Primary Overview

Primary Overview

We work with primary schools across Scotland to support a proactive approach to addressing prejudice and bullying.

This includes our LGBT Inclusive Education programme, aligned with the national approach set out in Scottish Government guidance, supporting schools to engage confidently and meaningfully.

It is a national expectation that all teachers in Scotland engage with this approach by completing the national professional learning we deliver on behalf of the Scottish Government and including the LGBT Learning Themes within everyday teaching.

In primary settings, this typically begins with exploring diverse families, including storybooks featuring same-sex parents, and develops through addressing prejudice and bullying and challenging gender stereotypes. By later primary, learners deepen their understanding of LGBT people as part of society, including awareness of rights, history, and role models, providing a foundation for further learning in secondary school.

Through our professional learning for teachers, workshops for learners, and curriculum resources, we support schools to meet national expectations and create environments where all children see themselves reflected in their learning.

Recommended Pathway for Schools

Drawing on our expertise and experience working with schools across Scotland, we have identified this pathway as the most effective way to achieve meaningful and sustained impact when engaging with our services.

  1. Key staff complete Stage 1 of national CPD

  2. Primary school learner workshops

  3. All staff complete Stage 1 of national CPD

  4. All staff complete Stage 2 of national CPD

  5. School action plan developed

  6. Learner workshops for new year groups

Our school services are designed to address prejudice and improve outcomes for all learners. Our evaluation data demonstrates a strong impact, with 99% of learners reporting an increased understanding of prejudice, bullying, and stereotypes. Visit Our Impact for the latest data on our services.

To ensure maximum effectiveness, we require key staff – including pastoral care, those facilitating sessions, and any other relevant staff identified by the school – to have completed at least Stage 1 of the national CPD before the delivery of learner workshops.

Our experience shows that workshops have the greatest impact when they are supported by staff engagement with professional learning and the wider implementation of LGBT Inclusive Education.

Professional Learning

Our Delivering LGBT Inclusive Education professional learning is a free national CPD programme, delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government and formally endorsed by Education Scotland.

The course equips staff with the knowledge and practical tools to effectively meet national expectations for LGBT Inclusive Education within their setting.

The programme is delivered in two stages – an online learning module followed by an in-person curriculum development session for all teaching staff – supporting a whole-school approach. Evaluation data shows a strong impact, and course participants are provided with access to high-quality resources and support to develop an inclusive curriculum tailored to their school context.

We also offer a dedicated professional learning module on online hate and disinformation through our Digital Discourse Initiative programme.

Learner Workshops

Our primary school workshops for P5-P7 provide a progressive programme supporting learners’ social and emotional development.

This includes Equality & Difference (P5), followed by Challenging Gender Stereotypes and Challenging Homophobic Language (P6-P7), enabling pupils to positively explore difference, recognise stereotypes, and understand the impact of pejorative language and prejudice-based bullying.

Our workshops have been independently evaluated, including research from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and are proven to support learners’ affective competencies while fostering respectful school environments.

Teaching Resources

We produce curriculum materials for teachers delivering LGBT Inclusive Education that are ready to use and can also be easily adapted for the needs of learners. These resources also serve as examples of how LGBT Inclusive Education can look in different curricular areas, ages and stages for teachers who want to produce their own classroom materials.

lgbteducation.scot

We manage lgbteducation.scot, the national platform for LGBT Inclusive Education on behalf of the Scottish Government. It hosts all quality approved resources, the national ‘Delivering LGBT Inclusive Education’ CPD, the LGBT Inclusive Education Implementation and Evaluation Toolkit and all current national guidance for this policy area.