Key Information for Schools
What does it mean for my school to get involved? 
Equally Safe at School (ESAS) is designed as a whole school approach: a series of separate parts which all contribute to a holistic approach. ESAS enables schools to sustainably embed preventative measures across their systems, culture and ethos using the following tools:
- A dashboard for senior leaders to manage and oversee progress
- Template information for communicating with parents, carers and young people
- Self-assessment materials for use with staff and students to identify the school’s priorities
- Materials to guide and facilitate an ‘Action Group’ made up of students and staff to tackle the school’s priorities
- Links to teaching resources about gender-based violence (GBV) and gender equality
- An e-learning module for staff and information about how to access local training
- Materials to help schools embed GBV prevention into policies
- Monitoring and evaluation tools
The ESAS approach is about complementing good work, not replacing it; all other work schools are doing that takes a gendered analysis and aligns with the Equally Safe Strategy, contributes to a whole school approach. You can read more about other key interventions and resources to tackle GBV and promote gender equality here.
Information for School Leaders
The School Leadership Team plays a critical role in leading and sustaining ESAS.
A key finding of the ESAS pilot is that the intervention works best when it is visibly and actively supported by senior management. This involves:
- Planning how it can best be integrated into the life of the school
- Motivating staff and students
- Celebrating the work of the young people and staff involved
- Disseminating information and delegating tasks
- Scheduling ESAS activities
- Engaging with parents and carers
Through leading by example, modelling positive use of power, promoting participatory values, and demonstrating genuine commitment to gender equality, the School Leadership Team can send out a powerful message that advancing gender equality and addressing GBV is a top priority within the school community.
How Long Does ESAS Take? 
Schools can decide their own timescales and pace for carrying out ESAS activities, however our learning from the pilot is that momentum is key to impact and success.
We suggest scheduling the main activities to take place over one to two years – though this will depend on schools’ capacity and other priority areas of work. It is of course better to take a gradual and sustained approach, monitoring and reflecting on the impact of your activities, than to try to complete everything as quickly as possible.
The impact is ultimately about the change made to your school, rather than how many activities have been completed: changes such as the knowledge and attitudes of young people and staff, the prevalence of sexism and harmful gender norms, the support given to young people affected by GBV, and ultimately to levels of gendered violence.
We therefore recommend that schools engage with ESAS as holistically as possible. However, whilst a holistic approach is recommended, schools can of course choose to take a lighter-touch approach, drawing down whichever tools they wish without undertaking all activities.
