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The head at a Birmingham primary school has called for the Government to reject attempts to dilute messages of equality around LGBT issues - or risk a "bleak future."

Anderton Park Primary School in Moseley has been the subject of daily protests from some parents over the equality lessons.

Headteacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson has now called for action from the Government - and revealed the strain her staff have been under.

(Image: Birmingham Mail/Darren Quinton)

She said: "If someone is going to tell us that there are elements of the equality agenda that we just can't talk about, then I think we have a constitutional crisis. It is a terrifying prospect.

"This is the thin end of the wedge.

"If we succumb to what parents demand on this particular issue, and agree not to mention LGBT equality to young children, what do we say if there is a far right parents' group demanding we stop saying religions are equal, or black people are equal to white people? Where does it end?"

(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)

Anderton Park Primary School , where around 80% of the 700 pupils are Muslim, has been the focus of daily protests from campaigners who want the school to stop talking about alternative family relationships and gay equality in front of their young children.

"Let Kids Be Kids" and "Our Kids, Our Choice" are the mantras chanted daily outside the school gates at home-time by up to 40 protestors. They say the school has failed to properly consult them about what they declare are 'inappropriate' teachings about LGBT issues.

'For 10 minutes at the end of the day we feel a bit under siege.'

Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson has been forced to defend her school's reputation while supporting staff who have been 'really hurt and stressed' by the ongoing protests.

She said: "Our staff do an amazing job, and for most of the school day we are just a normal, happy school, talking about Shakespeare, or fractions, or like today, making peace posters to send to a mosque in New Zealand .

"But for 10 minutes at the end of the day we feel a bit under siege - we have to send some of the children out through different exits for example. It is very unpleasant."

But the campaign has failed to dent her commitment to equality rights, nor to persuade her that the school is doing anything wrong or inappropriate.

(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)

"It has been difficult but this really matters," she said.

"People seem to think we are actively promoting being gay. It is simply not true. That is like saying we are promoting being black, or being disabled - also protected characteristics under the Equality Act.

"About as much as we say to younger children is that some children have two daddies or two mummies. It is totally age appropriate. We would no more talk about homosexual sex as heterosexual sex - it is nonsense."

(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)

Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson has written twice to Education Secretary Damian Hinds calling for his support on the issue.

Most recently she has written posing a series of questions, including: "How can we fulfil our duties as public servants under the Equalities Act if we cannot talk about gay people?"

In the video below she talks about the impact on her school of the protests:

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Clearly agitated by the confusing messages from the Government, she is full of praise for the support shown by Birmingham City Council on the issue.

Local councillors Kerry Jenkins and Martin Strakers Weld have been actively supporting the school, while council leader Ian Ward and cabinet member for communities John Cotton have issued strong messages about equality.

Councillor John Cotton, cabinet member for community safety and equalities , said: “Birmingham City Council has for many years championed programmes such as No Outsiders as a way of promoting the values of the 2010 Equality Act.

“Equality is the law of the land and a right for all, and people can’t pick and choose which parts of the Act they support."

The head is also effusive in her praise of her staff - around half of whom are Muslim - and 'the vast majority of parents' at the school.

In the past month she has had individual meetings with around 50 parents, issued six newsletters about the issue, and made a video of herself talking through the questions raised to reach as many parents as possible.

The school has also created a grid for parents highlighting the words being used to share with parents to try to dispel myths about what is being taught.

(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)

The headteacher said: "We are not doing anything different now to what we have been doing for some years.

"We have no programme like No Outsiders , no scheme or lesson plan, and no relationships lessons where we specifically talk about gay people.

"What we seek to do here is 'usualise' the issue and just make it part of regular conversations.

"We hand out certificates every week at assembly for kids who challenge stereotypes and promote equality. Occasionally I might ask children for examples to remind ourselves what equality means: a child will put up their hand and say 'boys and girls are equal'; or black people and white people, whatever your skin colour, it doesn't matter, all equal; or people with two mummies or one mummy and one daddy, all equal.

