Attainment targets? What if my school sets objectives based on Programmes of Study?

Opinions can be divided on this. Programmes of Study instruct us what needs to be covered in each subject. Attainment targets tell us the degree of knowledge/aptitude of skill each pupil needs to have at their level. We have linked to attainment targets rather than programmes of study to ensure that these lessons give pupils the opportunity to increase attainment in the subjects’ required skills. If diversity/equality issues don’t feature in subject’s attainment targets e.g. Maths, then we believe they shouldn’t feature as part of the lesson objectives. This avoids LGBT related lessons where diversity issues feel incongruous to the subject knowledge, and where learning feels forced and out of context. By staying focused on the attainment targets i.e. what the pupils need to know, Schools OUT lessons ensure that all teachers and learners can find relevance in the mention/examination of LGBT experience. In PSHE and Citizenship however, objectives will specifically target an improved knowledge of LGBT experience, as part of a wider understanding of diversity, identity, and prejudice/discrimination. This is central to the PSHE and Citizenship curriculum. Whether or not it is the lesson objective however, the crucial element in all of our lessons, is to raise the visibility of LGBT people in the classroom.