Wellington partners with external provider, Colourful Peach Arts & Education to deliver an innovative programme of sex education and consent for pupils from Third Form up. The student-led initiative which launched eighteen months ago, has had a hugely positive response from pupils and staff. To lift the lid on the content of the course and share the progress they have made, Ella Simms from Colourful Peach and Deputy Head (Pastoral & Wellbeing), Dave Walker gave an online talk for parents on Thursday 18 May. If you missed the talk and would like to listen to the recording, please contact Gemma Nicholas (GLN@wellingtoncollege.org.uk).
Dave Walker began by explaining the rationale behind the programme which has been running at school for eighteen months. He said, “Against the backdrop of ‘Everyone’s Invited’ in 2020, it was clear that the culture young people are growing up in needed significant work. Casual misogyny, sexism and the prevalence of online pornography were impacting attitudes and behaviours at an age when teenagers are most impressionable”.
Dave felt duty bound to help pupils navigate the world of sex and consent, particularly before sending them off into the wider world. He wanted to deliver a programme that was inclusive, empowering and non-campaigning – basically, as far removed from the awkward sex education of the eighties and nineties as possible.
Dave brought in the team from Colourful Peach to run a fun and engaging student-led programme designed to promote real change. The impact has been more powerful than we could have hoped, even in a relatively short space of time. In the latest ‘Safe Survey’ at Wellington, the number of pupils reporting that they had been harassed by a Wellingtonian had gone down by 66% in one year. Conversely, the number of pupils reporting that they had been harassed by a non-Wellingtonian increased by 27%, indicating an awareness and lack of tolerance for inappropriate behaviour.
Sex & Consent Education with Colourful Peach
Ella Simms, who has long been involved with Wellington, is the brains behind the programme which sits alongside the school’s Wellbeing curriculum. During the talk she explained to parents that when Colourful Peach first surveyed pupils, a high number had experienced some form of sexual harassment; most had a limited understanding of what consent meant; and the majority lacked confidence in how they communicated about sex. It was clear there was work to be done. Particularly when you consider that the impact of sexual violence affects survivors in every aspect of life from their physical, emotional and mental health to their financial wellbeing, educational outcomes and even employment prospects.
Ella’s strategy was to give students a voice by involving them in the design of the course from the very beginning. Many pupils applied to be in a steering group and together with Ella, they co-created the content of the programme. The biggest topic is consent and pupils spend time reflecting on the nuances around it using what they’ve termed the ‘VIBE’ model. That means considering the Vibe (status, power dynamics and age gaps); whether someone is Into It (looking at non-verbal and verbal clues); Booze and Drugs (how alcohol affects people differently) and Expressing what you really want (developing good communications skills and checking in with the other person).
“It’s important to not be ignorant and even though I thought I knew the basics of consent there was a lot I didn’t know and I got to learn about topics which I had no clue about.”
Wellington Pupil
The conversations are frank, open and sometimes light-hearted. The ‘ick’ factor is often referred to by pupils when it comes to how we talk about sex! No subject is off limits but they’re covered in a sensitive, age-appropriate way and range from how pornography affects our brains and relationships, to body image and the importance of developing good self-esteem. Social action and peer support are promoted and we encourage pupils to call out bad behaviour when they witness it whether it’s homophobic or sexist language, victim blaming or rape jokes. Last year’s peer-nominated Class Catalysts helped to help combat misinformation, dispel myths and tackle issues in everyday conversations among pupils.
Above all, Ella and the team at Colourful Peach hope to prevent sexual harm, smash survivor stigma and promote social action. One of the best ways that we can all do our bit in creating a more consensual world is simply through talking.
She shared a few tips that parents can use at home when talking to their children about sex:
- TALK to your child. Teenagers need information about sex from you before they need it in real life and it’s been proven that children who speak openly to their parents are more likely to delay having sex.
- Don’t judge. Actively listen to what your child is saying without interrupting or preaching. If you hear something worrying, come back to it later.
- To reduce the intensity of the conversation, aim to speak little and often and try chatting while walking or driving so it doesn’t feel like an interrogation
- Use distancing techniques like hypothetical situations or things you’ve both seen on TV in order to discuss different scenarios and what to do
- Pause to consider what your own values are around sex and try to frame sex as pleasurable and not bad or scary.
- Check in with your child on how they feel about their body and how they feel in their relationships.
- Be kind to yourself. If you find out that something has happened to your child, don’t feel guilty – instead move forward with love, support and listening.
- If you’re worried about your child, never hesitate to talk to the staff at Wellington about the situation.
Ella Simms from Colourful Peach says:
“We are incredibly proud of the Wellington pupils and how wholeheartedly they have embraced the Sex & Consent Education course. We know how valuable the provision is when the feedback we hear most often from students is that they feel safe and not judged.”
Sex and consent education will continue in September, this time with more content being led by Wellington teachers who have received training from Ella. After the success of the programme here at Wellington, Colourful Peach will be working with state schools, offering talks/assemblies and are due to be working with survivors of sexual trauma soon.
Find out more about the brilliant work of Colourful Peach.