Changing Faces Face Equality children's poster campaign
Notes for teachers - Effective use of the children’s posters in schools
Use of the posters in schools may raise questions, discussion points and issues which you may find tricky to deal with.
We recommend that any issues arising from the posters are handled positively by all staff, so please feel free to pass our advice on to your colleagues.
Pupils have unanswered questions about the young person in the poster.
We would encourage you to be completely honest and use matter of fact language when responding to pupil’s questions. For more about Harry, Max, Lauren and Lucas, please see our interview-style personal stories here. Alternatively, you could encourage independent internet research for older pupils (there are numerous articles, new stories and interviews about the children on-line.)
A poster is defaced.
It is important to acknowledge any comments or other additions made on the posters (rather than simply taking a 'defaced' poster down). This can be done by using form time with each class to have a discussion about the comments and the posters and/or adding a further comment in a speech bubble. For example, a general speech bubble might say “That’s just the way my face is. I don’t let it bother me.” Alternatively, you could write something more specific. Harry’s poster could say “I got my scars in a fire when I was younger, but I’m ok now”.
A pupil makes an unfavourable comparison between the children on the posters and their peers.
For advice about how best to deal with teasing, name-calling and bullying, please read our teacher's guides.
Click here for work with primary children.
Click here for work with secondary school students.
Pupils have more general questions about disfigurement.
The most effective way to respond to questions and curiosity about visible difference is to react in a positive and frank way. For more advice and examples, please look at our guides:
Click here for work with primary children.
Click here for work with secondary school students.
If you would like any more help and advice about using the posters in school please do not hesitate to email us at info@changingfaces.org.uk. Alternatively, you might like to attend one of our training days to ensure that you feel completely disfigurement confident.
Please remember that ‘disfigurement’ can include a wide range of different conditions such as birthmarks, cleft lips and palates, cranio-facial conditions, burns and scalds, skin conditions like eczema and acne, facial paralysis, and scarring from accidents in the home, on the sports pitch or from dogs or road accidents.
To find out more about the Children's Face Equality Campaign and how to take it into your school, please click here.
