JIgsaw PHSE materials - I have details

[SolvingtheJigsaw]

I have had a few emails back and forth with my school and I have some details of the transgender lesson that is taught. Details to follow in the next few posts.

This is the generic wording from a Jigsaw leaflet:

In one lesson for 10-11-year olds, children are introduced to the word ‘transgender’ so they understand what it means. This lesson has a focus on prejudice and discrimination where a transgender example is used. The Equality Act is also explained in an age-appropriate way. Being transgender is discussed in the following terms:

Most people are not transgender. A transgender person doesn’t feel their body matches with their gender. Let me explain…a person who was born with a male body may feel they are female, and a person born with a male body may feel they are a female. There can be all sorts of reasons why this happens. Some transgender people choose to change their appearance or body so their gender matches with how they feel. This is called transitioning. Not all transgender people choose to do this though. (If children want more detail, teachers are advised to explain they will learn more about transgender people in secondary school and they should return to the focus of the lesson which is about prejudice and discrimination).

Jigsaw’s decision to include this lesson was partly prompted by requests from schools who have pupils of primary age that have been identified as transgender, or are undergoing transition. Primary schools with a transgender pupil needed a lesson to help the rest of the class understand and empathise with their trans classmate. Jigsaw’s decision was to include this lesson as a matter of course within the Year 6 (Age 10 -11) materials so children understand what being transgender means, in line with the Equality Act. But, if a school needed to use the lesson in earlier years (because they have a trans pupil in a specific class), they are free to do so and should adapt the lesson accordingly for the appropriate age group.

This lesson does not promote transgenderism as a preferred lifestyle. It simply explains what being transgender is, and how some people who are trans face unfair prejudice and discrimination, in the same way that other people do e.g. through racism, ageism, sexism and prejudice against people who are disabled.

I asked for some more detail and got the slides and the lesson plan:

This lesson has a focus on transgender to highlight differences and acceptance. There are further notes to support teachers at the end of the lesson plan. Teachers should source the suggested photos from the web, ensuring that they are age and stage appropriate. Jigsaw cannot supply these for copyright reasons.

Share the Jigsaw Chrater with the children to reinforce how we work together

Using Jigsaw Jem as the talking object, spell the word 'Fairness' one letter at a time. The first child holds Je, and shouts out the first letter 'F' [and so on]

Then complete the round, using the stem sentence 'To me being fair is when.....

[Then a 'calm me' section]

'Open my mind'

Lay out the community pictures so the children can see the range of people shown. Discuss with the class the differences as similarities they can easily spot between the people in the pictures.

What differences/similarities are more difficult to spot? What can't we see?

Summarise be explaining that our society is diverse and that sometimes this diversity causes some people to be treated unfairly. Ask the children to give some examples.

Slide 1 'Use slide 1 to teach the children about the Law in England and Wales (The Equality Act) that protects people's rights, even if they have differences.

Slide one says: It is against the law to discriminate against anyone because of :
age
gender reassignment
being married or in a civil partnership
being pregnant or on maternity leave
disability
race, including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin
religion or belief
sex
sexual orientation

These are called protected characteristics.

Share the story of Robert Cowell with the children (the story of one of the first transgender people in the UK to be recognised as such). After the story show the photos of Robert/Roberta.

[I don't have the details of the story - I did look the person up on Wikipedia]

In talking partners first, use the following questions to help the children understand the key concepts in the story, and then discuss as a whole class:

Why was Robert unhappy
Why do you think Robert waiting until he was an adult to transition
Why do you think people were unkind when Robert changed to Roberta? Do you think that was fair?
Have you heard about people being transgender before?
What do you think it would feel like not being happy with who you are?
Does gender make someone a good or a bad person?

Emphasise that a kind community is accepting of all sorts of different people, and that we have shared rights and responsibilities to help that happen. Share some pictures of other trans people who are in the public eye. Does the Equality Act help these people?

'Pause point'

[More to follow, don't have time to type it all out now].

Using Jigsaw Jem as the talking object, spell the word 'Fairness' one letter at a time. The first child holds Je, and shouts out the first letter 'F' [and so on]

Then complete the round, using the stem sentence 'To me being fair is when.....

Male people don't take away female people's sporting achievements, records and medals

Male crime isn't reported as female crime

Would be just two of my long list of suggestions for this exercise!

This lesson does not promote transgenderism as a preferred lifestyle.

I imagine they put this part in to comply with the government guidelines on not teaching non factual beliefs.

Quite, Ova!

'Let me learn'

In group of four, each group has a sheet of A3 paper folded in half. Starting with 'Rights', ask each group to list three rights that are important in a welcoming community. Ask each group to write these on one side of the paper. Once the children have finished, they need to pass their list to a different group. This group now lists a corresponding 'Responsibility' for each of the 'Rights'. Prompt the children with one or two examples if needed.

At the end of the activity ask each group to share the Rights they were given, and the corresponding Responsibilities they agreed.

Ask each group to choose one of their Rights/Responsibilities and compile a class list.

