Author: Christopher

Minutes 17 March 2016

March 17, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Apologies:

  • Ms Lucking, Ms Wilberforce, Ms Murphy, Jemal,

Feedback from sticker group: We met and looked through the Pinterest page Ms Lucking set up and have decided to focus on the phrase “Getting Girls”. Do come to our meeting on the first Wednesday of next term – Period 4 in Ms Lucking’s room.

Pride Parade: Ms Schuil: June 25th Saturday.

ACTION POINTS:

  1. Rotating Chair – Rostered – to be published by Chris
  2. Lambeth LGBTQ Lesson to go ahead as a pilot with feedback to come from Henry and others from the group before being rolled out for Year 9 overall. All students are welcome. Thursday 14 April, 1:50pm
  3. School Uniform – Ms Lucking will speak to some of the 6th form girls and invite them to this group –
  4. Formation of group for Womens’ issues – Ms Lucking, Conwright, Obai, Dewi, Dominic – Dominic to arrange
  5. Equalities Policy – Chris will re-submit this to the PPP committee for ratification
  6. Sticker Campaign Next Date: Wednesday 7 April, Period 4, Ms Lucking’s room – Dewi, Henry, Dominic, Chris, Ms Critchley, Ms Lucking, Conwright,
  7. Assemblies – Ms Wilberforce. Miss Critchley. Ms Lucking, Dominic and Michael.
  8. Pride – Saturday 25 June.

Minutes: Thursday 10 March – Governors’ Visit

March 10, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Action Points from Last Week:

  1. Rotating Chair – Rostered – to be published by Chris
  2. Lambeth LGBTQ Lesson to go ahead as a pilot with feedback to come from Henry and others from the group before being rolled out for Year 9 overall.
  3. School Uniform – Ms Lucking will speak to some of the 6th form girls and invite them to this group.
  4. Formation of group for Womens’ issues – Ms Lucking, Conwright, Obai, Dewi, Dominic
  5. Equalities Policy – Chris will re-submit this to the PPP committee for ratification
  6. Sticker Campaign Date: Wednesday 16 March, Period 4, Ms Lucking’s room – Dewi, Henry, Dominic, Chris.
  7. Assemblies – Ms Wilberforce. Miss Critchley. Ms Lucking, Dominic and Michael

Equalities Objectives:

Chris Hall, Governor, explained the concerns the Governors had about the equalities objective – the idea of committing ourselves to everyone achieving the same outcomes was potentially unrealistic. Henry also reiterated Mr Taylor’s concern about how to identify and track the various groups.

  1. All school documents and curricular resources reflect the diversity of the wider school community.
    • We can be much more inclusive with resources and how we position them towards gender, religion, sexuality and ethnicity in language and representation. For example: We should not present Mr and Mrs as our default in letters, not simply choosing a male scientist when making a PowerPoint slide/handout.
  2. Regular audits of school behaviour incidents reflect a reduction in bullying and harassment of identified groups within the school and track trends in broader behaviour to ensure specific groups are not over-represented.
  3. Equality training is run annually for all staff and regular events are run on the school calendar that promote positive messages about all members of the diverse school community.

To be amended:

Progress for students who come from minority groups within the school (Multi-ethnic, LGBT, diverse religions, different genders) is monitored

Alternatives:

  1. Interview students who are under-achieving – there was some concern that students wouldn’t disclose information, or would feel shame about
  2. Speaking to parents – the concern here was that some students might not wish to disclose issues they’re having that may affect their learning
  3. The re-stating of the objective in terms of a broader intention would allow the leadership to build more specific goals to achieve them.

Proposed Wording:

Option 1: “The school will make progress towards ensuring that progress for students who come from minority groups within the school is not affected by their minority status” 

Option 2: “The school will ensure that students’ minority status doesn’t become a barrier to their academic progress” – carried unanimously.

 

 

 

Minutes – 25 February 2016

February 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Apologies: Conwright

  • Subversive communication.
  • Governors.

Action Points from Last Week:

  • Senior Leadership Solidarity – Obai
  • Assemblies – Ms Wilberforce. Miss Critchley. Ms Lucking, Dominic and Michael
  • School Uniform – Talk about again
  • Lambeth Services – Kate

Equalities Goals

Governor Chris Hall has asked to visit us to help devise a revised second objective for the school. We agreed to have him visit us on the 10th of March.

Subversive messaging

  • Chris and Mel presented their ideas for the creation of a ‘subversive campaign’ of visual messaging within the school to help pursue a constructive effort that could come from the detailed discussions we’ve been having.

