Mayor launches new toolkits and workshops in London primary schools to help educate pupils about healthy and respectful relationships
- The new innovative £1million toolkit is now available online for all primary schools in the capital and will help champion healthy and respectful relationships and attitudes. Online courses will train teachers to run classes and workshops in every school
- The move comes as research shows that young people are increasingly being exposed to misogynist influencers on social media – with one in three young males having a positive view of ‘self-proclaimed misogynist’ Andrew Tate and one in ten children having watched pornography by the time they are nine
- The Mayor has today written to every primary school in London to highlight the importance of pupils learning about equality and respect
- Today the Mayor warned there has never been a more important time to counter the pernicious influence of those who preach misogyny online, saying ‘young people must learn about respectful relationships before they start seeing content from individuals like Andrew Tate online.’
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today launched a new landmark toolkit for every primary school in London to teach pupils about healthy and respectful relationships, as part of his work to tackle violence against women and girls.
Sadiq has written to every primary school in London explaining the importance of young boys and girls learning about equality and respect.
The new innovative £1million toolkit1, funded by the Mayor and developed by educational experts Tender2, uses workshops, drama and interactive sessions in the classroom to engage with young Londoners aged between 9-11 and champion healthy and respectful relationships and attitudes.
Tender is a pioneer in educating primary schools about healthy relationships and this is the first time they have put that knowledge and experience into a toolkit specifically for primary schools. Funding from the Mayor has allowed them to put their knowledge and experience into a toolkit to run classes and workshops empowering young people to confidently recognise, call out and help stamp out inequality and sexism among their own peer groups.
The move comes as research shows that young people are being increasingly exposed to misogynist influencers on social media – with one in three young males having a positive view of ‘self-proclaimed misogynist’ Andrew Tate. 4 Young people are also being exposed to pornography online from as young as nine years old and this is having a negative role in shaping children’s understanding of girls and relationships. 5
The toolkit will help educate the next generation of Londoners on what harmful behaviour looks like, and why it is not ok. It will be delivered by primary school teachers and supported by specially trained workshop leaders.
It builds on work already delivered by the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit, which has pioneered a public health approach to tackling violence. It’s £2million funding includes investing in Tender to deliver work with 15,200 children and young people taking part in arts and drama-based healthy relationships sessions. This work has led to 90 per cent of pupils having a better understanding of healthy relationships and 80 per cent now able to spot red flags in a friendship or relationship.
The action is the latest part of the Mayor’s approach to tackling the underlying causes of violence against women and girls (VAWG)6. It will build on the success of his multi award-winning #HaveAWord campaign and allyship training in secondary schools which is working to educate and empower young Londoners to take a stand and help prevent violence against women and girls.
The launch of the new toolkit, following a successful trial3, is based on the Mayor’s early intervention and prevention approach to tackling VAWG which places a stronger emphasis on partnership working, prevention and education across a wide range of services in London.
The Mayor is clear that it is never too early to start educating young Londoners about the need to treat one another fairly and kindly. And that education from a young age is key to strengthening the resilience young people have to toxic influences and attitudes towards women and girls in society and those proliferating on social media.
It is part of the Mayor’s record £233million investment to tackle violence against women and girls in all its forms – as well as its underlying causes. This funding is working to educate young people about harmful attitudes and behaviours, save lives, reduce waiting lists, keep doors open for vital specialist support services for victims and supporting the police and agencies to go after the worst perpetrators of violence.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It’s never too early to start educating young Londoners about the need to treat one another fairly and kindly. And it’s important for young boys and girls to learn about equality and respect for one another.
“That’s why I have written to all primary school headteachers in the capital today to outline the support, resources and funding I’m investing from City Hall so this important training can be delivered to thousands of young Londoners. It will give teachers the expert training they need to empower the next generation of Londoners to stand up to sexism and misogyny in all its forms.
“There has never been a more important time to counter the pernicious influence of those who preach misogyny online. we must ensure that young people are clear what healthy and respectful relationships are about before they start seeing content from individuals like Andrew Tate online.
“I will continue to do everything within my power to ensure that ending violence against women and girls is treated with the utmost urgency both by our police, and society as a whole to build a safer London for all.”
Broadcaster and DJ Ashley James said: “As a mum-of-two, I’m really pleased that the Mayor of London is introducing education in primary schools to help tackle the root causes of violence against women and girls. Nobody is born a misogynist but social media and other influences can embed harmful ideas unless children have already built a strong foundation of equality and respect.”
Emma, a Headteacher at a North London Primary School, said: “Supporting our children to recognise and develop healthy and respectful relationships is absolutely vital as we aim to set them up for a positive future. Broaching issues like misogyny and sexism with young children can be really challenging and is something that we need to be prepared to deal with. Thanks to the Mayor’s new teacher Toolkit, we now have expertly crafted, tried and tested tools and activities to safely and confidently teach this important subject matter. All our teachers have taken part in the online training sessions with Tender and we are really excited about working with our children to educate them on why it is important to treat each other fairly, kindly and with respect.”
Taiba Year 6: “These sessions have taught us about what makes us good people. We talk about our equal rights and how we should treat people as well as how people should treat us.”
Ege Year 6: “I liked learning about the house of friendship because it shows us what is expected of our friends. We also looked at behaviours to look out for if we feel we are not being treated fairly or we are being pressured into something.”
Abdurahman Year 6: “I really enjoyed the roleplays because you get to see a number of situations that we could get into and how we can have a different response to them.”
Susie McDonald, CEO of Tender, said: “Primary school is a critical time for children, as they develop core skills in communication, empathy and respect. It’s therefore imperative that they learn about healthy relationships. and are supported to build positive attitudes and behaviours.