Which ones on the list would have helped Robert?

'Help me reflect'
Slide 3: Share the learning intentions for the lesson with teh children. The teacher can examplify the statements or re-frame them in simpler terms if that helps the children to understand. [More - generally about how well the children feel they have learned]

The emphasis on fairness is clever. Kids often don't care about being kind, but they do care about being fair.

I think it's a bit much to ask primary school children, especially girls what fairness looks like in relation to trans issues. They can't possibly grasp the complexity of competing rights which are currently playing out across politics and in the courts.

It's just more be nice, be kind, don't complain.

Then a 'Notes' section

Some children may have questions about the physical process of transitioning. Care should be given so that answers to their questions are answered in an age and stage appropriate way. The anonymous question box may be a helpful strategy here [explains the strategy which involves answering later]. This gives the teacher time to think of appropriate responses and avoids being 'on the spot' in this lesson.

The focus of this lesson is also not on the transitioning process: instead it is about understanding transgender rights and our responsibilities to transgender people as part of society. As such, try to keep the lesson 'on this track'.

More on the 'notes'

Suggested answers to questions about transitioning might be:
'That's a very good question but there isn't a simple answer. Different transgender people transition in different ways, it's very personal to them. Our lesson today is about how we treat transgender people so let's think about that a bit more'.

'Some transgender people take a medicine called a hormone blocker' (This avoids the need to explain that some transgender people also choose surgery which may not be age and stage appropriate for some children).

For further support please see the jigsaw website www.jigsawpshe.com (A-Z articles LGBT+) [I have tried to find this but can't - it may be in a log in only part of the website].

There are many organisations online that can offer support for schools on trans issues. These can be accessed through an appropriate online search.

Ensure that the Jigsaw Charter is reinforced particularly if you are aware of a child in your school or class who has been identified as trans, or has a trans family member, to ensure they feel comfortable within the lesson. You should discuss this lesson with the children/caerer beforehand to ensure they are happy to be involved.

[Info about needing to maintain privacy in certain situations].

END

What's glaringly missing from this is making sure that young children don't mistakenly think people can actually become the opposite sex just because they feel a certain way.

Sorry for typos.

Also missed the objectives which are obviously important. These are:

I understand there are different perceptions about what normal means.
I can empathise with people who are different.
I understand how being different could affect someone's life.
I am aware of my attitude towards people who are different.
I can explain some of the ways in which one person or a group can have power over another.
I know how it can feel to be excluded or treated badly by being different in some way.

Are there any primary school teachers who can shed any light on how your normally pick 'historical figures' (for want of a better word)? How much 'are they safe to google' checking do you do?

One click from the Wikipedia entry on Robert/Roberta and you get to phalloplasty and vaginoplasty which I am not certain is appropriate, certainly for younger children (and the Jigsaw materials have this as a Yr 6 lesson but can be given earlier if eg there is a transgender child in a particulr class).

I hope they give as much time to all the other protected characteristics and potential "differences". It would be nice to see as much resource being put into supporting e.g. children with disabilities, autism, learning disability, hearing difficulties etc etc etc

I'm interested to know what answers children usually come up with to this section:

Starting with 'Rights', ask each group to list three rights that are important in a welcoming community. Ask each group to write these on one side of the paper. Once the children have finished, they need to pass their list to a different group. This group now lists a corresponding 'Responsibility' for each of the 'Rights'. Prompt the children with one or two examples if needed.

Any primary teachers on here used this material? I'd say that the types of responses elicited here would give a good indication of what the children have absorbed about fairness and rights, and how they think it relates to gender, or indeed their reactions to the idea that someone might feel they are female but be born in a male body. Also think that's a bit close to the now proscribed 'born in the wrong body' rhetoric isn't it? My kids' school also uses these resources and I am keen to know more.

The emphasis on fairness is clever. Kids often don't care about being kind, but they do care about being fair.

I agree.

Some transgender people take a medicine called a hormone blocker'

Strictly speaking, don't they take a medecine used for cancer treatment and use it to stop puberty happening, or they take artificial hormones.

Is this accurate?

'be kind' just gets eyerolls from my kids, now. The school bang on about it relentlessly, but don't actually step in and stop bullying, so they recognise it as bullshit lip-service.

This is interesting OP.
I have just emailed my DD’s primary school today as apparently last week there was a meeting with some specially invited parents (not me) to discuss the new Sex Education classes . I’ve asked for detailed lesson plans and who the outside agencies involved are.
My email has been forwarded and I am to await a reply ……

Robert Cowell, isn't that the one who lied about having children to back up the claim of being intersex so the dr would do the surgery?

The lesson plan is awful tbh

Don't suppose they mention how the children that were denied felt?

Sorry Roberta Cowell befire I'm jumped on fir dead naming or whatever

Roberta Cowell said she had XX male syndrome. However she also had 2 children, and all people with XX male syndrome are sterile.

I'm.not sure why it's a good example fir children. It's literally telling telling that the impact on families is nothing important and all that matters is how kind people are to the person and that they are happy.