 

Minutes: 4 February 2016

February 4, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Apologies: Emily (late), Obai, Michael, Mr North, Jack.

Chair: Ms Critchley

Topic: The Objectification of Women.

Henry: the misogyny in the school affects the way young men relate to women outside the school.

Barnaby: Definitely notices the difference in the way the female students are treated: everyone focuses attention on them, noises and jeering

Mr Leonard: Some students think their attitudes are warranted due to the fact they believe the women are inviting it through how they’re addressed

Henry: It comes across in the language as well – “My ting” – the idea of women being the possession of women.

Alistair: Fundamentally being a single sex school is a problem, the lack of contact with girls and women affects the boys experience – this isn’t an excuse though. One approach would be to turn it into a mixed school.

Ms Critchley: Argues that it’s not so important what happens in other schools. Curious about how women are treated differently in the school.

Barnaby: The teachers don’t seem to be as subject to the sexist behaviour as the support teachers and 6th form women.

Henry: Poor behaviour seems to happen more in classes taught by women.

Dewi: There’s a general lack of respect for female teachers in school – a marked difference between this and how men are treated. Mentioned that in Science, the atmosphere is different between the way male and female students are regarded.

Mr Leonard: Referred to a supply teacher as “I’d do her”.

Ms Lucking: talked about the Year 7 students and how they seem to regress when they arrive in the school. Some students wondered if this was a consequence of coming from a single sex environment.

Alistair: One of the first notable things about the school that there were no female students and that this inferred that there was a barrier between boys and girls.

Ms Lucking: Went to a girls’ school, and recalled the sense of difference she felt between girls and boys. She felt she was taught that women could be very empowered.

Ms Critchley: When she went powerboat driving and was teased that she crashed the

Mr Howeld: One of the biggest problems is that these issues are not properly addressed – the problem is leaving this alone.

Alistair: When the main exposure to women is through the media, this can have a problematic effect on people’s perceptions.

Ms Bennett: Teachers can override these preconceptions through taking a strong clear stance

Mr Howeld: The students are not framed as ‘gentlemen’ in the school – this is something that’s not encouraged.

Ms Lucking: Remember not to be overwhelmed by the negativity.

Minutes 28 January 2015

January 28, 2016 / / 0 Comments

 

THIS WEEK

Observations:

Henry: Preparation for observation of teachers in Enrichment group. Henry has decided what he’s looking for, not a tick-box exercise. Looking for student involvement. How the teacher proposes different ideas – putting up more materials. Teachers will be able to choose when they’re observed. Teach the normal lesson.

Michael: JLT also doing classroom observations

Headteacher:

Alistair: The student group were told that the questions would be vetted by the Governors, a number of questions were not approved (This .

Dewi: The new headmaster’s response to the question “How would you promote LGBT Equality within the school?”: Initially a little confused and he didn’t give a very good straight answer – he ended up evading the question job. Alistair: he clearly was unprepared for this, which Alistair felt was reasonable given the circumstances.

Miss Schuil: Read the equalities incident report for the last fortnight. Henry noted that some of the incidents were not as grave as previously.

Objectification of Women  – Emily

Tabled for next week

 

Minutes 21st January

January 22, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Chris reckons that we could deal with one thing from our plan of action each week – general agreement.

Today’s topic: Head Teachers’ Interviews

Michael – Apology (at School Council)

Alistair: Has been working with Neil Atherton: will be involved in headteacher interviews with Barnaby and Obai

Henry: What changes would they make in the future?

Dominic: What plans do they have for the future. What would you do create influence in the school.

Alistair: Alistair enjoys the laid back nature of the school. Alistair is interested in their style of leadership.

Mr Price: Advised against using terms about the school like ‘laid back’ given that it could easily be misinterpreted by potential headteachers.

Ms Schuil: Propose the idea of a more gender neutral uniform policy.

 

 

Minutes 14 January 2016

January 14, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Incidents

  • Chris read a list of the racist/homophobic/
  • Henry said real progress will be seen when the more subtle incidents are recorded
  • Chris sees this as a small step, but only recording incidents is not going to effect change.
  • Alistair acknowledged that there is a need for conversations with the school leadership about how things like this will be responded to by the school.

