What is the No Outsiders programme in schools?
A Christian mother was dismissed from a school after sharing Facebook posts criticising teaching about LGBT+ relationships.
Kristie Higgs was sacked from her role at Farmor’s School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, in 2019 for sharing Facebook posts criticising teaching about LGBT+ relationships in schools.
The Court of Appeal has ruled in her favour in the latest stage of her legal battle related to her dismissal, describing the decision to sack Mrs Higgs for gross misconduct as “unlawfully discriminatory”.
The Christian mother had shared posts on social media which raised concerns about relationship education at her son’s Church of England primary school.
Pupils were to learn about the No Outsiders In Our School programme.
What is the No Outsiders programme?
The scheme uses story books to teach inclusiveness and diversity to children in primary schools.
Picture books used in the programme include stories about a multi-ethnic family with two dads, a small boy who wants to be a mermaid, and two male penguins that raise a chick together.
How did it start?
Andrew Moffat introduced the No Outsiders programme in Parkfield Community School in Birmingham – where he was the school’s assistant headteacher at the time – a decade ago
Mr Moffat created it to help primary schools across the UK deliver objectives outlined in the Equality Act.
Pupils are taught about the positive values of diversity, tolerance and acceptance, in a broad curriculum encompassing LGBT rights, same-sex relationships, gender identity, race, religion and colour.
Mr Moffat – who made the shortlist for the world’s “best teacher” award in 2018 for the programme – delivers workshops and training in schools across the UK on the No Outsiders scheme.
Has the programme faced backlash before?
In 2019, the No Outsiders programme sparked protests by mainly Muslim parents who objected to their children learning about same-sex relationships.
Some parents with children at Parkfield Community School raised a petition against the classes, which led to protests at the school and the classes to be suspended during talks with parents and mediators.
In July 2019, it was announced a modified version of the programme would be taught from the start of the autumn term after consultation with parents.
Anderton Park Primary in Birmingham was also at the centre of a series of school gate protests, with people campaigning against LGBT+ teaching.
Protesters were banned from an exclusion zone around the primary school following a court injunction secured by Birmingham City Council.
