Aardman video helps consent lesson plan achieve top mark

• A 90 second video, produced by the creators of Wallace & Gromit for schools in Gloucestershire, has helped land a top teaching award
• Bristol-based Academy Award® and BAFTA® award-winning animation studio Aardman, was commissioned by Gloucestershire’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to create the film to teach primary school children the meaning of consent
• It was incorporated into lesson a plan by Gloucestershire Healthy Living and Learning (GHLL) and has now been awarded a Quality Mark for its contribution to Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
• It means the resources have been recognised as meeting the best practice principles of the national body for PSHE education, and will be distributed to over 50,000 teachers nationwide
• Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson said, “This innovative campaign provides a friendly and engaging way for young people to talk about consent and encourages respectful behaviour from an early age”.

It started as a video to teach primary school children an important lesson about ‘consent’.

“It’s not about getting the answer you want, but listening to the one you get,” was the message of a 90 second animation, produced by the creators of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep and funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Gloucestershire.

The video was incorporated into a lesson plan, created by Gloucestershire Healthy Living and Learning (GHLL), as part of a commitment to tackling Violence and Intimidation against Women and Girls in the county.

Now, it has been awarded a Quality Mark for its contribution to Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) – one of the highest symbols of excellence in teaching. It means the resources have been recognised as meeting the best practice principles of the national body for PSHE education, and follows a rigorous application process.

It will feature on the PSHE Association website, which attracts over 2.5 million visitors per year, and will be distributed to over 50,000 teachers nationwide, ensuring as many children as possible are able to benefit.

Kirsten Harrison, Director of Education at Gloucestershire County Council said: “Teaching and learning about giving and gaining consent is vital to help children and young people to stay safe and nurture positive, healthy relationships.

“These innovative resources have provided a friendly and engaging way for young people to talk about consent and boundaries, encouraging respectful behaviour from an early age. I am delighted that the PSHE Association has recognised how valuable they are which is testament to the efforts of everyone involved in developing them.”

Animation is a powerful tool for communicating difficult messages

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner secured funding through the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund, and approached the Bristol-based BAFTA® and Academy Award®-winning animation studio, Aardman to work on the project.

Best known for characters including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph, the animation giant produced the project, which aims to make a real difference to the future safety of women and girls in the South West, by helping children to understand what consent means, in lots of everyday contexts.

Aardman producer Nick Miller said, “It’s wonderful to hear that the consent film that we produced for the Gloucestershire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) has been awarded the Quality Mark, enabling children on a national level to benefit from such an important resource.

“Animation is a powerful tool for communicating difficult messages and it’s brilliant to see the film has been recognised in this way by the PSHE Association.”

GHLL is funded by Gloucestershire County Council and Public Health. It provides support for all schools and colleges in the county to help support staff, children, and their families to improve their lives through making positive choices around physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.

Gloucestershire PCC Chris Nelson said: “We were delighted to work with GHLL and have the support of such a talented and globally respected team as Aardman after my office worked hard to secure the Safer Streets funding which made it possible.

“This innovative campaign provides a friendly and engaging way for young people to talk about consent and boundaries, encouraging respectful behaviour from an early age, which I hope will benefit the next generation growing up in the county.

“If we are to change the culture of violence again women and girls, which is inflicted mainly by men, we have to challenge such behaviour as early as possible.

“It also demonstrates how Aardman values its social responsibility to young people in the South West”.

A focus group of experts approved the video throughout its various production stages

The GHLL resources were developed for primary schools (key stage 2) and made available to all schools and colleges in the county as part of the PSHE spiral curriculum in Gloucestershire.

The lesson plan and resources include scenarios and role-play to help children understand what is meant by consent, the importance of gaining and giving consent, and that it can be withdrawn at any time.

Prior to its launch last year, a focus group of experts approved the video throughout its various production stages to ensure its messaging, tone and treatment was appropriate for its intended audience of nine to 13-year-olds.

The group included representatives from Gloucestershire Constabulary, West Mercia Women’s Aid, Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS), Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Assault Centre (GRASAC) and Gloucestershire Healthy Living and Learning Programme (GHLL).

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