Are school trip dormitories single sex?

In the case I was talking about in a previous post, the reason that specific homosexual male was tented with females is because all the girls on the trip were his lifelong friends (and the reason he went on the trip). His argument was that he had never been friends wirh any boys (which is true) and he spent every weekend at sleepovers with the girls he's be renting with anyway (also true - one of the girls is my niece). Without wanting to be too revealing, it is a month-long excursion and so the issue of whether he would have to tent with boys he didn't know versus his best friends would have been a deal-breaker for all 4 of the pupils involved. Honestly, I'd have been much more comfortable with the decision that there was no mixing of pupils of different sexes in the tents so as to avoid problems in the future, but in his specific case I did understand the argument. I do think there's some serious serious safeguarding issues regarding this (and related issues) that really need to be addressed.

Last year (June 2020 - so didn't go ahead) we had a number of trans pupils saying they had a right to be tented with people of the same gender as them (ie we would have pupils of different biological genders sharing a tent). Our school didn't really know how to deal with it and we were really lucky that c19 took this issue out of our hands.

This is happening in schools. It's not 'a fuss about nothing'.

DO you actually have trans individuals on the trip, or are you making a fuss about nothing?

The OP is not "making a fuss about nothing" because at any given moment a child could identify as trans. Having committed to leading a trip, the OP would then be placed in a potentially very difficult position.

Part of leading or accompanying a trip is assessing risk and any teacher leading a trip needs to ensure that s/he assesses all risks to all children.

AND - it's still wrong to room a gay male and a female together even if they are "friends".

You cannot, simply cannot make exceptions to safeguarding principles and protocols on the basis of 'the kids say it's all right'.

DO you actually have trans individuals on the trip, or are you making a fuss about nothing?

It wouldn't much matter to me whether the children - or their parents - consented. I wouldn't be leading that trip because I think it's a SG risk and I would be responsible if anything happened. And I would expect a competent DSL to take the same view.

THIS. I've been wide-eyed with astonishment that this is still going on all afternoon.

We don't separate children based on the thoughts in their heads. We separate based on sex, because otherwise there are safeguarding risks - especially and predominantly to girls.

This safeguarding nightmare just shows how successful Stonewall and Mermaids have been in capturing schools and persuading them to disregard the safeguarding training and protocols they're obliged to revisit annually.

Doesn't it just..jesus.

What I find most concerning about this whole mess, is how places seem determined to lie/fudge their way out of it? With the 'it is single gender' when people ask about single sex, from guiding and such. Is this additional 'advice' from the likes of stonewall I wonder? If any parent complains, first fudge wording so it looks like nothings going on, then call them bigoted and kick out their child from the activity..or something?!

It wouldn't much matter to me whether the children - or their parents - consented. I wouldn't be leading that trip because I think it's a SG risk and I would be responsible if anything happened. And I would expect a competent DSL to take the same view.

Great response Antibles
For OP Safe Schools Alliance have a template letter for school trips. Scroll down to bottom of this page
www.google.com/amp/s/safeschoolsallianceuk.net/resources-2/letter-templates/%3famp

This safeguarding nightmare just shows how successful Stonewall and Mermaids have been in capturing schools and persuading them to disregard the safeguarding training and protocols they're obliged to revisit annually.

It's quite remarkable how otherwise intelligent people - who have to write risk assessments in detail showing how they're going to mitigate the risk of a 15 year old slipping as they board a coach - will cheerfully agree to place teenage boys in the same room or tent as girls and not see a problem.

This came up with my church.

If they are offering only mised-sex accommodation - which it seems from your post they are - then they need to make it very clear to all the parents that this is exactly the offer, even if they state "single gender" meaning "potentially mixed-sex", because in the general population sex and gender are conflated.

If they don't make it very clear that parents are sending their children to a mixed-sex dorm, then they are opening themselves up to a world of litigation, especially if any assaults ensue.

I think a lot of organisations have put measures in place, from 'expert' advice in anticipation of self ID. If self ID had become a thing, it would be virtually impossible to enforce single sex facilities.
The Equality Act specifies protected characteristics. One of which is sex, another is gender reassignment.
Only adults can obtain a GRC.
I would imagine once the understanding that the advice in anticipation of self ID is flawed, many of these policies will have to be clarified. Trans identifying children will need their requirements to be sensitively taken into account. But this doesn't mean single sex facilities automatically get redesignated as single gender.

I think it also matters where your accommodation is. If there is any level of public access what risk does that add?

Ie if it’s a mix of schools or a big campsite and you’re dealing with a child that’s not known to the kids in dorms or bathrooms (I’d imagine this would be more uncomfortable and unsafe).
Or if the trans child uses a public loo is there a higher risk to them (and you).

What’s a “biological gender”?

There’s no such thing.

Also, for the two pp who mentioned that as long as everyone consents, it’s fine.

How easy would it be to be the one person who doesn’t consent? Considering how little it takes to be labelled as “transphobic”, how easy would it be in practice to be the one person who doesn’t consent and be comfortable saying so? Peer pressure is a very powerful thing.

Some really useful answers here.
The Girl Guides have run into difficulties with this. Thank you to those who have quoted the Equality Act.
Thank you to those who have pointed out that a child remains their biological sex legally until at least 18.

(Clue: it has something in common with unicorns, the tooth fairy and honest politicians.)

i think if its in tents then Scouts just get the parents to agree so they can have single sex tents and mixed sex tents depending who wants to share with who. All with consent.

On school trips, they may be in much larger rooms and they should abide by the law and offer single sex accommodation.

Sometimes they have smaller rooms so possible that a small group could share a mixed gender room. However that doesn't solve the bathroom situation.

As a biology teacher i have run many field trips and other residentials with mainly post 16 age group. Personally I would refuse to run a trip if a child insisted on access to a bathroom that didn't match up with their sex and I'm fairly sure my colleagues would too unless suitable arrangements could be made that didn't infringe on other's right to single sex spaces.

There is no such thing as single gender or a right to be with people who have the same gender; whose to know what various and multiple gender expressions the girls may have? This is a disingenuous cover phrase to obscure the bottom line which is that it means all biological females and the biological males who would prefer to identify as female.

Three separate issues not to be conflated: Issue one: if a male child with gender identity differences prefers not to be placed with other males then a) is there an issue there of how other males treat that child that needs sorting out and b) yes, that child's privacy, dignity and individual need may mean they need alternative and additional provision to be planned. This is the inclusion bit.

issue two: mixed sex accommodation for any children isn't permitted because of all x reasons, none of which have changed or gone away.

issue three: female children have actual, legal rights to privacy, dignity and single sex spaces, and equal regard paid to their feelings and needs and preferences. These rights are not contingent on the feelings and preferences of male children.

Teachers, scout leaders etc will just stop volunteering and then there will be no trips. Inclusion for some reulting in exclusion for all the rest.

we had a number of trans pupils saying they had a right to be tented with people of the same gender as them

That would be a tent for the trans pupils, then? Or two or three tents if there are more than would fit into one tent.

Ask the school to check with their insurers, the venue, and the venues insurers.