Displaying items by tag: Parkfield School

The ASCL, the second-largest head teachers’ union, has 18,500+ members, most of whom are in favour of relationship and sex education (RSE). Education secretary Damian Hinds will speak at their annual conference in Birmingham (15 to 16 March). In February he published new guidelines which state that parents will have no right to take their children out of RSE lessons. LGBT activist Andrew Moffat has been developing gay programmes while working as a teacher in Birmingham schools. Most recently he has piloted a programme called ‘No Outsiders’ at Parkfield School. Parents are currently protesting at Parkfield and calling for Moffat to go (see). Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman will also address the conference. She has condemned the parental protests and called for ‘sane, rational discussion’. Concerned Christians will be demonstrating outside the venue on both days, and ask for our prayers.

Birmingham Mail recently reported clashes between parents and Parkfield Community School over a pilot curriculum challenging homophobia in primary schools. The deputy head of Parkfield, Andrew Moffat, who is openly gay, created the programme. The parents’ objection was not his sexuality, but the curriculum, called ‘No Outsiders’. They feel it goes against their religious beliefs regarding homosexual relationships. The school is mainly attended by Muslim children. Moffat has a lot of support in local government, and was given an MBE for services to education equality and diversity. Tristan Chatfield, the cabinet member for social inclusion, has suggested the parents are simply misinformed about what the school is trying to do. On 7 February dozens of parents gathered outside the school gates to object to transsexualism being taught to primary-age children. See