"This is not to underplay that some parents have some genuine sensitivities and difficulties around this issue. I totally understand there is a tension. They may have no knowledge of LGBT people, or ask why we do this when it was not done when they were at school. Of course we must then talk about it, we will talk through those issues, and I will also explain the legal issues involved."

What she finds especially concerning is the campaigners' use of words like 'sexualisation' - implying teachers are talking about sexual activity.

"When we read Cinderella and you have Prince Charming and Cinderella get married and live happily ever after, nobody ever implies a sexual relationship. But for some reason the mere mention of two mummies or daddies means it has to be about sex somehow - which is just not true, at all."

She said she has had lots of messages of support from the education and LGBT communities.

"One card said 'thank God someone is standing up for this equality law. When I was at school, nobody talked about this and I struggled with my identity all my early life. If someone only had said those words to me, that it was okay to be gay, or it was okay for a family to have two mummies, I'd have felt so much better."

She added: "We are educators. Our role is teach children to divide fractions, to know what a fronted adverbial is, or the positive impact of ancient Greece on modern society.

"But it's also to help children to be kind, to resolve differences, to know they can have friends of different backgrounds and faiths, to know that black people are equal to white people, and gay people are equal to straight people, and women are equal to men.

"There is a set of laws that apply to me as an educator that don't apply to parents. There is a legal duty for me to tackle prejudice and highlight equality, in all its forms - there is no legal requirement on a parent to do that.

(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)

"My worry is about where we go from here? Are we going to say that actually, yes, we will single out LGBT equality rights and put a caveat in the Equality Act, and say there is going to be a different law because we don't want children to hear these words until they are seven, or some other age? That is a terrifying prospect."

"If we stay quiet on this as educators we are going down a very dark road."

Across the city, schools are wrestling with the issue amid a flurry of concerns raised by parents, often on the grounds of a conflict with religious beliefs.

Parkfield Community School in Alum Rock was initially the focus of complaints about its No Outsiders programme, introduced by the school's assistant head Andrew Moffatt as a way to fulfil the Equality Act requirements in a coordinated way. Using books and lesson plans, children are introduced to diverse characters in different family relationships.

The academy school's leaders are currently involved in talks with parents to try to resolve their complaints about whether the programme is age appropriate and to agree a way forward. Ofsted has already independently ruled the programme is age appropriate and the school has retained its Outstanding rating.

Now more academy schools have told parents they have suspended their equality programmes, pending consultation with parents.

The Leigh Trust, which runs four schools in the city, says it has suspended lessons until after Ramadan in June.

While the Inspire Education Community Trust which runs City Road Primary School in Rotton Park Road has written to parents to say it too has suspended lessons 'for this academic year' after concerns were expressed by some parents.

A meeting of LGBT campaigners was held in the city (Thursday March 28), where some gay people voiced their concern that vocal and intimidating protests had been allowed to proceed without police intervention.

More than 100 people attended the meeting, where several reported they felt increasingly threatened, anxious and frightened as a result of the protests.

Insp Matt Crowley told them that protests outside Parkfield school had not constituted a crime, despite coming "very close to that line".

He said policing "hadn't been perfect" but the force took hate crime "very seriously".

In an official statement about the Anderton Park School protests, a spokesman said: "A small group have gathered outside Anderton Park School, Moseley exercising their right to protest peacefully on a number of occasions.

"Police are working closely with the school and the local community to facilitate any planned protests, and prevent a breach of the peace. Officers are present at these protests to ensure no criminal offences take place."

What does the law say?

The Equality Act has been in place since 2010 to protect people against discrimination at work, at school and in wider society. It includes a public sector equality duty that says if you are a public servant you must eliminate discrimination, challenge prejudice, and seek to foster good relationships between and about people with protected characteristics - which include gender, race, religion, disability and sexual orientation.

Earlier this week a vast majority of MPs voted in favour of new regulations to make relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory in English schools from September 2020 - the first official update for a decade.

A draft of the curriculum guidance issued at the start of this year is believed to have triggered concerns among parents, as it spelled out that teaching about relationships at primary schools - including encouraging discussion about different families - was to become compulsory.

Under the reforms, parents can only withdraw their children from sex education up to the age of 15 while families cannot take pupils out of relationship classes in primary school.