Prevent bullying
Research shows most bullying stems from real or perceived differences. "Stand Up and Act Out" uses drama to teach children to recognise and celebrate differences, both in school and beyond, while learning to respectfully stand up for themselves and others—stopping bullying at its root.
When delivered school-wide, children explore differences in culture, ethnicity, (dis)ability, family income and structure, gender, language, physical features, race, religion, talents, and preferences.
Educationally sound
Delivered school-wide, "Stand Up and Act Out" fully supports the mandatory 'Relationships Education' in the English National Curriculum.
Whatever your curriculum, becoming a Stand Up School fosters an ethos where differences are celebrated, and children build confidence, cooperation, curiosity, respect, emotional literacy, and more!
Use more drama
"Stand Up and Act Out" was created to:
- Empower any teaching professional to deliver exceptional drama lessons, regardless of experience.
- Provide more children with opportunities to develop life skills through drama and allow teachers to easily integrate it into their curriculum for affordable and impactful results.
FAQ's
What is ‘Stand Up and Act Out’?
Written by experienced teachers, ‘Stand Up and Act Out’ is a drama-based, anti-bias curriculum that acts to prevent bullying by helping children to examine prejudice, celebrate difference, and practise being Upstanders. Covering 100% of Relationships Education (mandatory in England), students participate in six lessons each year that develop the skills they need all year round!
How do students learn?
Through drama, an inclusive learning tool. Drama encourages children to learn by ‘doing’ and is non-competitive so every child, be they confident, shy, or somewhere in between, has the chance to shine.
Research shows that peer intervention is the most effective way of changing behaviour, which is why students practise being Upstanders (and practise protecting their own safety and well-being) over and over.
Practising in class gives students the confidence to stand up in real life and in this way, ‘Stand Up and Act Out’ acts as a preventative anti-bullying curriculum. Put simply, bullying is much less likely to happen when students are taught about diversity and much less likely to escalate if students know how to intervene.
What do students learn?
Students participate in six, one-hour lessons each year. In every age-appropriate lesson, children sing, play drama games, explore a range of diverse characters, and take on different roles including Bystanders and Upstanders.
In lessons 1 – 5 students learn:
- How to recognise and celebrate differences*, in their own school and the wider world
- How to recognise when someone is being picked on, teased, or bullied because of real or perceived differences
- How to stand up for their classmates safely and respectfully
- How to build and nurture caring, respectful friendships and relationships, on and offline
In lesson 6, students learn how to stand up for themselves, which includes learning:
- How to recognise when their body tells them they feel unsafe
- How to identify a trusted adult
- How to start a conversation about their own safety and well-being with a trusted adult
*Differences explored: Culture and ethnicity, (dis)ability, family income, family structure, gender, language, physical features, race, religion, talents and preferences