Parental Engagement and Understanding – Our Way

As a queer educator, I have always aimed to create a classroom environment that feels welcoming and safe for everyone, where every student feels valued. I strive to be the teacher I did not have growing up and to provide the books and representation that should have been available. However, why should this be limited to just my classroom? Why not create an entire school that is welcoming and safe for all, where every student feels seen, heard, and valued? That has been my goal, and I feel fortunate to say that I now work in a place where this is a reality.

My classroom was filled with diverse books that showcased the rich and varied spectrum of LGBT+ lives and love, such as And Tango Makes Three, Nen and the Lonely Fisherman, Prince Henry, Julian Is a Mermaid, Me and My Dysphoria Monster, Princess Princess, and Queer Heroes, to name just a few. I wore an inclusive pin badge on my staff lanyard, and my classroom noticeboard reflected the same sense of inclusion, with lanyards, pin badges and signs. Both students and staff enjoyed coming into my classroom; it felt warm, welcoming, and full of life. Yet, somehow, this still didn’t feel like enough.

So, I made it my mission to help create a whole school that was truly accepting of LGBT+ education. I knew it couldn’t just be me, so I began to consider how I could involve everyone in the school. I set to work exploring ways a school could become fully LGBT+ inclusive. Thankfully, I found a solution! And it felt like the perfect one.

The Proud Trust came to our rescue. They offered a whole-school framework to support the teaching of LGBT+ lives while actively challenging and eliminating LGBTphobia – The Rainbow Flag Award.

Finally, we had something the entire school could use, not just something confined to my own classroom. It proved to be a hugely successful journey, and we now stand proud as a community, working together to ensure that LGBTphobia becomes a thing of the past in our school.

Involving Parents, Carers and Governors

One of the requirements for achieving this award was demonstrating how we involved parents, carers, and governors. We thought carefully about the best way to build both support and understanding for what we were trying to achieve. Two ideas emerged and stayed with us: creating an online resource and offering an in-person opportunity for engagement.

Our Online Resource

We wanted something permanent and easily accessible for all parents and carers within our school community, so we created a dedicated page on our school website to showcase our journey towards the Rainbow Flag Award. 

It includes:

1. Overview of the award

So everyone knew what we were trying to achieve in our ‘Pride Rainbow’ and how we were going to get there.

• Skilled Teachers

• Supportive Governors and Parents

• Effective Policies

• Inclusive Curriculum

• Pastoral Support

• Student Voice

2. LGBT+ Support

To facilitate conversations and address any questions parents or carers might have, we compiled a network of supportive helplines and websites, including Switchboard, Childline, AKT, Just Like Us, Gendered Intelligence, Stonewall, Young Pride in Herts, Traveller Pride, Hidayah, Imaan, Muslim Youth Helpline, Keshet UK, One Body One Faith, Quest, and Sarbat LGBT Sikhs. 

3. Terminology

We acknowledged that many families would not have had access to LGBT+ inclusive education due to the discriminatory law, Section 28, so we decided it was best to provide a resource that parents and carers could access at any time, allowing them to learn independently. This list of terminology served as a reference guide specifically for external adults within the school community - helping them understand and make sense of terms related to the LGBT+ community. Within the school, we embed LGBT+ inclusion throughout our education, using age-appropriate language and explanations as needed. All teachers shared their learning to tailor it appropriately for their students.

4. Booklist

This is a comprehensive list of books with LGBT+ themes. The list ranges from picture books to chapter books, covering the full age range of our school community (ages 4–11). Reading, at any age, is one of the best ways to help children feel seen and to explore different cultures and perspectives.

Our In-Person Event

We wanted a way to answer questions and address any concerns directly, using face-to-face conversations and concrete examples of what we were doing and how. We organised a coffee morning for the entire school community, which allowed us not only to share our initiatives but also to engage attendees, help them understand our approach, and gather their feedback.

During the coffee morning, we shared information on what the law says about LGBT+ inclusive education, statistics about LGBT+ identities, and what this journey has looked like in our school. We also explained the language and terminology we use, how we prevent and address HBTbullying, and curriculum examples showing how we are both “Usualising”* and “Actualising”* inclusion.

While choosing to pursue the Rainbow Flag Award was a bold step, even small moves toward LGBT+ inclusive education represent significant progress in combating LGBTphobia. I’m proud to say that, for the past three years, both our students and our wider school community have benefited from our inclusive education, and we now stand as an example of what education could and should be.

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* Usualise LGBT+ inclusion by integrating it naturally into everyday teaching, such as using texts that feature LGBT+ individuals, updating case studies, including relevant facts alongside standard content, and adapting tasks to highlight LGBT+ contributions across different topics.

* Actualise LGBT+ inclusion by delivering explicit lessons that explore these topics in greater depth, including teaching about LGBT+ identities and families, marking events such as LGBT+ History Month or Pride Month, and holding assemblies that highlight LGBT+ themes or individuals.