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Our weekly assembly & shine a light blog

Our weekly assembly & shine a light blog

Date: 8th June 2020 | By: national

Stay true to yourself

In September 2020 all Primary Schools in England must teach their pupils that different types of families exist. I think this is a fantastic step forward and long overdue. There are new regulations for teaching Relationships Education within English schools (RSE). This will mean that pupils will be taught that some families have two mums or two dads.

Thankfully, support will also be offered to pupils who may have experienced bullying or anxiety-related issues. In many ways, it is hard to believe that this has taken until 2020 for this to formally be put in place. It is important that all members of our society are reflected in the school curriculum.

It is ground-breaking for schools in England and hopefully, it will mean that Primary Schools will be taking steps in ensuring that this is no longer a taboo topic for some. Children should feel proud of who they are and the families they belong to. It is important to teach others to love, not hate.

Stonewall: Acceptance without Exception – Stonewall.org.uk

This is an LGBT rights charity and its founders include Sir Ian McKellan and Lord Cashman CBE. This is a magnificent charity that empowers LGBT people and allies to make a change.  Stonewall site includes training courses, Children and Young People Services and best practice, toolkits and resources.

‘No Outsiders: Everyone different, Everyone Welcome’ by Andrew Moffat MBE

This resource provides strong support for teachers with lesson plans for every age range from Early Years to Year Six. It recommends powerful storybooks and lesson plans.  I like this because there is also a section on engaging parents.

Pink News - 11 LGBT inclusive Children’s books!

Great recommendations of books to share with your little ones including ‘And Tango Makes Three’ by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. This beautiful book is based on a true story of two male penguins looking after an egg. The list of books also includes ‘Mommy, Mama and Me’ by Leslea Newman depicting a lesbian couple and their little one. Leslea is the author of over fifty books, including ‘Heather Has Two Mommies’.

In our assembly today we celebrate a leader who has stayed true to himself and did not want to keep pretending to be someone he was not. Gareth Thomas, former Captain of Wales Rugby Union, is a legend for so many more reasons other than his magnificent sporting talent. I believe Gareth Thomas is a role model for so many people, young and old. As a child, he had a dream.

‘I am very proud of my rugby playing career but more proud of the fact that Wales supported me to play rugby for being Gareth Thomas. Being the person that I am, 100%.’

We should be free to love who we want and not be judged. We should love, not hate. As we have explored in so many of our assemblies, it is important to be true to yourself and be proud of who you are. The people who really matter will be the people who love you no matter what.

When you know you are not being completely honest, it can make the dream seem worthless.  While on your journey to achieving your dreams, it is important that you are honest with people, most importantly, with yourself.

Some people step on others to get to where they need to be. Others lift people up. Gareth Thomas has lifted people up and given so many others hope. When you are proud of your actions then you can really say that you are living the dream.

We can all have dreams and ambitions. It is important to stay true to ourselves on our journey. We need people who dream of making change and have true courage to stand up and make a difference when they see unfairness. In doing so, you can bring about change for others.

Mrs Hart, Adviser to Child of Wales.