Glasgow primary school first in Scotland to implement LGBT-inclusive education

A primary school in Glasgow is the first school in Scotland to fully implement lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive education in its curriculum.

Castleton Primary School has completed staff training, consulted with their school community, planned, developed, and implemented LGBT Inclusive Education in their setting, and evaluated the effectiveness of this work in their school, the Scottish Government said.

The school also developed mechanisms to sustain the work, and parents, teachers, young people and LGBT organisations helped to develop the resources for the National Implementation and Evaluation Toolkit.

The toolkit assists schools in implementing the Scottish Government’s national approach to LGBT Inclusive Education - Castleton Primary School is the first school to complete the toolkit.

Education secretary Jenny Gilruth described this as an “important milestone”, stating that the work undertaken at schools like Castleton show how inclusive education can help to stamp out prejudice. 

Gilruth, who visited the school on Tuesday, said: “I was very pleased to visit Castleton Primary School which is the first in Scotland to fully embed LGBT inclusive education right across the curriculum.

“Many schools across the country already take positive steps to educate learners about LGBT identities and issues but this is an important milestone. We will continue to do all we can to help young people to reach their full potential in a diverse and inclusive society.

“We know that this approach has already improved experiences for many young people, with pupils reporting fewer instances of anti-LGBT behaviour, language, and bullying, both in school and the wider community.  It is clear that this inclusive approach to education is already delivering real results for young people.

“Scotland’s education system must support everyone, and it is vital the curriculum is as diverse as the young people who learn in our schools.”

The Scottish Government said a recent report by Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) found the approach had improved the attitudes and experiences of pupils and staff, including LGBT young people.

TIE co-founder and director Jordan Daly said: “LGBT Inclusive Education supports schools to proactively address homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic prejudice and bullying, and ensures that young people see themselves, their families and the world around them in what they learn. 

“We have been privileged to work with Castleton Primary School to take this forward, and are encouraged by reports from pupils and teachers about the positive impact that this has had on their school experiences.” 

Scotland became the first country in the world, in 2019, to embed LGBT inclusive education across the school curriculum.

The same year, the Scottish Government launched resources to help all schools build on existing good practice to promote equality, reduce bullying, and improve the educational experiences of LGBT children and young people.

This includes teaching resources to ensure subjects across age groups include LGBT identities, issues and history; and training for teachers and school leaders to approach topics with knowledge and confidence, and to help effectively challenge homophobia, biphobia and/or transphobia in the school environment and wider community.