KS3-KS5 assembly
Introduction to Masculinity
Our interactive assembly for KS3, KS4 and KS5 explores the pressures and expectations young people can experience around gender, identity and belonging.
Students are introduced to the idea of an "unofficial rulebook" — the unwritten expectations that can shape how we think we're supposed to look, behave or respond in order to fit in. They explore where these expectations come from, how they can sometimes conflict with what we know is good for us, and how they influence everyday choices, from asking for help or showing emotion, to trying hard, treating others with respect, or feeling able to be yourself.
The assembly then moves from pressure to possibility. Students consider what they can do when they notice these pressures: pause, reflect on what's influencing them, choose how they want to respond, and help make it easier for other people to be themselves too.
The aim is not to tell students exactly who they should be. It is to help them develop greater awareness and choice in how they respond to the expectations around them.
Students will be encouraged to:
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Recognise some of the unwritten social and gender expectations that can influence young people.
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Consider where these expectations come from, including friends, family, school, media and social media.
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Notice when the pressure to fit in may conflict with what they actually want, value or know is good for them.
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Understand that the expectations we inherit don't automatically have to determine our choices.
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Practise a simple process of noticing pressure and choosing how they want to respond.
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Consider how their reactions to other people can make it easier — or harder — for others to be themselves.
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Recognise that they can use their voice and seek support when they want to help improve the culture around them.
How this supports healthy masculinity
For us, healthy masculinity isn't a checklist of what a "good man" should be — that just swaps one set of restrictive expectations for another. Instead, we treat it as a process of reflection, flexibility and choice, helping boys question whether the expectations they've inherited are helping or limiting them, without presenting boys themselves as the problem.
We include everyone in mixed-gender settings, since gender expectations and peer cultures are shaped by all students, while keeping a particular focus on boys and young men, as expectations around masculinity are often why schools invite us in.
Our message is simple: we may not choose the expectations we inherit, but we can become more aware of them, choose our response, and help others feel able to be themselves too.