Sex not gender, No Outsiders changing the Equality Act, DepHead/DSL captured

[Vebrithien]

Well, here we are, with a whole new thread!

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4713725-please-help-gender-not-sex-on-a-school-protected-characteristics-poster-just-spoken-to-the-head?page=10&reply=123546552

Thank you all, so so much for the support you have given me.

I am currently working on the draft of the message I want to send.

Long story short, DD's primary school displays posters by No Outsiders, showing the 9 protected characteristics of the Equality Act. Sex as been replaced with gender.

I have raised this with the Head, the assistant Head, and the Deputy Head (DepHead, as DH just doesn't work here). I have been reassured that sex is synonymous with gender in law, and, through an email stream, No Outsiders have reassured the school that it is deliberate, gender is easier to teach children than sex, especially as some will snigger at sex.

Oh, and teaching that gender is the difference between boys and girls, it makes it easier to then explain gender reassignment later on.

I'll put the message from the DepHead and No Outsiders here, and also my reply, in its current state.

Thank you all again!

That's great, will be interested to hear what you see on the visit.

Blimey, I'd say that was a result.

That's really good news - well done OP. All this because you persisted.

Wow that's amazing! Very well done OP. Keep us updated. I'm sure you have but share all the factsheets and info on SSAUK with your team prior to lookoknb through the content.

I would suggest that you look at suggested literacy texts in school too - there's a big push on reading and many teachers are teaching more inappropriate books thinking they're being inclusive and kind. Many may not be listed by the school - teachers can just choose what they want to read.

😇

It's been a good day.

My school was Ofsted-ed today, my department is outstanding! So we're over the moon with that. Interestingly, tomorrow will look into the school safeguarding policies, including our choice to not convert our toilets to mixed sex.

And the message from DD's school seemed very polite and open to discussion. And was from the Head, rather than the DepHead.

@WarriorN

Which fact sheets would you recommend?

I know they use Jigsaw resources, so can copy over the SSA info on them.

Was going to print out the DforE RSE guidance too, flawed though it is.

@Vebrithien Oh that's fabulous, as is your OFSTED news. A very good day indeed.

@Vebrithien sounds like an excellent day! Congratulations on making it through Ofsted and emerging as an outstanding department. Hope the report says all the right things about things like keeping the toilets single sex. For all its many, many failings, Ofsted can be useful when it comes to safeguarding matters.

SSAUK have a document that covers most of the main offenders though so many are popping up it's hard to keep up.

There's various pieces of guidance on single sex spaces and loos if helpful? I think it's more the curriculum content though isn't it?

Congratulations for your outstanding department, and for the way you have managed to encourage the head to respond positively to your group.

🙌🥳👏🎉

Great work OP! There have been some good threads on Jigsaw resources here. Do a search for past threads. I started one myself about my complaint re Jigsaw resources which was successfully in getting the worst ones withdrawn.

I put this on the "it's in schools " thread and thought you & your group may be interested in this OP. It's a damning analysis of how identity politics / queer theory is removing safeguarding from schools:

www.transgendertrend.com/identity-politics-sex-education-schools/

Vebrithuen I was not sure if someone has mentioned the very useful transgender statistics resource site posted on a FWR thread called Stats for Gender - resource site by ArabellaScott

It could be useful for people in your group. It arms you with facts against trans activist tropes such as that not affirming gender dysphoric teens leads to suicide, or that 1.7% of people (same as red hair?) are born with a DSD - not true.

Okies, that's a fab call, thank you.

With the support of the group (sounds a bit possessive, maybe I'll carry on calling them the coven), I'm going to compile a folder of important info/guidelines/facts and their references.

Everything will be forwarded to the group, and I'll also take a physical copy with me to the meeting, assuming it can be arranged. Everyone so far has said that they want to go on my day off, so that I can be there😂

Not Vebrithuen, Vebrithien - apologies.

Well, well well!

I've just had a MOST interesting conversation with the DepHead.

She found me in the playground, and asked if I had seen the amendment to the posters she had made, saying that she had changed the wording from gender to sex equality.

And there is going to be a full school parental consultation on the RSE resources and curriculum used.

😱

The email has just arrived!

All parents and carers are invited to view and discuss all resources used (date is in early May).

The DepHead was most conciliatory, asking how I was, and saying that the school have put in a lot of work with their RSE resource what have they had to change??

It's the most polite she has been to be this year. And the assistant Head who phoned and emailed, spoke very politely to me yesterday, when I happened to see him, asking if I have been well, and how my work in my school is going.

Dare I hope that things might be changing?

Do you think it's because they finally see things clearly and are grateful to you for pointing it out?

Or are they just shit scared.

To be honest, they could easily be both simultaneously.

Oh, and brilliant, OP. Absolutely brilliant stuff. You've turned it around.

6 of one and half a dozen of the other!

I suspect they have been living in a "be kind" echo chamber for a while, especially with the male TA coming out as non-binary last year, and changing their title to Mx.

I suspect the DepHead is a bit more militant, and that she has been allowed to dictate what resources have been used.

I've stirred the hornet's nest, and made them talk about it. My pointing out of the law, swiftly followed by Ofsted visiting them, and then more parents starting to ask about what is being taught, made it more than just me disagreeing with the DepHead.

They have also had a backlash from parents about how draconian they have been about us not being allowed to discuss our concerns with each other.

The enquiry from our GC group, plus the report from Miriam Cates, have then compounded matters.

Woohoo OP!! Well bloody done you. Shows what can be done with courage and tenacity. All of these individual challenges can add up to a big change. It must feel so good after the rollercoaster!

Superb work.

They have also had a backlash from parents about how draconian they have been about us not being allowed to discuss our concerns with each other.

yes, that was an old one, difficult to explain that away.

*odd one

I am sure that there will be things that I don't like, but it does absolutely mean that "no debate" is over.

And, if there is anything controversial being taught, parents will be able to see it. They have to be transparent.

Oh that is a fantastic result!! Well done you and actually, well done the school for listening to your concerns and making changes! I'm so pleased for you!

This is a response that more schools really should be doing. I wasn't allowed to look at the NO plans they were using but concluded from the books they shared they weren't covering trans things.

Have you seen that woman's hour would like parents to share thoughts and experiences of RSE teaching for their programme on Monday?

Email woman's hour [email protected]

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3xyZd5NjJZmN7WztP96vCG/contact-us

Can be anon, may speak to you or read out. Would be good to add your experiences and the key issues around gender rather than sex, and that schools aren't vetting outside providers or assuming that very well known organisations are well run and regulated.