Who are "Just Like Us"

[Pellewsmate]

My DC school has just emailed letting us know that they are taking part in School Diversity Week organised by Just Like Us. Has anyone had any experience of this charity? A quick glance at their website has shown me that they say that gender identity is a characteristic protected by law. Should I be concerned that they might be teaching that sex can be changed and that it is possible to be born in the wrong body?
The school will be fund raising for Young Minds, which appears to be a charity which supports young people with mental illness and I have no problems donating.

Well, that's inaccurate. It's 'gender reassignment'. I would be concerned, although I don't know this organisation, that they are already putting forward inaccurate information.

There are probably several useful threads here but you might want to read this Safe Schools Alliance letter that mentions them:

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

The protected characteristics are listed here;

age;
disability;
gender reassignment;
marriage and civil partnership;
pregnancy and maternity;
race;
religion or belief;
sex;
sexual orientation.
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/4

Schools are not supposed to work with outside agencies that misrepresent the law.

''Resources used in teaching about this topic must always be age-appropriate and evidence based. Materials which suggest that non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity should not be used and you should not work with external agencies or organisations that produce such material. While teachers should not suggest to a child that their non-compliance with gender stereotypes means that either their personality or their body is wrong and in need of changing, teachers should always seek to treat individual students with sympathy and support.''
www.gov.uk/guidance/plan-your-relationships-sex-and-health-curriculum#ensuring-content-is-appropriate

Thank you all for your help, just sent an email to the school outlining my concerns, let's see if they respond.

@Rushhomeroad very similar posts, hope this helps you too.

Good luck, please post updates when you hear back from them.

I haven't received a direct response but the headteacher has now sent an email to all parents clarifying things. Apparently School Diversity Week is all about valuing everyone for who they are. No mention of the concerns I raised about gender identity not being a protected characteristic or about teaching content. I'll have another go tomorrow when I'm feeling stronger.

I've seen them recommended a lot by teachers who also recommend Stonewall, Mermaids etc, so my guard would be up, but I don't know anything about them specifically. I second getting in touch with Safe Schools Alliance, and keeping up your questions to the school. They may well consider they have responded with that general message to parents; make it clear to them they haven't!

Here's an update. After having done some research it appears that all schools must offer a relationship and sex curriculum no later than Summer Term 2021, I think the school has panicked and thought Just Like Us would tick the boxes required.
I messaged the head stating that I love diversity but was concerned about Just Like Us changing protected characteristics. I pointed out that the school has a responsibility to ensure that external organistions do not undermine the British rule of law. I took the opportunity to point out that the schools Equal Opportunities Policy also quotes the wrong protected characteristics and asking to view teaching resources.
The head replied that there were no speakers or virtual presentations.
I tried again asking about resources being used, again mentioned the law and repeated my concerns about school policy being wrong.
I then got the reply that the week is just about diversity and that school policy is not wrong.
My latest email asked again about resources and the law and I also provided a screenshot of school policy from the schools website proving that their policy is wrong. I waiting for the next load of BS to drop in my inbox.
Can anyone explain why they can't answer a simple question instead of doubling down and burying their head in the sand.
I believe that headteachers undergo the same training as politicians, none of them can give a straight answer.

The Head's reaction is very disappointing and annoying, OP. I guess the Head doesn't like being wrong, they can get very defensive about it. I assume the school hopes you will go away. If you get no joy from the head, contact the chair of governors. Also, get other parents involved.

Yes, I think the board of governors is the next step.

Unfortunately, DC travels to school by bus so I barely know any other parent, definitely not well enough to know their views on the LGBT+ issue.

I assumed after the new email to the whole school, after my first email to them, that I wasn't the only concerned parent but have no idea who else might have contacted them.

Well done on persevering. The head teacher, of course, hopes that the deluge of BS will deter you.

Hi just discovered my 14 year old DS is doing this too.

@Pellewsmate would you mind sharing the letter you sent your head so I don't have to reinvent the wheel?

I've seen a presentation from Just Like Us in a school. They have young presenters (university students) who tell their life stories of coming out to try to break down barriers. So it's a bit hit and miss who the school gets sent, could be anyone from any part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
The one I saw was perfectly innocuous (a young lesbian woman saying she was worried her parents wouldnt accept her but they did etc) but she clearly hadn't had much training and it wasn't a particularly good or effective session. Nothing about gender identity, just sexuality - but this was a few years ago so things might have changed, and of course it will completely depend who they allocate to send to your child's school.
As teachers, we didn't even know who the charity would send before they turned up which wasn't great, so it might be your school don't know yet either.

I realise I've said 'charity'. I don't actually know if they are a charity or business so maybe 'organisation' would have been better.

The founder of Just Like Us is very circumspect in his profile. Why no mention of his Fulbright Scholarship (Oxford and Harvard) and work in a No10 linked consultancy org?

Received a reply stating that no resources from Just Like Us will be used and assuring me that their Equal Opportunities Policy will be reviewed over the summer.

I'm sure that there is now a note against my name labelling me a hateful terf but I think I can live with that.

@Notmynom I try and send my emails on.

That's an excellent result Pellewsmate

For other parents with schools using Just Like Us, there's a new twitter thread by Safe Schools Alliance about them twitter.com/SafeSchools_UK/status/1406255631942799365

Well done, Pellewsmate. There are going to be an awful lot of parents with the same note against their name when these issues come up, I suspect. And teachers, for that matter.

Thanks for highlighting this and sharing the ssauk thread (I'm from ssauk)

We have loads more to say about them. They are a charity. They have about £300k in the bank, they seem well connected and have done big backers. Their resources are terrible. It appears schools diversity week is their invention, and of course it is only about lgbt with a focus on gender.

We think a lot of parents will presume it's about all kind of diversity.

So if your school is partaking and using these resources check out our thread and keep an eye out this week.

It's been learning disability week this week. How many schools who are taking part in this week did anything for the learning disabled?

Safe Schools Alliance are tweeting examples - Maths for 5-7 yo.

If your school is buying this stuff it's not maths they are teaching.

twitter.com/SafeSchools_UK/status/1406897450892333059?s=20

I raised their involvement with my child's school, using the very helpful links from SSA. School has confirmed they're not running any assemblies, and none of the material being used is JLU material, so I'm counting that as a win.

Honestly, it gets worse. Reams and reams of unsuitable material which override safeguarding and contravene DfE guidelines and the Education Act.

Horrendous.

Thread here in AIBU if anyone interested: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4276531-AIBU-to-think-5-year-olds-do-not-need-to-learn-about-gender-and-pronouns-in-their-maths-lesson-in-the-name-of-diversity?watched=1&msgid=108398515#108398515

I've just seen that SSA have posted the full pack on their Facebook feed. I'm shocked by the content. My DC's secondary school are doing diversity week but I'm not sure if they are using the resources. I haven't stuck my head above the parapet yet because I haven't seen anything too alarming from them, but if they are referencing this I am worried.

The JLU guidance specifically says that schools are legally obliged to let trans children use the toilets of the sex they identify with. This is just outright wrong, isn't it?
m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2894065724240995&id=2235615356752705

WTAF??

Here’s a link to the Charity Commission registration for Just Like Us register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5067730