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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Harris Academy Beckenham and prob others extremely worrying PHSE content.

50 replies

Flamingflamingnora · 16/07/2020 15:17

Hi NC I’m a regular-ish.
So my year 7 DC has PHSE home school content. I decided to have a nose it’s been posted as general content. There is a page with links for LGBT the kids should follow and cover. They link to a man called Olly Pike on Facebook and a supposedly age appropriate set of three vids. Will post a link. This is listed on the school website as being age for 4 years an up. My child is 12. So. Wtf??? Red flag 1: if your thinking you may be LGBT+ first thing to do is tell a teacher maybe or another adult who is NOT in your immediate circle. Red flag 2. The child asks who are your roll models? I haven’t had time to google them all yet but Munroe Bergdoff is one and Andrew Moffat is another, mermaids are a great charity to get in touch with if you are gender questioning and here’s a link to their website blaa blaa. I’m honestly flabbergasted that this stuff is available to my 11 year old. For so many reasons I know you all understand. There is another link for children over 14 only. But my child can see and follow that link if they feel like. I haven’t had a chance to view that yet.
I need to contact the school to explain why this is in appropriate. Many of munroes horrendous tweets come to mind. Can anybody help me put something together. I’d really appreciate it. If I’m going to have a stab at directing them to a more sensible approach I’m thinking of sending a transgender trend schools pack but I’d like to do a covering letter. Any tips help- things to include would be welcomed.

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Flamingflamingnora · 16/07/2020 15:19

m.facebook.com/JustLikeUsUK/videos/869925123502534/

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OvaHere · 16/07/2020 15:30

I started a thread a couple of years ago about Pop n Olly (a Stonewall affiliated group Olly Pike is involved with.

Olly Pike and this group encouraged minor children to make submissions to the GRA consultation when it was taking place.

I think we have a few threads on him and his org but here's mine

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3189547-popnolly-Primary-school-LGBT-education

CaveMum · 16/07/2020 15:34

Wow, that’s shocking.

I’d be contacting the school to ask them what risk assessments the6 carried out before providing links to external sites (Im guessing none).

Pop over to Safe Schools Alliance and use their templates/resources to help you draw up an email to the head/PHSE lead.

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/resources-2/

gardenbird48 · 16/07/2020 15:36

Gosh, I saw the Ice Queen (a bit Frozen stylie) video produced by ‘Pop n Olly’ (Pike) which is aimed at 4+ and is about two ladies that love each other but when they left their castle and went down to the village, the (quite sinister looking) villagers hated them and shouted at them until they left and then I think they died and were doomed to wander the earth looking for each other for ever and that is why we have summer and winter (yes, it didn’t make much sense to me either). Having looked into Olly’s background a bit (LinkedIn), he has been working in the theatre mainly and has no apparent background in education at all. It mystifies me no end that the Early Years practitioners (I think that’s the right term?) and teachers go through years of training in how to teach young children and how their brains work and then show them videos produced by someone with apparently no relevant training at all. I can’t add any helpful tips as I am working up to speaking to school myself but I guess you could highlight the safeguarding issues and Olly’s lack of background in education?

Flamingflamingnora · 16/07/2020 15:42

Thanks so much. I’m going to sit down and wade through it tonight. I’d rather offer alternatives than just say I object. I’m amazed that this either hasn’t been looked at or has and has been accepted.

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ChickenonaMug · 16/07/2020 15:52

Safe Schools Alliance have complained to the DfE about the red flag safeguarding concerns in the video you have linked to. This is their letter which you could pull bits from to use in your complaint. Scroll down a bit to the relevant part.

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Letter-to-Gavin-Williamson-re-DfE-resources-v2.pdf

Goosefoot · 16/07/2020 15:56

I don't understand why you'd show anything like this to 4 or 5 year olds. Especially at school.

truthisarevolutionaryact · 16/07/2020 16:01

Transgender Trend have a downloadable guide to the statutory requirements for RSE that details some of the pro porn / anti - safeguarding / anti women / age inappropriate materials that are being pushed at schools by political lobby groups.
It horrific when you look in detail at what is happening:

www.transgendertrend.com/launch-rse-guide-schools/

Flamingflamingnora · 16/07/2020 16:05

This is all great thanks so much

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serenada · 16/07/2020 16:29

This is from the website of the founder of that site 'I’ve always been involved with the business of communication. After becoming a mother I trained to become an Accredited Instructor in Parent Effectiveness Training, a programme I was drawn to because it was the first bit of parenting advice I’d seen which was based on communication and relationship rather than just discipline and control.

I then trained to become an instructor in Teacher Effectiveness Training and I have worked delivering training to teachers in schools across the UK.

I was one of the founders of Lewes New School, a small independent school in East Sussex, where I was a parent governor and spent over eight years training staff and running courses for parents. I designed and implemented the school’s policies on bullying, respectful communication and behaviour management, taught Peer Mediation skills to Year 5 and 6 children, implemented a Playground Buddy system and also worked directly with the children in the classroom and as playground supervisor.

During this time I developed an interest in neuroscience, cultural and social psychology and cultural parenting practices. I matched what I was learning with real life, and through my experience with a wide range of children I gradually changed what I was teaching. Parents on my courses were reporting back to me that it was the skills I had developed myself which had the greatest positive effect, so I finally designed my own course Communicating with Kids in 2008, which I have been teaching ever since.