Plan of Action

  • A shared activity as a group – Jack
  • Lesson Observations – Henry and Enrichment
  • Positive Messages about diversity
  • Destroy the cuss “Gay”
  • LBGT History Month
  • Transgender language.
  • World food day – Jack
  • More staff to be involved – Chris

Leadership Group

  • Chris is now on Leadership Group and will be pursuing in the first instance the schools’ goals.

Minutes 17 December 2015

December 17, 2015 / / 0 Comments

New Items:

  • Calling people homosexual – Christian
  • Political Bullying – Mr Leonard
  • Racism –

Renell brought up the issue with our proposed plans for consequences for racism etc in the school that parents might reinforce the problem. This was also illustrated by an example from Daniel.

Racism and homophobic events could be read in assembly. People can make public apologies.

Headmaster individuals

Box for reporting of incidents

Groups who work in conjunction with leadership – no-one is doing anything.

Posters in science corridor

 

Minutes 3 December 2015

December 3, 2015 / / 0 Comments

New agenda items:

  • A rise in subtle racist and Islamophobic behaviour has occurred since the Paris terrorist attacks. There seems to be a heightened awareness of the difference between people who are muslim and those who aren’t. This is contributed to by the media representation of muslims and conflating this with terrorists.
    • Media Representation – an assembly, add to enrichment. (Henry happy to pursue this) He presented an excellent suggestion about presenting three articles, all of which cover the same topic.
    • Jamal was concerned that assemblies aren’t the best means of addressing people’s understanding – particularly if they occur too long after the fact.
    • Miss Critchley said students would like tutor time to be used to raise people’s awareness of current issues (Henry has attempted this – Miss Critchley will assist with disseminating resources.
    • Young people are also afraid, but don’t want to admit it. There’s a need
  • Emily’s List:

 

Matters Arising:

  • The Womens’ group is going to be reconstituted.
  • Lunch
  • Marcel, Michael, Dominic – Miss Critchley, +co-opted teach

Letter from Ms Lucking

November 22, 2015 / / 0 Comments

After the Teacher training session, Ms Lucking felt she had a whole lot more to say and asked if she could write to the equalities group. Here’s her letter:

Equalities Group

18/11/2015

17:59

Dear Equalities Group

I wanted to write a few words to say how grateful I was and am for your INSET earlier this evening.

Not only was it a thoughtful presentation but has definitely intensified a debate (for myself at the very least) with regard to the last  of your role plays.

I know that the intention was to allow the female voice to be heard on this matter. However it was illuminating in how we then were not making ourselves heard.

For me I think that the way we were asked became too confrontational/masculine in approach and therefore we reverted to type. We need perhaps a different forum to air these feelings and opinions ( I am emailing..) or at least begin to air these feelings and thoughts before more of us are ready to speak.

It felt that we didn’t have a lot to say but actually we do.

I feel that we are hyper aware of getting along with men in the workplace for pure survival so it has become difficult to openly voice our opinions/feelings on matters relating to sexism.

There were points I agreed with and others I disagreed with, although I understand where they are coming from… a comment about when sexist comments are challenged it being more powerful if coming from men and not us.

Across the board it needs to be said.

How we all say it will be different but still it  needs to be said. That’s ok. We all response differently and it makes us interesting and unique.

Role models of all genders are important for this.

I am no less powerful in saying it than a male.

To say yes implies we are less than other genders and I am not willing to give away my female power (particularly when it is so hard fought for every day).

The older I get the more I am attuned to it. I grew up in a different environment in an all girls school which set no limits on what women could do…we can rule the world….that was the norm. I want that outlook for all girls and boys to be the norm. Society depresses me in regard to this.  I fully understand how using the word girl in a negative way towards a boy highlighting perceived faults is constraining and limiting to the boys as well as offensive about and to women. Not allowing for expression outside of ‘male’ parameters is tremendously harmful to personal growth and your point at the end was so appropriate.

I think that this issue was also evidenced tonight by the female staff. Women are so used to being told to constrain themselves to be more like men, at work, to get ahead, that the constraints meant we couldn’t really cope with the discussion. Not yet. Often we go to default…which is humour to disperse the issue. Doesn’t deal with it though. And we couldn’t do that tonight so therefore alot of food for thought.

I have 2 young boys and I am very aware that I do not want them to have that attitude growing up.

I want for students (&staff) to be comfortable in expressing themselves however they wish and for these expressions to be valued as such.

Setting the example is key. If there is to be change we must become the change.

I was surprised that male staff did not really discuss this issue. I could see they were waiting for us to provide an answer however we roll differently and this needs much, much more work.

Thank you so much once again

Kind regards

Miss Lucking