Longbenton High School is proud to support the work of Just Like Us, the LGBTQ+ charity for young people. We have been part of National School Diversity Week since 2017 and a Stonewall Champion School since 2018.
Read more about Just Like Us here http://www.justlikeus.org and about Stonewall here: https://www.stonewall.org.uk
Why does it matter?
- 45% of lesbian, gay, bi, and trans young people have experienced homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying
- More than eight in ten teachers have never had any specific training in how to tackle homophobic bullying
- One in three trans pupils are not able to be known by their preferred name at school
- 64% of trans pupils are bullied at school for being trans
Please read our latest June 2020 Longbenton Pride Newsletter on our Student Perspective page here: https://longbenton.org.uk/students/lgbt/student-perspective
Q-RIEZ DRAGYNS
Q-riez Dragyns (Curious Dragons, that is!) is a discussion and debate club, run by Miss Lowery, who set up the group as she believes “debating is fun” and she enjoys “hearing what other people think”.
The club meets every Thursday after school in Miss Lowery’s room, to discuss a variety of issues such as mental health, politics, terrorism, LGBT issues and much more. As well as meaty debate, students usually tuck in to cakes, juice and biscuits too!
So why is the debate club becoming so popular, and why is it beneficial to those who go?
Well, debating is a crucial life skill. It can help with confidence and communication, as well as encouraging critical thinking. Miss Lowery told us, “It can help with your skills of persuasion. It also helps with other lessons, making links across the subjects. You can also channel negative thoughts into positive ones through debating”.
What are the positive impacts of the club?
Students who attend the club say they have found that debating serious issues can lead to a change in mind-set on some of these topics, and it allows the opportunity to see things from others’ perspectives. Miss Lowery added, “Debating and discussion have the power to change your mind and your opinions on things.”
The club is open to all of KS3. It is not religious and you don’t have to commit to it for the whole year. It is very relaxed and provides a safe space to share ideas and opinions. Plus, of course, the cakes, biscuits and juice!
If this is something you are interested in, as Miss Lowery for more details.
