School Transgender Policy

Actually, I think you'll find once something is school policy it needs to be applied to all pupils equally, as schools cannot be seen to show favouritism. Therefore if self Id is allowed for a genuine trans girl, it has to be equally applied to Billy the troublemaker.

Besides that, I don't care how lovely a trans girl is, schools separate by sex to cover their own asses, avoid safeguarding nightmares and provide dignity and privacy to the children.
Fight it op. Bring it to the governors they'll definitely be some staff on your side.

Useful article by ExcelPope (a school governor) identifying how Safeguarding should work:
(extract)
"I spend a lot of time designing policies and procedures, and what I tell people is this:- Imagine a worst-case scenario occurs. There is an official investigation, where you’re asked “What did you do to prevent this happening?”. Now imagine what answer you’d like to be able to give to that question in that scenario – that’s the starting point for writing your policies.

In that vein, here’s a scenario.

You are the head-teacher of a secondary school, with pupils aged 11-18. A police officer arrives at the school and asks to speak to you. They have found a video on a porn site which shows the changing-rooms at your school, including a number of girls, who appear to be aged 13-15, in various states of undress. It has clearly been filmed with a concealed camera-phone.

The video has been taken down, but not before it had tens of thousands of views. The account that posted it has been traced to a student at the school who identifies themselves as trans and was, in accordance with the guidance, allowed to use the female changing rooms.

The police need a female member of staff to view the video with them, to identify the 20 or 30 teenage girls who appear in it, so that they and their parents can be informed that they have been victims of voyeurism.

What did you do to prevent this happening?" (continues)

There are around 2.2 million males aged 13-18 in the UK, no matter how much experience you have with children, with trans people, with trans-children, you cannot absolutely assert that none of them will abuse, or attempt to abuse, the guidance given in a manner that infringes of the rights of other students.

This isn’t about demonising all trans people, or suggesting that any given one of them would act in such a manner. This is about the risk presented by the guidance itself, whether that risk can be mitigated in a manner which is proportional to the potential seriousness of the outcome and whether the risk is, in part or in whole, outweighed by the risks of not implementing the guidance." (continues)

excelpope.wordpress.com/2019/02/28/the-unaskable-question/

I got an email this morning with my eldest's school's new transgender policy. Complete with "assigned at birth", students choosing their changing rooms, and all of it will be taught in PSHE.

Recent thread has many resources and accurate information informed by law and Safeguarding principles:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4210375-they-can-request-another-space

I would save all the helpful information you have received on here OP. Now the 👮🚔 have arrived this could go kaput at any moment.

Does noone else remember sniggering teen boys talking about what they would do if they were able to go in the girls' changing room? It was a joke used in pretty much every 90s- late 00s comedy ever. Whoever gave this the green light is dim.

We're talking about someone who has changed their name, has asked for female pronouns to be used, is wearing the girl's uniform, is living socially as a girl and is possibly also under the care of a gender specialist.

I mean this is the kind of argument American fundamentalist alt-right types make.

And not just their feelings. I can easily imagine daft teenagers of both sexes daring each other to go into the wrong changing rooms and tell any teacher who tries to take action that they are trans, whether or not they are. Have the people drawing up these instructions ever met any actual teenagers?

I imagine too op that many parents of teenage boys - who can be unbelievably self conscious about their bodies - would also support a challenge.

[quote forfucksakenett]**@Shizuku* if you report your own post on here then @MNHQ* will be able to read it. [/quote]
Thanks, I might try that.

It is sacrificing the feelings of boys and girls. But I would say the impact of that is much harder on girls, in terms of safety and dignity. Seems to me this is just modern day misogyny dressed up as progress. And they can even get awards for it. The previous generations of misogynists missed a trick there with the award thing.

It is amazing how the needs of girls always seem to be overlooked, and in this case in a drive to get a f*cking award. The school wants an award so they will sacrifice the feelings of girls and to be fair, the feelings of boys as well. Are they nuts?

@Shizuku if you report your own post on here then @MNHQ will be able to read it.

