Anston Hillcrest Primary is proud to be a ‘No Outsiders’ school. No Outsiders is about equality and acceptance and encourages children to be respectful and considerate of all people regardless of their age, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender. It’s intended to support a school’s ethos where children are taught to identify, respect and accept difference and develop confidence in who they are as they navigate their childhood recognising it’s ok to be different to someone else, that everyone is welcome in school. That complements our vision here at Anston Hillcrest Primary.
You can read more about No Outsiders on their website - here
For an in depth discussion of the No Outsiders ethos, parents can also see "No Outsiders: Everyone Different, Everyone Welcome Preparing for Life in Modern Britain" by Andrew Moffat, from which the description of all the books below are adapted.
No Outsiders - Book Collections
The No Outsiders ethos is supported in school by a collection of books, selected for each year group, which explore inclusive themes. You can read a little about each book in the sections below:
FS1 and FS2
In the Early Years Foundation Stage we introduce No Outsiders with the simple message that we are all different, that's ok and that we can all still be friends. In You Choose and Red Rockets and Rainbow Jelly children are encouraged to think about how we all like different things but that we still like each other. Hello Hello shows different animals of varying shapes and colours but all say hello to each other and leave nobody out. The Family Book shows different types of family whilst Mummy, Mama and Me helps children understand some families have two mums (or two dads). In Blue Chameleon a lonely chameleon tries to make friends by changing colour to match the colours of others. At the end, he Chameleon realises you can be yourself and you don't have to change to make friends.
Year 1
In Year 1 we develop the understanding of difference to consider ways in which we might be different and how that can make you feel. In Elmer an elephant decides to hide his difference, but realises at the end he should celebrate it. Going to the Volcano shows a huge range of different characters working together so that no one is left out. Want to Play Trucks? focuses on conversations between Jack and Alex, one of whom likes to play with dolls and the other with trucks, showing children how they might find solutions to conflict and subtly exploring gender expectations at the same time. Hair, It's a Family Affair encourages children to celebrate their family and the ways their family might be different. My World Your World explores how two children are different before finding a way they are similar. In Errol’s Garden Errol knocks on his very diverse set of neighbours’ doors asking for help and everyone joins in!
Year 2
Can I Join Your Club? explores how Duck feels when animals exclude him from their club for not being like them. How to be a Lion shows children that not all lions behave the same way. Leo is gentle and makes friends with a duck. This book explores peer pressure to behave in a certain way as the other lions tell Leonard to be more lion. The Great Big Book of Families is a celebration of diversity in the UK today. Amazing is a snapshot of friendship where the main character uses a wheelchair, but the disability is never mentioned allowing us to demonstrate it's not an issue. What the Jackdaw Saw is a subtle way to promote awareness of communication needs as to ensure all the animals could understand him. Finally, All are Welcome shows us a diverse class of children who come to school with diverse families where everyone is welcome.
Year 3
In This is our House George shuts people out and gives reasons why: because they wear glasses because they are girls because they like tunnels. When is pointed out to George that he has red hair and could also face discrimination the penny drops, this house is for everyone! We're all Wonders is a beautiful story about a boy with a facial disfigurement. He is bullied and he dreams of running away. What would happen in our school? The children are asked to consider what would we say if heard someone being unkind. Beegu gives children an opportunity to explore reasons why the main character, an alien crash landed on earth, feels like an outsider some characters in the story. Stereotypes are explored in The Truth about Old People. What is a stereotype? How do we recognise a stereotype and what can we do if we hear someone being discriminatory? In The Hueys in the New Jumper the Hueys are all the same but one day Rupert knits an orange jumper. This causes much constellation and Rupert is treated as an outsider until others learn it’s okay to be different. Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet provides opportunities for discussion about stereotypes, racism, islamophobia, bullying or boundless mental health is also reference. Does a central character has an imaginary friend.
Year 4
Along Came a Different provides opportunity to discuss attitudes towards race and racism. The red shapes don't like the blue shapes. Who in turn don't like the yellow shapes or the red shapes. At the key point of the story, the shapes draw up a set of segregation rules which give us a class basis to work from what do we think of these rules? In Dogs Don't Do Ballet everyone tells a dog that he can't be a ballerina but he proves in the end you can be what you want to be, In Red: A Crayon Story a crayon who looks red can only colour in blue. This is very distressing for him as he knows he should be read but he cannot get it ‘right’. This tale is a fantastic stimulus for discussion about identity and expectations and for teaching children to be who you are. Aalfred and Aalbert gently shows how two aardvarks get together, helped by a small bluebird. Some children may realise the aardvarks in the story are two males, but that is not the focus of the lesson plan. Rather, the focus is recognising loneliness choosing to help others finding common ground and understanding how companionship affects mental health. When Sadness Comes to Call explores how to recognise feelings of sadness and their impact. Finally, Julian is a Mermaid tells a story of a small boy wanting to be a mermaid. The reader is lead to believe his Grandma is going to tell him off for dressing up but, instead, she supports and helps him.
Year 5
Kenny Lives with Erica and Martina is a book that focuses on attitudes towards LGBT+ people and homophobia to tell a story of a family who are literally made into outside as when a wall is built to block them from the street. Rose Blanche is a beautifully illustrated story through the eyes of a young girl in Nazi occupy territory. Rose doesn't understand why the behaviour of people around her changes and when she meets children in a concentration camp she decides to help them. Mixed leads on from Along Came a Different in year 4. This time the colours construct physical walls and fences to segregate people of different race. When two different colours fall in love, their example serves as a force to alter perceptions. How to Heal a Broken Wing is an Amnesty International book that shows a boy choosing the help of fallen bird. He is the only one to stop and help we return to the concept first raised in year three of choosing to be or not to be a bystander. The Girls provides both a positive representation of different gender but also a stimulus for discussing friendship and recognising the importance of companionship. The story therefore, provides another mental health reference and there is also a subtle LGBT+ moment. And Tango Makes Three is a story about a loving family of penguins adopting a chick and the family happens to consist of two males. The lesson plan for this book highlights the book being banned in some territories and children are encouraged to ask why? In doing this, we recognise that there are differences of opinion in the world about LGBT+ equality. The activity in the plan encourages children to make up their own minds.
Year 6
The year six books have a theme of acceptance. King of the Sky explores feelings of being an outsider from the perspective of a young refugee boy. He forms a friendship with an elderly man who teaches the boy to work with homing patients through the pigeons. In The Only Way is Badger a badger builds a wall across the forest and instructs the other animals to ‘be more badger’ if they do not, they are thrown over the wall. The ending of the story provides much material for discussion about consolatory behaviour and consequence of actions. Leaf describes fears about the unknown and lack of confidence to find out. A polar bear arrives on an island and rather than taking talking to him, the other animals hide and talk about him. This theme is revisited in The Island, which is the powerful study of the power one group of people have over another and the dire consequences of prejudice. Introducing Teddy is about teddy bear who comes out as trans halfway through the story. All of teddy's friends except her as Tilly, no one questions. The final book in the scheme A Day in the Life of Marlon Bondo provides a fantastic opportunity to talk about democracy, prejudice and LGBT plus equality.
