Anderson High School recognised for LGBT work

THE ANDERSON High School in Lerwick has achieved ‘silver charter status’ from LGBT Youth Scotland after engaging in a programme designed to support inclusivity and the experiences of LGBTQ+ staff and pupils.

The LGBT Charter scheme is a programme which provides schools and organisations with training to challenge prejudice and ensure that equality and diversity is at the heart of the school.

Anderson head teacher Valerie Nicolson said: “We’re pleased to have achieved this national recognition of LGBT equality and inclusion in our school.

“LGBT Youth Scotland provided clear training materials for school staff and were good to work with.

“We could not have managed to achieve the award without the support of the council’s youth services team.”

The charter programme has now reached 212 of Scotland’s 357 secondary schools, with a further 40 primary schools and 21 colleges and universities either awarded charter status or working towards it.

LGBT Youth Scotland’s head of partnerships Ali Kerr said the charter’s reach is a positive step for building a more inclusive Scotland and hopes to reach 75 per cent of secondary schools over the coming year.

She said: “These are formative years for young people and it’s vital that LGBTQ+ individuals are supported and that non-LGBTQ+ people feel equipped and inspired to champion inclusivity at every turn.

“Having a Shetland school working in partnership with us and participating in our LGBT Charter shows that it is playing a key role in creating safe spaces for young LGBTQ+ people in Scotland.

“With over half of Scottish secondary schools participating, this represents a significant commitment from Scottish educators to LGBT inclusion.

“The job isn’t done though, we’d ideally love all of our secondary and further education providers to achieve charter status.”

There are four LGBT Charter awards offered. One is foundations, created for local authority teams with a focus on developing tools and processes used to increase inclusion across the organisation.

The others are bronze, silver, and gold, designed for education providers to support the development of policies, CPD for teachers, inclusive practice and learner participation.

Gaining charter accreditation takes place over a 12 to 18 month period, during which institutions and organisations are guided step-by-step by expert LGBT Youth Scotland facilitators on training, policy, practice, promotional material and resources, and monitoring and evaluation.

Organisations and businesses can also apply to become chartered to support the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in every aspect of work.

The LGBT Charter is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Policy advice is guided by the Equality Act 2010.

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