"Who are you to dictate"

I'm not dictating - I'm trying to see what the rules are. Mumsnet HQ - can you clarify? Is it just trans-related posts which might cast a positive light on trans people or a negative light on GC people, or that don't support GC ideology that get moved to the LGBT boards, or am I missing something?

Yes I agree. The impact on teenage girls is a feminist issue.

Indeed. I wouldn't look in LGBT for issues around school policy in the UK, although I could of course make a habit of doing so. I don't suppose that section want to be inundated with the significantly increased traffic about school issues though particularly.

I don't know what the other threads were about but I think the focus here is the potential impact of the guidelines on the rights and dignity of teenage girls, and so this board seems entirely appropriate.

The OP has chosen to put this on the feminism board. This is where they are seeking advice. Who are you to dictate where they should ask for advice about their children's schooling?

This is going completely against the new guidelines. As well as the above advice I'd also contact Baroness Nicholson.

Hey Mumsnet HQ, you recently moved 2 of my threads about trans people to the LGBT boards, but you seem to have missed this one.

Thought I should mention it - I mean you wouldn't want to be accused of bias would you?

Have a look at the Safe Schools Alliance website which is linked to above. Many local authorities have withdrawn similar transgender policies after the legal challenge to the Oxford CC one. Much of the information in them is misinterpreted, incorrect and/or misleading and many are based on a guide originally devised by Brighton/Allsorts if I remember correctly.

If you do contact the school, make sure to also contact the Education lead at your LA too.

Resources for parents/carers and schools:

Transgender Trend: www.transgendertrend.com/category/schools/
Safe Schools Alliance: safeschoolsallianceuk.net/resources-2/factsheets/

Department of Education
'Plan your relationships, sex and health curriculum
Information to help school leaders plan, develop and implement the new statutory curriculum.'
September 2020

(extract)
Using external agencies
External agencies can provide speakers, tools and resources to enhance and supplement the curriculum.

It is important when using external agencies to take particular care that the agency and any materials used are appropriate and in line with your school’s legal duties regarding political impartiality. Your local authority, governing body and headteacher must:

forbid the pursuit of partisan political activities by junior pupils
forbid the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject in the school
take reasonably practicable steps to secure that where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils, they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views
The Independent School Standards, which apply to all independent schools (and most of which apply to academies) have similar provisions relating to the promotion of partisan political views and offering a balanced presentation of opposing views.

Schools are responsible for ensuring that speakers, tools and resources do not undermine the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

When deciding on the external agencies and resources to use, you should make appropriate checks to ensure that the agencies’ approach to teaching relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education and the resources that they plan to use comply with:

your school’s policy
the Teaching Standards
the Equality Act 2010
the Human Rights Act 1998
the Education Act 1996
You should engage with agencies to ensure their approach to teaching about relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education is balanced and the resources they intend to use are age-appropriate and aligned to the developmental stage of the pupils being taught. Schools should exercise their judgement reasonably, in line with their legal responsibilities, in the selection of providers and resources to be used. You should exercise extreme caution when working with external agencies and proceed only if you have full confidence in the agency, its approach and the resources it uses." (continues)

Ensuring content is appropriate
The safety of children is of paramount importance in school.

We are aware that topics involving gender and biological sex can be complex and sensitive matters to navigate. You should not reinforce harmful stereotypes, for instance by suggesting that children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests or the clothes they prefer to wear. Resources used in teaching about this topic must always be age-appropriate and evidence based. Materials which suggest that non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity should not be used and you should not work with external agencies or organisations that produce such material. While teachers should not suggest to a child that their non-compliance with gender stereotypes means that either their personality or their body is wrong and in need of changing, teachers should always seek to treat individual students with sympathy and support.

You should work together with parents on any decisions regarding your school’s treatment of their child, in line with the school’s safeguarding policy and the statutory guidance on working together to safeguard children." (continues)
www.gov.uk/guidance/plan-your-relationships-sex-and-health-curriculum#using-external-agencies

Are you in Scotland or elsewhere in U.K.?