Staff Training
As part of Global Academy’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion – the Global Academy staff body received training on the background to LGBT+ History and how to support young people from LGBT+ communities.
The work, which was overseen by our Drama Co-Ordinator, Darren Mawdsley – featured a guest speaker as well as some practical tips and guidance for the classroom. Dr Tommy Dickinson who is the Reader in Nursing Education & Head of the Department of Mental Health Nursing and also the author of Curing Queers – a piece of work which examines the plight of men who were institutionalised in British mental hospitals to receive ‘treatment’ for homosexuality and transvestism, and the perceptions and actions of the men and women who nursed them.
The training helped staff understand how prejudice and language can impact the well-being/happiness of others and well as reflect on historical and global issues understanding that freedoms are not the same for everyone (‘Global’ citizens). The session also allowed staff to know the law and make links to their own employability (Equality Act 2010) and most importantly work together to create a safe and happy learning environment for all.
Students Create Content
As part of LGBT+ History Month – the Youths Choice production team have been making content and featuring advice and guidance for LGBT+ students within their daily Lockdown Loop series and across their social media pages.
For example – Grace Read in Year 13 produced a fantastic social media post which highlighted a range of youth friendly podcasts which students can listen to that focus on LGBTQ+ and other teen issues.
Also – Luis Wyatt in Year 13 produced a piece of content with Headteacher Nick Hewlett from St Dunstan’s College in Catford, South London who is thought to be the first Headteacher in the UK to open up about his sexuality. On producing the content for students – Luis added: “I saw Nicks story on the TV one evening and was very inspired by it and wanted to find out more. I got in contact with him and he was up for an interview. We chatted in more detail about the coming out experience in 2021 as well as reflecting on past coming out stories”.
You can watch watch the video or listen to the podcast below:
Inspiring Stories
As part of our LGBT+ History Month digital coverage – our weekly assembly videos for students called “The Weekly” which are sent out via YouTube each Friday during Lockdown – we had various members of the Global Academy LGBT+ community share their coming out stories and their own lived experience with LGBT history.
Working with Employer Partners
Global Academy staff and students worked with our industry partners, Global, to help curate a playlist for Global Player to mark LGBT+ History Month.
The playlist which our staff and students help to create was curated by not just the radio station’s music teams, but everyone at Global. From the teams in marketing and sales, the people who look after the billboards and buses, the presenters, the producers, the team that put on their amazing events, the engineers and the people that keep us safe in the office at the moment.
We were tasked to contribute songs from LGBT+ artists (and notable allies) that really mean something special – take a listen to the playlist by clicking the link below or via the Global Player app – it really is something to be proud of!
Listen to the Global Pride Playlist on Global Player 📲
Diversity and Inclusion at Global Academy
In Global Academy – staff are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all students, staff, parents and carers receiving services from Global Academy – irrespective of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
