School speakers

We have free, trained, and experienced volunteers across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that can help you and your school. Using their life experience and knowledge, our school speakers can bring a personal dimension to young people’s study of humanism that goes ‘beyond the textbook’. They offer a range of services and will fit around your needs and requirements.

We offer both in-person and virtual visits. Where we can’t find somebody local to visit in-person, we will try to find someone who can visit remotely.

Humanists UK has been endorsed by OCN London, certifying the high quality of our training. Our school speaker service has also received external accreditation by RE Hubs.

 

‘How wonderful your talks were this afternoon. You gave the children a fantastic insight into the practices and philosophy behind humanism. The children were captivated from start to finish and were delighted that you could answer their questions. Thank you for speaking so confidently and eloquently. It was a pleasure to have you here and we hope to see you again next year!’
Tom Anstiss, KS2 teacher and year leader

 

Request a school speaker

Click here to request a visit from a school speaker.

 

‘The overall experience was excellent. From the initial email which was responded to quickly, to setting up a local speaker who contacted me immediately, to setting up a visit with ease, and finally the talk itself which was relevant, engaging and thought provoking. Thank you very much and I look forward to working with you again in future!’
Aimee Horsley, KS5 teacher

 

Please see our Code of Practice and Values and Terms and Conditions for schools.

Below are just some of the ways our school speakers can contribute:

• Talk about humanism and take part in a Q&A in an assembly or in the classroom
• Share their personal experiences, beliefs, and values, and explain what being a humanist means to them
• Give a humanist perspective on a contemporary debate (eg. assisted dying, animal welfare)
• Contribute to a specialist day (i.e. ‘collapsed’ or ‘off timetable’ day) for a whole-year group
• Take part in a multi-faith and belief panel dialogue exploring different viewpoints
• Work directly with teachers by providing specialist information or material

 

‘I was excited to meet you because I’ve never met, or heard of, anyone being a humanist before. When you introduced yourself it was good because it helped us get to know you a bit better. It made me consider you as a person, rather than just ‘a humanist’, which is what we were expecting.’
KS2 students, Harrogate

 

Become a school speaker

Would you like to become a humanist school speaker or do you know somebody who would make a great school speaker?

Click here to find out more about our training courses and get in touch!