Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations with creative ideas to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in England's schools and playgrounds are being encouraged to apply to the one-off £2 million fund.
Grants of between £100,000 and £750,000 are expected to be awarded for projects that are innovative, sustainable, of national significance, and support one, or more, of the following suggested areas:
• Build schools capacity to take appropriate action, develop the knowledge and skills of staff to understand homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying so they have the confidence to identify and deal with it effectively. This might include, for example, staff training and/or resources that focuses specifically on HBT bullying and its causes as well as HBT issues more generally.
• Trial school-based initiatives aimed at addressing HBT bullying, by promoting tolerance, mutual respect and understanding, and challenging prejudice, discrimination, stereotypes and homophobic language. This could include, for example, whole school measures such as classroom-based initiatives linked to schools' curricula subjects, whole-school practical strategies and/or bespoke activities with groups of pupils.
• Establish appropriate and effective pastoral support for victims of bullying which recognise the distinct issues involved in homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.
• Develop a practical suite of tools and/or accessible educational materials and techniques such as lesson plans and other education materials that support schools in preventing and tackling HBT bullying. These materials will disseminate good practice and build schools knowledge, confidence and capacity in this area.
• Establish effective ways that encourage pupils to report bullying through solutions that empower pupils to report HBT bullying and enable schools to monitor the impact and effectiveness of their policies.
For further information and to apply, visit:
https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en¬iceid=1617209&fs=true, or email: [email protected]
The deadline for Stage One applications: 3 December 2014, 12noon