“The stuff Stephanie is teaching has been like a light going on. Small shifts in the way I listen and speak with the kids have made massive changes in how smoothly things run between us all.” ~ Kate

I have three sons and a daughter, and as my children grew up I began to notice more and more the cultural messages they were all continually exposed to, especially the difference between the way women and men are represented throughout the media. I also noticed how toys and books were becoming more and more gendered, which led me to research into socialisation and conditioning, and in particular how that holds back girls.

I worked on the successful No More Page 3 campaign for over two years during which time I became passionate about what our culture communicates to young people growing up in the UK, ways we can work to change that and how we can equip young people to critically deconstruct the messages behind the images they see all around them.

As well as communication skills training for teachers and Peer Mediation skills training for Year 5 children, I now deliver presentations to Year 11 children in schools on feminism, gender stereotyping and objectification. My hope is to equip young people – both boys and girls – with the ability to be ‘critical consumers’, a skill which I think is especially necessary in the world of the internet and social media that this generation has to navigate.'

I don't see anyone in this space who, as another poster pointed out, has trained in pegagogy or education.

I am also interested in what she could offer on her Teacher Training Communication course.

ChickenonaMug · 16/07/2020 17:00

Serenada I am not sure that I follow the point of your post in this thread but clearly anyone can and should point out glaring safeguarding issues such as an adult telling children to keep things from their parents and instead tell them to an adult who is not in their immediate circle.

Flamingflamingnora if you need more help then I find that Safe Schools Alliance UK are always willing to assist if they can. Their email address is [email protected]

Al1Langdownthecleghole · 16/07/2020 17:08

I think it’s pretty standard pedagogy not to facilitate grooming of children and teenagers.

Flamingflamingnora · 16/07/2020 17:10

I’m not sure I follow your post Serenada.
I’m going to have a look on safe schools and transgender trend websites tonight. I’m hoping to get an email off ASAP I’m thinking of copying in my local M.P. Safe schools and t-trend. I’m pretty sure they will be operating this PHSE through all of their schools. If any parents of children at Harris academy anywhere ( I think they are mostly London based.) can have a nose at what their kids have been asked to look at during lockdown for PHSE home learning I’d be interested to know what they find. Thanks.

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Jeeeez · 16/07/2020 19:03

I'd also suggest writing to the the leaders of the trust if Harris Academy is part of a chain. And possibly threaten to complain (or actually complain) to your local education authority if they don't back track and remove this with an apology immediately. You can also complain anonymously to Ofsted online.

MyOwnSummer · 16/07/2020 19:16

Oh shit. My DD is likely to go to our local Harris Academy when old enough. Thanks for bringing this to my attention OP.

I was considering offering to volunteer for SSA after seeing the update a couple of days ago. This has sealed the deal for me. Does anyone know if they accept volunteers whose kids are not yet old enough for school?

KittyMcKitty · 16/07/2020 19:20

Children are required to be 13 to use Facebook so the school shouldn’t be providing Facebook links to year 7’s.

ShinyFootball · 16/07/2020 19:23

Why would they advise children to disclose things related to their sexuality to people adults they don't know well?

Why can't they tell their parents? The child will know how accepting their parents will be. If they are worried about telling parents then a trusted relative, teacher would be the next thing surely?

That's really bizarre.

It's essentially saying your parents WILL NOT react well. Which is a terrible thing to tell children.

ValancyRedfern · 16/07/2020 19:26

You will need to go into detail op about why Mermaids are a worrying organisation and why Munro Bergdorf isn't a suitable role model for an 11yr old. If not they will just dismiss you as a homophobe/transphobe (they might do that anyway. But at least you've backed up your argument with fact). Harris Academies care more about PR than anything else. So if you don't get anywhere I'd recommend contacting the local press.

Flamingflamingnora · 16/07/2020 19:33

@ValancyRedfern yep. I am trying to find a few things now to pop into my email about Munroe to illustrate the point. Any contributions welcome.

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OhHolyJesus · 16/07/2020 19:43

Munroe has said something like all white people are racist. I don't have the screenshots to hand. Will share if I find them. Have a google search for Mumsnet and Munroe, probably on here somewhere.

OhHolyJesus · 16/07/2020 19:43

Oh and Munroe once encouraged children to contact Munroe directly on twitter.

Flamingflamingnora · 16/07/2020 19:53

Hi again- thanks for all this it’s great. I found a very extensive load of info about Bergdorf that gives me lots of information. I need to put mermaids into words now. Where do I start 😩

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DaVinyl · 16/07/2020 20:13

I also have a child at a different Harris school, so will also write.

Include the chair of governors into your email (their email address will be on the school website), and all the other governors if their emails are also there, as it will be much harder for them to ignore if the governors are brought in. You need to also include the Head of the academy (sir dan Moynihan sp?). Lord Harris himself is a Tory, but a decent man, and I don't think if he really understood what all this meant, he would be happy. the PP was correct, Harris hate bad publicity and really should have looked more closely at this.

GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 16/07/2020 20:19

@Flamingflamingnora

Hi again- thanks for all this it’s great. I found a very extensive load of info about Bergdorf that gives me lots of information. I need to put mermaids into words now. Where do I start 😩
@Flamingflamingnora is it ok if you share a rough outline of what you email to the school? My children are also at a Harris and I will definitely be looking out for this material now. If I could raise a similar complaint with them, at a different Harris, it might make them sit up and think.
Flamingflamingnora · 16/07/2020 20:44

Yes I will post an outline. I’m going back to it shortly- I haven’t finished it yet. Does anybody know how to find an email for Lord Harris of Peckham as opposed to using the contact form for parliament. I might just have to send a copy to him that way. But ideally I wanted to have him copied in to my email. I think perhaps Baroness Nicholson would be interested in this too.

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