Miriam Cates asks Ofsted about age appropriate RSE materials, political impartiality and guidance on dealing with pupils with gender distress

[ResisterRex]

RSE materials

m.youtube.com/watch?v=N81wW6rtAXk

Political impartiality

m.youtube.com/watch?v=tv-wlMrE7eo

Guidance on dealing with pupils with gender distress

m.youtube.com/watch?v=lWfUSXkmkcU

Thank you for the links. MC is a star. The RSE materials and attempts to hid these from parents is such an important issue, that had been gathering momentum when the Schools Bill was being discussed in the early Summer, before the leadership election kiboshed everything.

It's so good to finally see this raised in such a thoughtful way in parliament. And reassuring to see Ofsted quietly retreating from their previous capture by Stonewall & the lobby groups to a position where safeguarding children is again their priority.
Parents can now quote the Head of Ofsted as clearly stating that schools should not transition children in secret from their parents as it's a safeguarding matter.
And yes - MC is a star - well done to her for raising both the age inappropriate porn soaked SRE organisations / materials along with all safeguarding, co morbidity issues & of course, the lack of any clear guidance for schools from this shambles of a government.

Thank you for the links.

I wrote to thank Miriam Cates for her stand in this and got a very nice reply

Thanks for the links Rex. Miriam is a gem

This has made the Mail:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11457489/It-safeguarding-risk-schools-not-tell-parents-child-questioning-gender.html

Ofsted chief says it is a 'safeguarding risk' for schools to keep parents in the dark if their child 'doubts' their gender: Amanda Spielman insists 'biological sex is relevant' and warns guidance for teachers is 'urgent' on trans issues

"'It is really important that parents understand what their child's concerns are - if their child is having serious questions or doubts or explorations of gender identity, to keep parents in the dark about that is obviously a safeguarding risk,' Ms Spielman said.
'I think it's very important for all schools to understand that whether or not a child is exploring gender identities, the fundamental principles of safeguarding continue to apply and biological sex continues to be relevant.'
Guidance from Stonewall states that someone's 'trans status' is private regardless of age.
'Schools and colleges should not disclose information – such as details about a transition – that could reveal somebody's trans status to others, including parents or carers, staff, and anyone outside the school, college or setting,' its website reads."

That's another very good article from the Mail. It covers so many issues highlighting the adult led Stonewall & other lobby groups demands that are completely ignorant of child safeguarding and child psychology. These groups have openly driven a coach and horses through safeguarding, child mental health and pastoral care in schools - it's long overdue for them to be extricated.

These videos are fantastic. I'm going to share with my SLT at school. What is the name of the select committee this was a part of?

@ValancyRedfern It's the Education Select Committee, now headed up by Robin Walker - former Schools minister.

I really hope there are some people working in education lurking on these boards!

I hear that it's Cass that's finally made the difference in Education with the Tories frantically starting to back peddle as the magnitude of what they've enabled to be unleashed on children has become obvious. Trouble is the groups / individuals are well embedded and are not going to leave children and schools alone without a fight.

When is the final Cass report? Or even the next one as they're doing a review of outcomes through the records they can access?

Also the DfE guidance for schools was originally due in the 'autumn'but clearly not anywhere near ready yet. Spielman said she thought 'the end of the year'. ...

Does ofsted have authority in Scotland?

No, only England. Education is devolved in Scotland and Wales. I can't believe the state that Scotland (and Wales) are in on all of this stuff, not just the schools issue. Sending strength to sisters there.

Bit of a lack of transparency on this IMO.

I admit to being impressed with how Cass has handled it. Focusing quietly on data (and the lack of it), removing child healthcare from the hands of the trans zealots and clearly relocating it to the ethical medical care centred in children's hospitals. That's what they do - assess ground breaking treatment, related data and ethics via their ethics committees. Children's welfare / right to consent are always centred. The proposed systems look positive with mixed professionals groups assessing cases and treatment, data capture and normal medical ethics dominating. If she can quietly continue her data led / data challenging approach without being hijacked, so much will change for these vulnerable children.
Maybe this low key approach is working?

I agree, Mrs.

Cass has handled this superbly so far.

I agree about the Cass approach, though it would be useful to know if the report is going to be substantially delayed. That said, I'm sure the usual suspects would have a field day if they knew more information so keeping things tight must be the best way in the long run.

The lack of transparency wasn't a criticism per se, just an observation about the comms around dates, I'm just a stickler for things and I seem to recall that the website says something about likely to take at least a year with no obvious start date/intended finish date.

'I think it's very important for all schools to understand that whether or not a child is exploring gender identities, the fundamental principles of safeguarding continue to apply and biological sex continues to be relevant.'

Every now and then I get a jolt of shock at how bad things have become. The above quote is absolutely horrifying, because it simply should not need to be said.

Schools which do not recognise the primacy of safeguarding principles should not be allowed to exist. Schools which do not recognise the relevance of biological sex in safeguarding should not be allowed to exist.

If a school doesn’t recognise those things, they are potentially very harmful to the children in their care. Completely unacceptable.

It's so shocking isn't it? To know that organisations that gaslight children, telling them that they're born in the wrong body, pushing drugs and surgery at them to "fix" their bodies are actually welcomed into schools. That teachers have not only failed to protect children from these groups but have taken on the mission and are actively transitioning children in secret.
I know this is a massive failure of critical thinking and ethics on the part of the establishment who have set the example, but to know that a profession has set aside safeguarding children in favour of this travesty ....

There are still issues with Ofsted though. The individuals inspecting at the chalk face have no guidance around what's taught. They've criticised schools when pupils couldn't name the equality act characteristics. I was told by a head, in one school, specifically the one we all discuss.

Which is a highly inappropriate question to ask a child.

That's specifically an issue because of how different individuals (teaching staff) understand and communicate anything to do with the concept of transgender.

If there was a hard party line on how to communicate it in schools and at what age, it wouldn't be an issue.

Need to bare in mind that schools all read each others reports and set up action plans. Heads talk and share experiences with Ofsted. Teachers are tasked with diversifying the curriculum. In primary, Teachers have a subject area. These days most of them write the content.

I've seen classroom teachers (not senior leaders) asking for ideas of how to include transgender in eyfs and ks1 in individual foundation subjects.

The easiest way, and kills two birds with one stone, is via books. Ofsted are obsessed with reading and how the school floods kids with books and reading.

That's right WarriorN. The fact that Ofsted was captured (along the Heads and teaching unions) means that unpicking this is so difficult. I don't mean to be critical of hard pressed teachers for not appreciating how catastrophic pushing this ideology at children is. They're used to being given material that they may not agree with, told it's now policy and they must act on it.
There needs to be some sort of collective conversation:
"We've realised that what we thought was right for children is in fact very dangerous so we must now row back on it for their safety's sake"

Can't see that happening sadly - too many egos involved.

They're used to being given material that they may not agree with, told it's now policy and they must act on it.

There are also lots of teachers pushing back as much as they can without losing their jobs. Hopefully, the push to revert back to a "Safeguarding First" approach will be coming from both sides - ordinary classroom teachers as well as ofsted / government.