What new schools trans guidance says on pronouns, uniforms and single-sex spaces

The Government’s new transgender guidance for schools has insisted that parents should be involved in decisions over children’s gender identity.

The long-awaited advice, which is non-statutory and will go out to a 12-week public consultation, has urged schools to take a “cautious approach” to the issue.

The Department for Education (DfE) said that for some parts of school life “biological sex is fundamentally important” to ensuring safety and fairness.

Here’s what’s in the trans guidance at a glance:

Parents should have a say

The DfE said the “fundamental principle” behind the new draft guidance is that parents should be involved in decisions about their children’s lives.

The advice states that significant decisions affecting a child’s future should not be taken without parents being involved.

It means schools will be told to fully consult parents before deciding whether children can socially transition, by changing their uniforms, names or preferred pronouns.

Schools can say no

The guidance also states that schools and colleges “do not have to, and should not, accept all requests for social transition”, and that permission should only be granted in “exceptional cases”.

Teachers will be told to take a “cautious approach” to pupils wanting to socially transition, including overseeing “watchful waiting periods” to assess the seriousness of a child’s desires.

Schools have also been urged to evaluate the context of a pupil’s wish to socially transition, including whether any “influence” is involved.

Fundamentally, secondary school teachers can refuse a child’s expressed desire to change their pronouns or switch uniforms – but they must use a pupil’s preferred name in such cases.

The guidance states that teachers must not be punished through sanctions “verbal, or otherwise”, where they refuse to use a child’s chosen pronouns.

Primary school-aged children should always used their sex-based pronouns.

Single-sex schools will also continue to be allowed to refuse to admit transgender children, as is currently the case under the Equality Act.

Single-sex spaces, sports and uniforms

The guidance states that single-sex facilities must always remain in place, and that it is “categoric” that children of the opposite sex must never be able to use those spaces.

Schools should also make sure competitive sport is fair, which it says will “almost always mean” separate sports for boys and girls, especially in older cohorts.

Sleeping arrangements like dormitories, shared rooms and tents used during school trips should be separated by biological sex, according to the guidance.

It says that alternative arrangements requested by gender-questioning children “should be considered but should not compromise the safety, comfort, privacy or dignity of the child, or other pupils”.

The guidance also says that gender-questioning child “should be held to the same uniform standard as other children of their sex”.

When making a decision relating to a child’s request to change a uniform, schools may agree changes or exceptions to the standard school uniform for most items, but not for swimwear.