LGBT Inclusive Education Implementation Group: action plan - July 2022

Delivered recommendations

• 19-5: that the Scottish Government and local authorities engage with LGBT young people, learning from their views and experiences and working with them through a co-production approach to take account of their views on how best to implement these recommendations
• in August and September 2021, the Scottish Government - in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland, the Scottish Youth Parliament and Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) - ran two online sessions to engage with young people and school staff. 23 schools from 14 local authorities across Scotland shared their views on the ethos and progress of LGBT inclusive education, examples of good practice and their own experiences as LGBT young people and allies. From this feedback, the Scottish Government have produced a report which summaries the key themes raised during the sessions, explains how existing work will address some of the concerns raised, collates examples of good practice, and suggests next steps to address outstanding issues and gaps in LGBT inclusive education. This report will help shape the future work of the LGBT Inclusive Education Implementation Group
• 19-7: that the Scottish Government fund and work with relevant partners to review existing and support development of new teaching resources for LGBT inclusive education in all Scottish public schools. These resources should be developed in partnership with the Implementation Group. These new learning resources should focus on LGBT curricular inclusion and should include materials for all levels of the curriculum from early years to senior phase. These new learning resources should include a variety of teaching materials (such as short films and displays) and address a range of thematic areas including: LGBT terminology and identities, LGBT history, addressing prejudice and homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic bullying, LGBT literature and lives, as well as examples of LGBT inclusion for the context of subject specific teaching
• the first phase of LGBT inclusive teaching resources is now live, and can be accessed at lgbteducation.scot. All resources hosted on this site have been assessed against a suitability checklist designed by the LGBT Inclusive Education Implementation Group. Further suites of resources will follow.
• 19-8: that the Scottish Government seeks to identify and showcase existing emerging school based good practice regarding LGBT inclusive education. That identified good practice regarding LGBT inclusive education is showcased on the National Improvement Hub and regularly refreshed. Building on existing LGBT resources, the Scottish Government will work with Education Scotland and partners to provide a suite of resources to inform staff and education authorities on best practice to support transgender young people
• during the national engagement days, examples of good practice were shared between schools, as well as being collated into a document by the Scottish Government. In August 2021, the Scottish Government published guidance for schools on supporting transgender young people
• 20-5: that the Scottish Government lead and resource a new basic awareness LGBT inclusion training course that will be suitable for all schools in Scotland. That this provision be developed in partnership with organisations currently represented on the LGBT Inclusive Education Working Group
• The stage 1 LGBT basic awareness e-learning course is now available to staff working in local authority schools in Scotland. It can be accessed online at lgbteducation.scot
• 20-7: in taking these recommendations forward there should be engagement with Scottish College for Educational Leadership and/or other appropriate representative leadership bodies
• The Scottish Government and the LGBT Inclusive Education Implementation Group continue to engage with SCEL where appropriate. School Leaders Scotland are a member of the Implementation Group
• 20-8: that the Scottish Government develop National Guidance which clearly states expectations regarding LGBT inclusive education and signposts teachers in any school in Scotland towards supporting resources. This links directly to this Working Group’s recommendation regarding the update of Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health, and Parenthood Education in Schools (RSHP) (2014) Guidance below
• national guidance on delivering RSHP is being developed which includes a section on LGBT inclusive education. This guidance will be put to public consultation in autumn 2022
• 21-1: that the Scottish Government fund and work with relevant partners to support a new toolkit to enhance LGBT inclusive education at a whole school level. This should include content on developing school policy, building staff confidence in addressing prejudice, dealing with incidents of bullying, engaging parents and carers, case studies and scenarios, and an overview of related policy and legislation. This toolkit should be used in conjunction with the recommendations on CLPL provision to direct staff to the new CLPL opportunities relating to LGBT Inclusive Education
• on 23 September 2021 the Scottish Government launched the first phase of implementing LGBT inclusive education. This consisted of a basic awareness e-learning course, a toolkit of LGBT inclusive education teaching resources and a centralised website (lgbteducation.scot) hosting resources, training and other relevant information. This is accessible to all school staff and the wider public including parents and carers
• 21-9: that the Scottish Government and COSLA promote effective delivery of these recommendations, maximising reach and impact of all actions relating to this suite of recommendations, in order to achieve effective delivery of LGBT inclusive education in all schools in Scotland
• The Scottish Government and COSLA issued a joint letter to all local authorities in Scotland and other relevant organisations to inform them of the launch of phase one of LGBT inclusive education
• 20-6: that this CLPL provision be piloted and an evaluation made of the impact. That, in light of evaluations and any necessary amendments, this new CLPL provision be available nationally [late 2021/early 2022], be free at the point of contact, and, where geographically possible, include face to face professional learning opportunities
• TIE, on behalf of the Scottish Government, have now developed a stage 2 CLPL course on curricular input. This will be delivered in person. 2,129 Primary and Secondary teachers have completed the Stage 1 E-Learning module from the national professional learning course, with 1,263 participating in an evaluation process
• 21-2: that the Scottish Government commit to maximising the reach and impact of the new resources outlined in Recommendations 23, 24 and 25 [Ref. No. 19-7, 20-5, 21-1] - ensuring they are effectively hosted and distributed, and through supporting implementation across schools in Scotland
• All resources are accessible for free at lgbteducation.scot. The platform has been accessed 79,878 times since launching in September 2021. 541 Primary and Secondary schools from all Local Authority areas in Scotland are represented on the platform and engaging with the resources available to them. Curriculum resources have received 7,786 unique downloads from the lgbteducation.scot platform
• 21-3: that should the Implementation Group not see sufficient progress in local delivery of LGBT inclusive education by the end of the current Parliamentary term, then the Scottish Government should consult them on further measures, including legislative options
• the Delivery and Implementation Group have, as outlined above, overseen substantial progress in local delivery of LGBT inclusive education. There has been no call to date for legislative options to be considered
• 21-4: that the Scottish Government resource and invest in initiatives dedicated to advancing LGBT inclusive education

