Tameside Schools Girls Safety Pilot Sees Huge Success

Following a hugely successful 10-week pilot scheme, schools in the Tameside region have seen a major increase in awareness and support for girls in classrooms across the district.

The programme, which was designed by the specialist team at TLC: Talk, Listen, Change and commissioned by Tameside Council, used in-classroom teaching, activities and curated lesson plans to help educate pupils on how to make girls feel safer and more supported in school and to encourage allyship of men and boys and their role in calling out behaviours and attitudes.

Earlier this year, teachers and government officials expressed their concern about the rise in negative attitudes toward women and girls, with the National Education Union (NEU) linking the rise to increasing use of phones and social media among school-aged children, and a recent survey from the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) finding that nearly a third of girls surveyed don’t feel safe from sexual harassment in school.

The leaders at the schools who took part in the pilot programme, which include Millbrook, Hurst Knoll St. James' C of E and Holy Trinity C of E Primary Schools, worked closely with the TLC: Talk, Listen, Change team to deliver the lessons.

Following the programme’s conclusion, the schools reported more than 45% increases in children’s understanding of Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG), their ability to spot abusive behaviours and their confidence in knowing what is trustworthy online.

Students who were involved in the programme also saw increased awareness & use of gender-neutral language and the impact of stereotyping, increased confidence in advocating for girls rights and a more consistent support for gender equality across the programme’s participants.

Eve Hodkinson, VAWG Project Worker for TLC: Talk, Listen, Change said: “After an incredibly successful 10 weeks of the programme, we’re thrilled to see the real impacts of the work on the students.

“I did not receive any education in school on the topics we have included in the V.A.W.G. programme. We did not know about consent or that public sexual harassment was unacceptable and even now, from speaking to numerous young people we can see that there is still a major lack of awareness about these issues.

“Our young people want to be educated on these topics as they can see issues happening in school, in public, and online. Young women are being harassed and do not feel safe or supported. We need to talk to our young people about these topics to empower them and to speak about the issues they are facing in their daily lives to ultimately give them all practical ways to help themselves and help others.”

Following the programme’s success, the team at TLC: Talk, Listen, Change are aiming to expand the pilot into higher education classrooms, building in further elements including how to be an ally and how to challenge incidents of VAWG.

Isabel Baker, VAWG Project Worker for TLC: Talk, Listen, Change said: “The results of the pilot are a great indicator of the importance of this type of programme for schools in the UK.

There has been a rising tide of incidents that can impact the learning ability and confidence of girls in our classrooms, driven in large parts by what children see and interact with online. The programme has been designed to help combat this, not just by empowering girls in school, but also by helping all students to understand how to know what online sources are trustworthy, and to help them make the right choices about what they engage with.

“We’re able to look back at the delivery of the programme, reflect on the outcomes and feedback and we feel really thrilled that they show that the programme has had an impact with the young people. One of the schools we worked with has even been awarded the UK Feminista Bronze Award for their commitment to tackling V.A.W.G.

“Ultimately, violence against women and girls is an incredibly complex topic and one that needs to be addressed with pilot programmes such as this. We’re really hopeful that this becomes a key part of the national curriculum and that the government understands the importance of these lessons as part of creating a healthy, supportive school environment for women and girls in the UK.”

Tameside Council Executive Member of Public Health, Cllr Tafheen Sharif, said: “While this is a national issue, we are keen to be as proactive as possible at a local level in helping to tackle it. Helping to educate and support young people in challenging violence and harassment against women and girls is a key step in changing behaviours - and what is considered normal and acceptable - now and in future years. I’m pleased the sessions have already had an impact in helping young people to feel informed and empowered.”