betty for schools

Woolston Community Primary School, WarringtonAt Woolston Community Primary School we are committed to making sure we do our best by those children that walk through the front gates each morning. This means we are constantly reviewing our lesson content, our teaching styles and pastoral care practices.We recently decided to review how we were teaching our children about the effects of puberty, and specifically, periods. The average age at which girls start their period has been coming down for years and we realised that some children were starting their period without being fully equipped with the right information. When we came across the betty for schools website we thought it had a really refreshing and innovative take on period education and felt the teaching resources were a real departure from any we had seen or used before for this topic. We’ve only been using the resources for a short time but have already noticed a difference in how the pupils are responding to the lessons, and in how confident the teachers are feeling about tackling them. Earlier this year we also had a visit from the betty bus, and I don’t think anyone could believe how much fun the children had and how engaged they were with the interactive lessons about periods. For the girls, visiting the bus was like going out on a school trip and yet they were so absorbed by the subject; the questions they asked, and the feedback they gave showed just how much they were really taking on board. As a result of using the betty for schools resources, the teachers at Woolston Community Primary School have decided to change the way we teach about periods, moving to mixed gender lessons rather than teaching boys and girls separately. Siobhan Bentley, deputy headteacher at Woolston Community Primary School, said: “The betty bus and betty for schools resources have proved incredibly beneficial for our students. We’ve noticed changes to their confidence and, among boys, their level of empathy. It’s a really powerful way of teaching and engaging with children and has helped our teachers feel more empowered to talk openly about periods. We would recommend these free resources to any teachers or schools looking for a new way to teach students about periods.” Chobham Academy, LondonJoshua Avory, Director of Learning – Performing Arts At Chobham Academy we are proud to have been part of the betty for schools story from the very start, as several of our pupils starred in the classroom resources and videos. I think this involvement has made it an even easier ‘sell’ to the teachers and pupils in our school, but even without this I’m certain they would have gone down well as the resources bring such a fresh approach to this subject area. The teaching resources are all engaging and user friendly with a mixture of imagery, videos, and interactive elements. I think the fact that the target audience has been carefully considered with every part of the resources shines through.Tackling issues around feminine healthcare has always been an issue for many teachers. The resources come from a different angle with the young person at the heart of what Betty are trying to achieve and I think this has made a real difference to the classroom experience for both the pupils and teachers. For us the betty for schools resources have been an incredible tool in helping pupils engage with the topic of periods and to stop thinking of them as something taboo.  

In March 2017, we launched our experiential workshops which include the betty bus and our classroom-based workshops. We have visited over 220 primary and secondary schools to date and offered workshops to girls and boys in Years 5-8. Interest in the bus has outstripped all expectations. We set an initial target of 85 requests for visits within the first 12 months. We received over 600 visit requests within the first two months - our waiting list now exceeds 900 schools.From schools, to education events, to Girlguiding, we’re on a mission to break the period taboo. The experiential, innovative sessions onboard the bus offer an out of classroom experience to help facilitate open and honest conversations - and the response has been incredible.“What a fantastic experience handled in a fun, sensitive manner! A fantastic resource!” - Claire Trebilcock, Year 5 teacher Boringdon Primary School.“A warm, lively, wonderful experience. That was such fun – took the mystery out of periods and empowered the girls so that they will be able to support each other in the future. Thank you!” Year 6 teacher Maynard SchoolOur trained facilitators help girls to explore how periods can affect their emotions and what they can do to combat them - and don't worry, we haven't forgotten about the boys! We offer in-depth sessions which focus on their attitude and understanding around that perfectly natural time of the month!The success of the betty workshops is shown by the fact 99% of teachers would recommend the betty bus to other schools and, an overwhelming majority of teachers, 93%, would like to invite betty back to their school again!  

As well as creating significant impact across schools for period education, betty for schools has also won a host of awards including a bronze EVCOM award for the social videos, two gold and one silver EVCOM Clarion awards for our betty workshops and highly commended in the Free Education Resources category at the Education Resource Awards.

At betty, we encourage open and honest conversations about periods, making us your child’s go-to place for period and puberty advice, plus fun quizzes and lifestyle features.For a knowledgable hub filled with all things lols, love and loadsa period info that you can easily get your hands on, head to betty.me. Just think of us as your brill older sis! Still unsure about the whole growing up thing? Don't worry, we have all the answers.

We cannot believe it’s been a year since betty for schools launched at the Education Show at the NEC in Birmingham, March 2017!The success of the programme, which is designed to highlight both the emotional and physical aspects of period education, marks a significant first year for betty for schools. Nearly half a million pupils aged between 8-12 have experienced both the workshops and resources, contributing towards the goal of creating a generation of girls and boys who are comfortable and confident in talking about periods.Our betty bus, used by facilitators to support and enhance learning, visited a total of 210 schools across the UK reaching approximately 17,000 pupils, and the PSHE accredited online teaching resources were downloaded over 60,000 times and shared with over 500,000 pupils. The combined efforts of both the programme’s workshops and resources resulted in reaching over half a million pupils and 3,700 schools in the UK.Research commissioned by our betty team after the first year of school visits found that after a betty for schools workshop, 69% of girls said they felt less scared or worried about starting their period, and 81% of boys stated that they felt they knew how to support someone if they were feeling unwell or emotional due to their period.The betty for schools programme plans to build on the year’s successes and look to 2018 as a year for change, with a focus on elevating period education to the forefront of PSHE education and the curriculum, with the aim of reaching every girl and boy aged 8-12 in the UK.With period poverty dominating current conversations, and many schools ill-equipped with the resources they need to teach period education, betty for schools is tackling the issue by donating 40,000 pieces of femcare to the most deprived schools in the UK. Becky Hipkiss, Education Manager at betty for schools comments:“It’s been an amazing first year, we knew that the bus and resources were a step in the right direction but the success has exceeded any expectations we had.“We’re all very excited to see where this takes us, and are looking forward to pushing period education to the forefront of the curriculum in 2018, working with teachers and schools to give this important issue a larger platform, in addition to helping to tackle period poverty.“We know that there is still a huge amount more to do if we want the topic of periods to be totally normalised for the next generation, but the feedback we’ve received has proven to us that the appetite exists!”

At betty, we encourage open and honest conversations about periods, making us your child’s go-to place for period and puberty advice, plus fun quizzes and lifestyle features.And don’t worry, we’ve got you covered too – our Parents’ Hub is a supportive space for grown ups to get clued up on puberty and periods for both girls and boys. Access it here: https://www.betty.me/parents/