Primary school Equaliteach

[iliveinacarpetbag]

Hi, is anyone familiar with the organisation Equaliteach? My child's primary school is planning to introduce a programme by them with regards to "challenging heteronormativity and cisnormativity". It's not clear yet what exactly the school are planning to do.

www.equaliteach.co.uk/valentines-challenging-heteronormativity-cisnormativity/

I've just read that blog post, they surely can not have intended it to be read by parents
I think you could very easily promote dissent just by using class whatsapp groups (I hear they're a thing) to say- have you seen that link they sent us? did you read it? what do you think?
....and then just sit back
I don't know who in this country would refer to 'UK commercial districts'- we would just say 'on the high street' so my guess is this has been C&P'd from elsewhere.
Hilarious that the writer berates himself for saying 'chatty girls at the back' ....because it's transexclusionary. Check your bloody privilege, bro.

hmm, alledgedly by someone called Laura but what the hell does that tell us

What if we eradicate all sense of questioning at an early age and leave these young minds without any chance of making their own way?

Back to Winifred Holtby and Sarah Burton's wise words to her students in South Riding:

"Question everything-even what I’m saying now. Especially, perhaps, what I say. Question every one in authority; and see that you get sensible answers to your questions. Then, if the answers are sensible, obey the orders without protest."

"Question your government’s policy, question the arms race, question the Kingsport slums, and the economies over feeding school children, and the rule that makes women have to renounce their jobs on marriage, and why the derelict areas still are derelict."

"This is a great country, and we are proud of it, and it means much that is most lovable. But questioning does not mean the end of loving, and loving does not mean the abnegation of intelligence. Vow as much love to your country as you like; serve to the death if that is necessary… .But, I implore you, do not forget to question. Lead on, girls.”

on the other hand their post abut IWD is fine with no nonsense about redefining women
www.equaliteach.co.uk/a-meaningful-international-womens-day-more-than-marketing/

I recommend making sure as many parents as possible are informed about this. I'm sure lots would be very interested.

@StillWeRise do you think parents will find that blog post concerning? After reading around the subject a bit, I'm struggling to know what is normal anymore

on the other hand their post abut IWD is fine with no nonsense about redefining women
www.equaliteach.co.uk/a-meaningful-international-womens-day-more-than-marketing/

Yes this is why I'm unsure about what their approach will be, that blog post about cisnormatism is what I'm worried about, but I notice the lady who wrote it is not listed on their staff page currently. And other blog posts and the lesson plans are more reasonable. So I don't want to jump in and assume the worst.

If anyone has personal experience of Equaliteach in their school please do let me know.

There is a meeting for parents which I will go to, but I'm not sure how clear it will be about exactly what will be taught, and whether all the content will be in specific sessions (that you have the option to opt out of) or whether it will be embedded in the whole curriculum. The emails we've had so far have been vague, so I will try and get some specifics in the meeting.

I made a mistake in my opening post- that blog link was not emailed to parents. My dh opened the email first, googled the organisation, read that blog post and forwarded it to me with the original email from the school, and I got confused and thought the school had emailed that blog. So actually the school have not stated that they want to challenge cisnormativity, that was my dh's concern that he wrote at the top of the forwarded email. The school actually said that they want to challenge LGBT bullying and have better equality in the school.

Do schools contact parents with a bit of info about lesson content in advance of SRE ( like they used to when it wasn’t) now it’s been made compulsory? or do parents just have to be lucky/very on the ball to know in advance when specific elements are coming up?

ChattyLion
The new SRE guidelines state that parents must be consulted with. But the practice varies from school to school with some merely sending a letter of information and others doing the full on consultation meetings, sharing resources and discussions about content. The latter is the ideal as it ensures a genuine partnership with parents. And it allows parents to highlight the dodgy 'grooming' approach of some of the lobby groups currently selling their programmes to schools.

The school actually said that they want to challenge LGBT bullying and have better equality in the school.

Is there really a significant amount of bullying in this primary school specifically related to pupils, staff, parents &/or carers being lesbians, bisexual, gay & transgender?

What other focuses of bullying within the school have been identified as requiring discrete lesson planning separate from a whole school approach to bullying?
What is the rationale & evidence-base behind it?

This is a more recent blog post, by a staff member who is still there.

www.equaliteach.co.uk/free-to-be-importance-lgbt-inclusive-primary-schools/

They talk about challenging gender stereotypes, which is great. But they make that statement a hyperlink which leads to this:

www.equalitiesaward.co.uk/ideas-hub/creating-a-trans-inclusive-environment-in-primary-schools

That's interesting (and ironic) well behaved - I wonder how much £ they got from the Gov Equalities Office, and how much they charge for the training?

Uncompromising thanks. That’s good that parents would normally get notice of the discussion coming up- to decide what to do on the day, and what to talk about with their kids.

It is intended to be confusing. Asking questions is an indication of wrong think and the children will learn this very quickly when they are asked if they are transphobic.