“It’s often difficult to begin exploring topics like healthy relationships and gender inequality with young people of any age. Our creative, evidence-led toolkit and corresponding training sessions guide teachers in this vital work, with practical activities and advice that are expertly designed for this age group.
“By challenging potentially problematic attitudes at their root, we can prevent a culture of abuse against women and girls. We hope as many teachers, children and young people as possible benefit from these resources, as we work towards ending this abuse once and for all.”
Notes to editors
- Tender is a pioneer in educating primary schools about healthy relationships and this is the first time they have put that knowledge and experience into a toolkit specifically for primary schools. The primary teacher’s Preparing for Healthy Relationships Toolkit is now available to use, free of charge, in all primary schools across London via the Have a Word website. The Toolkit is designed for children aged 9-11 years old and contains all the information needed to lead workshops, discussions and activities on this challenging yet necessary subject.
- Tender have been working with young people to promote healthy relationships and prevent sexual violence and domestic abuse. Since 2003, they have engaged with 535,000 young people and 27,000 adults across the UK – working with primary, secondary and specialist schools and youth settings, delivering a range of short and long-term workshops and programmes.
The primary school toolkit training uses drama, art and media to provide a safe, enjoyable space where children can engage with sensitive topics, ‘rehearse’ for real life scenarios and explore their rights, responsibilities and expectations within relationships. For this toolkit, Tender has worked in partnership with MOPAC, primary school teachers, youth workers and partner organisations to develop activities and resources to support children and young people to develop healthy relationships based on equality and respect.
The aim is to help teachers to contribute to addressing the attitudes and behaviours that can lead to violence against women and girls early and in a safe educational setting. The free online training is available for all London schools, primary and secondary school teachers to download via London.gov.uk (MOPAC) and the Tender website (https://tender.org.uk/our-services/training/toolkit-training/). Toolkits are also available for special educational needs teachers, governors and other staff working with children and young people.
The new toolkit will be delivered by primary school teachers and supported by specially trained workshop leaders from. The workshop leaders will provide online support to secondary school teachers in London to deliver sessions, which are designed to educate all young people about the real impact of mistreating women empowering them to spot and challenge sexist and misogynistic behaviour. They will also be on hand for advice and support related to the toolkit.
- Teachers from 165 schools/educational settings/youth clubs (defined as settings by Tender) have attended toolkit primary school introductory sessions since its soft launch in July 2024. This number equates to over 230 teachers.
Independent research, by toolkit training provider Tender, also shows that existing Secondary school educational toolkits are having a positive impact. Between April and June 2024, latest data shows 80 per cent of teachers using the resource reported increased confidence to support children and young people about healthy relationships.
+The Violence Reduction Unit has invested £2m in its Inclusive and Nurturing Schools programme, which includes funding for Tender to deliver work with children on developing healthy relationships. This work has resulted in 15,200 children and young people taking part in arts and drama-based healthy relationships sessions. This is key part of the work we are doing through London's Inclusion Charter – a manifesto commitment – to support and keep children in school where they are safe and able to thrive. https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/communities-and-social-justice/londons-violence-reduction-unit-vru/our-programmes/inclusive-and-nurturing-schools
- One in three young males have a positive view of Andrew Tate: https://savanta.com/knowledge-centre/view/1-in-3-have-a-positive-view-of-andrew-tate/#:~:text=Delving%20a%20little%20deeper%2C%20we,him%20as%20a%20role%20model.
- One in 10 children ‘have watched pornography by time they are nine’: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/31/one-in-10-children-have-watched-pornography-by-time-they-are-nine.
- The Mayor’s refreshed VAWG strategy is:
- Placing a stronger emphasis on partnership working, prevention and education across a wide range of services in London;
- Targeting the behaviour of those who perpetrate abuse and make sure they are the focus for change;
- Investing an additional £17.7m in support services– including a specialised response to support all victims to have equal access to justice and services;
- Recognises that violence against women and girls often starts with words, and we all have a responsibility to challenge the behaviour that can lead to violence and women feeling unsafe;
- Taking action to rebuild trust and confidence in the police and criminal justice system to ensure victims are supported and empowered to get the justice they deserve;
- https://www.london.gov.uk/mopac-publications-0/mayors-violence-against-women-and-girls-strategy.
- The new £1million primary school educational toolkit is part of the Mayor’s record £233m investment to tackle violence against women and girls as well as its underlying causes. This funding is working to educate young people, challenge gender stereotypes, save lives, reduce waiting lists and keep doors open for vital specialist support services for victims. It includes:
- The launch of a multi award-winning ‘Have A Word’ campaign film – which asks men of all ages to reflect on how they can help tackle violence against women and girls – this has now been viewed more than 15 million times.
- The launch of your follow-up, say ‘Maaate’ to a mate campaign, which empowers men and boys to challenge sexism and misogyny in society.
- Funding £1 million primary and secondary school education toolkits for teachers to use in schools to help young people recognise and tackle sexist and misogynistic behaviour.
- Investing an additional £17.7m in support services – including a specialised response to support all victims to have equal access to justice and service.
- Taking action to rebuild trust and confidence in the police and Criminal Justice System to ensure victims are supported and empowered to get the justice they deserve.
- In March 2024, the Mayor announced an additional £2.2 million investment to extend his pioneering GPS knife crime tagging programme. The state-of-the-art technology has helped to tag more than 2,100 domestic abuse and knife crime offenders under strict license conditions who have been released from prison since 2019 and is working to put the focus of behaviour change on perpetrators not victims.