the moment, others have preceded him and there are likely to be more toxic influencers in the future. Many schools are currently grappling with how to address Tate’s influence. This has been evidenced by a rise in referrals to Prevent, the Government’s counter-extremism programme (Guardian, 2023), precipitated by a rise in verbal harassment of female
teachers and pupils, and misogynistic rhetoric being openly shared in classrooms across the UK and beyond. However, Prevent won’t action these referrals unless there is a proven link to extremist ideologies such as INCEL (Involuntary Celibate) or Islamist fundamentalism. This means cases are passed back to schools to deal with.
The increase in Prevent referrals clearly indicates schools are reaching out for something to attend to the immediate problem. While Tate is the figurehead for now, it’s important to reflect that he is a symptom rather than the cause of gendered hate-speech. Therefore, when we tackle this influence in the classroom, we should be discussing the wider issues and provide a space where students can deconstruct the underlying causes of misogyny. The natural reaction is to ‘call-out’ Tate, yet this approach is likely to disengage (and potentially encourage) those students who most need this learning.
In addition, a one-off assembly or PSHE lesson will only address the issue short-term, and if we want to encourage positive long-term change in student behaviour and attitudes, then we need to ensure that their Personal Development curriculum is robust, ambitious and provides relevant and up-to-the-minute skills and knowledge. Focusing on an individual rather than the underlying causes of toxic masculinity, risks missing the opportunity to up-skill students, so when another toxic influencer arrives on the scene it’s Groundhog Day.
Fortunately, the PSHE community have rallied to support schools and provided access to training and evidence-based resources. Our FREE ‘Tackling Misogyny Teacher Toolkit’ is just one example of this as illustrated in the short case-study below, from James Trickett, Co-head of 6th Form at St Mary’s Menston CV Academy.
“I have taken advantage of Chameleon’s Misogyny Toolkit by completing their free training on this important and very current topic. This allowed me to cascade the training to my team in school, and share the teaching resources, that are also provided. For us as a school it is great to have reliable and up-to-date materials that are well researched, and that students can relate to. The supportive teacher notes mean that staff have information at their fingertips to help with discussions and this all saves time, but more importantly gives confidence. The responsive approach taken by Chameleon PDE and their willingness to provide free support and materials is admirable and the quality of training is very good in helping to understand best practice around delivering lessons focused on misogyny. It is also reassuring to know that the Chameleon PDE materials, advice, knowledge/skills and referencing are all so closely connected to the PSHE Association best-practice guidance. Although some of the Misogyny Toolkit is aimed at Key Stage 3, I have also used these activities with older students. The included ‘Women’s safety’ pack provides further material to explore this area from a slightly different perspective with lots of opportunity for discussion through distanced scenarios.”
If you would like to book onto the free Chameleon training (and therefore get access to the Toolkit) you can do so here:
u
https://www.chameleonpde.com/events 14
www.education-today.co.uk
Supporting staff with their mental health and wellbeing
The Safeguarding Company brings together industry-leading technology and practices, with a sustained focus on child protection, to deliver expert safeguarding solutions, training, and consultancy. We’re on a mission to safeguard everyone, everywhere which means supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our safeguarding leads and officers.
The mental health crisis in schools According to a recent study, 78% of all education staff experienced mental health symptoms due to
their work, a statistic echoed across our social media feeds where we see daily posts from teachers discussing their own declining mental health. Tweeting about their return to school following the Christmas break, one user wrote ‘How many other professions see their workers exhibit this amount of anxiety about the return work?’. Whilst the majority of replies mirrored the original post, one teacher pointed out that ‘anxiety doesn’t mean not liking the job’. So how can we support educators who are passionate about teaching, but are facing a mental health epidemic? Our solution has always been to offer guidance, practical advice and wellbeing support via our resources and hubs. Our Free Safeguarding Community, which has over 6000 users, is a place for anyone working in safeguarding to ask for and offer support, share resources and best practice and generally talk to those who know how challenging safeguarding can be. The Community Staff Room which is open to all, has been a great space for ‘Safeguardians’ to discuss trends in their industry, while the Safe Space, an anonymous chat room for more serious topics, has been the space of honest, and in-depth discussions about safeguarders own mental health. While all conversations remain anonymous, themes like ‘over-work, not switching-off and stress’ are common topics amongst teachers and are often the ‘most viewed’ chats on the platform.
“Genuinely, The Safeguarding Community has helped me feel not so alone! To know that I can ask those sensitive questions and be totally anonymous just gives me the support I need!” – Anonymous Safeguarding for everyone, everywhere
We believe that safeguarding support in schools should extend beyond children and the vulnerable to teachers, support staff and volunteers too. We often find ourselves turning to the quote, “You can’t pour from an empty cup” as a reminder to always ‘put our own oxygen mask on first’. In the words of Dr Joseph Fleming, a leading Mental Health Social Worker, “We often talk about self-care, but it can be difficult in a world that values hard work and productivity.” How can we expect safeguarders to oversee the safety and wellbeing of others, when their own health us suffering. Teaching is a demanding job, one which has been exasperated following the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw schools pivot to a brand-new way of teaching, adding pressure to an already stained profession and figures from The Department of Education show that one in three teachers quit after just five years. We know through data analysis from publicly available Ofsted reports, that having good systems in place, such as effective safeguarding case management tools, can help relieve some of that stress and reduce workload put upon school staff.
Advice from the Mental Health Foundation suggests the following for teachers: • Plan in time for the things that help you • Keep up with the basics • Share how you’re feeling with people you trust • Share how you’re feeling with your manager • Keep things in perspective • Find small moments for yourself • Approach others with kindness and an open mind • Note things you’re grateful for
For further support or resources concerning staff Mental Health, contact one of our Safeguarding Experts, or join our free Safeguarding Community at u
https://community.thesafeguardingcompany.com/
April 2023
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