From Tuesday 1st April, secondary schools in the UK will be able to stream all four episodes of Adolescence. To support teachers, parents and carers to navigate conversations around the important topics the series explores, Tender will produce guides and resources which will be available through the Into Film+ streaming service alongside the Netflix show.
As specialists in healthy relationships education, Tender has over 20 years of experience working with schools to prevent violence and abuse before it starts, offering innovative approaches that embed positive values while challenging the dangerous rhetoric present in young people’s lives.
The announcement follows a roundtable discussion convened by the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, with representatives from Tender as well as Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne and producers Emma Feller and Jo Johnson. Other charities in attendance included the NSPCC and The Children’s Society.
Susie McDonald MBE, CEO of Tender, said:
‘Adolescence might be fiction, but it tells a very real story. As specialists in relationships education, Tender is committed to supporting schools, young people and parents/carers with the resources to continue this vital conversation. Together, we can help build a more positive, safe future for the next generation.’
Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer said:
‘As a father, watching this show with my teenage son and daughter, I can tell you – it hit home hard.
‘It’s an important initiative to encourage as many pupils as possible to watch the show. As I see from my own children, openly talking about changes in how they communicate, the content they’re seeing, and exploring the conversations they’re having with their peers is vital if we are to properly support them in navigating contemporary challenges, and deal with malign influences.
‘This isn’t a challenge politicians can simply legislate for. Believe me, if I could pull a lever to solve it, I would. Only by listening and learning from the experiences of young people and charities can we tackle the issues this groundbreaking show raises.’
Jack Thorne, Adolescence Co-Writer, said:
‘We made this show to provoke a conversation. We wanted to pose the question – how do we help stop this growing crisis. So to have the opportunity to take this into schools is beyond our expectations. We hope it’ll lead to teachers talking to the students, but what we really hope is it’ll lead to students talking amongst themselves.’
Find out more about Tender’s work with Netflix and Adolescence.
Further information
Tender CEO Susie McDonald MBE is available for interview.
For interview requests and further media enquiries, please contact katevine@tender.org.uk (Mon-Tues) / isadora@tender.org.uk (Wed-Fri.)
For enquiries regarding Adolescence, please contact Hollie Hart – hollieh@netflix.com.
