Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Primary school fully embeds LGBT inclusive education in Scottish first

The move at Castleton Primary School, in Glasgow’s south side, has been hailed by the Education Secretary.

Rebecca McCurdy
Wednesday 23 August 2023 10:57 EDT
Around one in 14 young people in England and Wales identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or another minority sexual orientation (Alamy/PA)
Around one in 14 young people in England and Wales identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or another minority sexual orientation (Alamy/PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A Glasgow school has become the first in Scotland to fully embed LGBT inclusive education across its curriculum.

Castleton Primary School, in the city’s south side, is the first to complete the national implementation and evaluation toolkit, which assists schools in implementing the Scottish Government’s LGBT inclusive education.

The school has fully completed the staff training, and implemented and evaluated the effectiveness of LGBT education with the help of pupils, parents and teachers.

In 2019, the Government launched a dedicated package of resources to promote equality, reduce bullying and improve experiences for LGBT children and young people.

Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce inclusive education across the curriculum.

It includes teaching resources to ensure subjects include LGBT identities, issues and history, as well as training teachers to approach topics with confidence and to effectively challenge homophobia.

Following a visit to the school on Tuesday, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “I was very pleased to visit Castleton Primary School, which is the first in Scotland to fully embed LGBT inclusive education right across the curriculum.

“Many schools across the country already take positive steps to educate learners about LGBT identities and issues, but this is an important milestone. We will continue to do all we can to help young people to reach their full potential in a diverse and inclusive society.

“We know that this approach has already improved experiences for many young people, with pupils reporting fewer instances of anti-LGBT behaviour, language, and bullying, both in school and the wider community. It is clear that this inclusive approach to education is already delivering real results for young people.

“Scotland’s education system must support everyone, and it is vital the curriculum is as diverse as the young people who learn in our schools. The inspirational work being undertaken at Castleton and schools like it across the country highlight how inclusive education can help to stamp out prejudice, and I look forward to seeing further progress on this work in the coming months and years.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in