Funding for continuing implementation of LGBT inclusive education across 2022/23 has been allocated.

Ongoing work

There remain a small number of outstanding recommendations (19-9, 20-1, 20-3, 20-9, 20-11, 21-7, 20-2, 21-5, 21-6, 21-10). For the above delivered recommendations, there remains some work to maintain the ongoing implementation of these recommendations. This work will be delivered throughout the remainder of 2022.

Work to be delivered summer 2022

• present results of resources audit to Implementation Group

• continue ongoing conversations with Deans of Education and university faculty to discuss progress in taking forward actions from the previously convened roundtable of higher education establishments delivering initial teacher education. Discuss how the agreed upon actions from the roundtable will be implemented in 2022/23 academic year
• commence public consultation on updated RSHP guidance. Consultation will last a minimum of 12 weeks. Once the consultation is closed, SG and COSLA discuss findings of consultation and agree any necessary changes to guidance. Update guidance in light of consultation responses and send for RSHP special interest group and ministerial clearance
• funding for LGBT inclusive education for the 2022/23 financial year has now been allocated. Discuss broader LGBT funding and where the connections are to LGBT inclusive education. Agree multi-agency action plan to avoid duplication of work
• await final decision from the Curriculum Assessment Board on version of developed benchmarks
• continue discussions with the Scottish Qualifications Authority. Link with Personal and Social Education Delivery and Implementation Group in order to contribute to discussions around senior phase PSE accreditation. Accreditation may include required outcomes/actions related to diversity and inclusion/LGBT
• Implementation Group to agree model and criteria for evaluating the impact of LGBT inclusive education
• evaluate data from external evaluation to monitor trends in incidences and reporting of homophobic/biphobic/transphobic bullying. Discuss additional inputs if data indicates this is required
• develop resources/adapt existing resources to make suitable for early years. Collaborate with Early Years Scotland to create and distribute these resources. Develop STEM specific resources- work ongoing with Strathclyde ITE students to develop illustrated books

Work to be delivered autumn 2022

• write to all head teachers signposting them to evaluated resources on the National Improvement Hub. Discuss existing gaps at Implementation Group
• analyse responses to RSHP consultation. Begin process of parliamentary scrutiny. Publish updated RSHP guidance. In conjunction with COSLA, issue guidance note to all local authority directors of education following publication of updated RSHP guidance. Write to the Scottish Council of Independent Schools and all local authority schools with a link to the updated RSHP guidance
• publish next set of LGBT inclusive teaching resources. Continue to track and monitor impact of phase 1 implementation. Launch next suite of resources
• continue to monitor progress in local delivery of LGBT inclusive education via Implementation Group
• continue to deliver career long professional learning inputs
• continue to monitor impact of SG funding of LGBT inclusive education initiatives. Discuss progress at Implementation Group
• TIE continue to deliver ITE inputs for 2022/23 intake of student teachers
• pending decision from CAB, agree final version of developed benchmarks with Implementation Group