Changing Hearts and Minds

The programme has been developed so that it allows teachers to explore the wider issues of gender stereotypes, gender inequality, gender expectations, misogyny and healthy and respectful relationships, and to then drill down on issues specifically affecting BME women and girls such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), so-called ‘honour’ based violence (HBV) and the impact of religion and culture. The work is encompassed within human rights, violence against women and girls, intersectional discrimination and black feminist frameworks.

This education pack has been carefully designed to ensure that teachers are provided with effective and simple tools to ensure ‘outstanding’ teaching and learning takes place. Each section and plan in the pack has been mapped against important areas of learning such as Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Aspects of Learning (SMSC)1 as well as skills that students will develop and practice within each lesson. It has been developed to complement and support aspects outlined within the ‘Programme of Study for PSHE’ as recommended by the PSHE Association2, as well as the Department of Education guidance on teaching Citizenship3.

The pack has been structured in a way that it allows schools to be flexible in how it is used. Schools may wish to teach one or more sections or the entire pack over a series of timetabled sessions or within a whole school curriculum day(s).

The pack contains lesson plans which use the accelerated learning cycle pedagogy by Alistair Smith (2007)4 and supported by power-points, work booklets and is accompanied by a series of short films (made by a group of young BME women – The SBS Ambassadors for Change) to support the content and delivery of the education resource pack.

Sections covered in the pack include:

1. Gender and Gender Stereotypes
2. Violence Against Women and Girls
3. Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Women and Girls (Exploring issues of forced marriage, FGM, HBV, suicide and self-harm, religion and women, intersectionality)
4. Healthy Relationships
5. Music and Misogyny
6. Black Feminism