‘Stand Up and Act Out’

A drama-based, anti-bias curriculum covering 100% of Relationships Education – in just six weeks!

Please note, price is for annual access.

Questions? Just ask! hello@pyjamadrama.com

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 from Sept. 2020), 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

When to deliver the curriculum and how long it lasts

Choose to deliver the curriculum at any time that suits your school. ‘Stand Up and Act Out’ consists of an introductory 20 minute lesson/assembly and 6 one-hour lessons for KS1 & KS2. You can deliver it, therefore, over six weeks or as part of a ‘focus week’ such as Anti-Bullying Week.

Anti-Bullying Week

‘Stand Up and Act Out’ is perfect for Anti-Bullying Week (15 – 19 Nov 2021). This curriculum acts as a preventative anti-bullying curriculum by normalising Upstander behaviours and celebrating difference (both real and perceived, in your school and the wider world).

In every one hour lesson, children are introduced to a different character who is being teased, bullied or picked on because they are different (or because people think they are different).

Through discussion and drama-based games and activities they explore the character’s situation by taking on roles including Upstanders and Bystanders. They develop a knowledge, understanding and appreciation of difference and through drama, develop the skills and confidence they need to celebrate difference and stand up for someone (respectfully) should they see them being teased or bullied.

This is a curriculum with collaboration, kindness and school spirit at its very heart. Becoming a Stand Up School is powerful, fun and easy even for non-drama specialists to deliver. It develops kind, caring, curious, confident, open and accepting students who can go out into our wonderfully diverse world and have fun, succeed and make a difference!

To use ‘Stand Up and Act Out’ for Anti-Bullying Week, rather than delivering the curriculum over 6 weeks, you’ll make it a focus of the week in the following way.

Monday Deliver the 20 minute introductory lesson as a whole-school assembly to kick-start Anti-Bullying Week and launch your Stand Up School! Deliver lesson 1 in individual classrooms to KS1 and 2

Tuesday Deliver lesson 2

Wednesday Deliver lesson 3

Thursday Deliver lesson 4

Friday Deliver lesson 5

Lesson 6: Because ‘Stand Up and Act Out’ meets 100% of Relationships Education, there is a sixth lesson for all year groups which focuses on how students stand up for themselves if they feel unsafe. This can be delivered at any point after Anti-Bullying Week that’s convenient for your school.

Nursery and Reception: ‘Stand Up and Act Out’ has been written predominantly for English schools to deliver Relationships Education and therefore the focus is Key Stages 1 and 2. However, all purchases of the curriculum will come with a bonus set of activities to deliver to your Nursery and Reception classes which can be used to either help celebrate Anti-Bullying Week, or at any other time during the year. These bonus resources will be made available to everyone by the end of October 2021.

Costs and what’s included

The cost is £350 per year, per school.

To pay on invoice, please email hello@pyjamadrama.com

36 age-appropriate lessons (6 per year, years 1 – 6)
Bonus activities for Nursery/Reception (two games, and our original song, ‘Someone Very Special’)
Full coverage of Relationships Education (English National Curriculum)
Introductory lesson (can be delivered as a whole-school assembly)
Initial online training (pre-recorded,1 hour)
Fully comprehensive training videos
Ongoing support via email and in our online support forum
Music and supporting resources
Printable letter home introducing the curriculum