Schools in Croydon have this week hosted a new educational resource, designed to teach young women about periods in a more open and engaging way.
The Betty Bus, stopping at a school near you last week
Pupils at Park Hill Junior School, The Woodside Academy Primary School, Philip Southcote School and two other schools in the area experienced the interactive activities on board the “Betty Bus” as part of its tour of the country.
During the bus visits, female pupils took part in the one-hour sessions with trained facilitators helping explore how periods can affect them both physically and emotionally, and encouraging them to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable raising in the classroom. In co-ed schools, boys were offered the opportunity to take part in separate sessions on puberty, focusing on their understanding and attitude towards this perfectly natural time of month.
The “Betty Bus” has been designed to support and enhance learning from “Betty for Schools”, a curriculum-linked period education programme for teachers of pupils aged eight to 12, which was launched at the Education Show in Birmingham in March.
The programme of free resources has been created together with education experts and young people and is accredited by the PSHE Association. There is also a section on the bettyforschools.co.uk website for parents, with advice and information to help them tackle conversations with their children about periods with confidence.
Rebecca Martin, from Betty for Schools, said, “We’re really excited to be touring the Betty Bus, and it’s been fantastic to see such positive responses from the teachers and pupils involved. All of the resources available at bettyforschools.co.uk have been created to help empower teachers to deliver sessions about periods with confidence, and to encourage open, respectful and honest conversations about periods and the way they affect girls.”
And one of the senior staff members at Park Hill Junior said, “The Betty Bus and resources have proved incredibly beneficial for our students and teachers. It’s a great way of teaching and engaging the children and encouraging them to feel comfortable about their bodies and talk about periods within a trusting environment.”
Teachers can apply for a free visit from the Betty Bus for their pupils by registering their interest at www.bettyforschools.co.uk.
The free Betty for Schools PSHE resources are also available to download from this site.
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