For all the disbelievers, this is a transcript of the actual conversation. Read this and come back and insist that this incident was NOT about a child self identifying as something she's not. It runs through the whole discussion and at no time does the teacher ever say - "rubbish, nobody identifies as a cat".
Teacher: You’ve just really upset someone, gender is about how you identify. Where do you get the idea there are only two genders?
Girl: If I respect their opinion can’t they respect mine?
Teacher: It is not an opinion.
Girl: There’s only a boy and a girl, there’s no other private parts.
Teacher: Gender is not linked to the parts you were born with; gender is about how you identify.
Girl: I just don’t agree with it.
Teacher: There is [sic] actually three biological sexes. You can be born intersex: you can be born with male and female body parts or hormones – did you know that?
Girl: I am talking about biological sex in terms of gender.
Teacher: There are lots of genders: there is transgender, agender, people who don’t believe they have a gender at all.
Girl: Yeah, but you can’t have that.
Teacher: What do you mean you can’t have that? It’s not a law.
Girl: It’s our opinion: we just don’t agree with it. We just think if you have a vagina you’re a girl, if you have a penis you’re a boy.
Teacher: But cisgender is not necessarily the way to be. You were talking about the fact that cisgender is the norm, that you identify with the gender of the sexual organ that you were born with or you’re weird: that’s basically what you’re saying which is really despicable.
Girls: Yeah.
Girl: If I called my mum right now she’d say the same.
Teacher: Well, that’s very sad as well, then.
Girl: How is it that loads of people agree with that there is only a small majority of people who think that?
Teacher: And why do you think we have so many problems in the world with homophobia?
Girl: That’s not homophobia. That’s transgender.
Girl: I’m fine with lesbians and gay people. I’ve got nothing against them.
Teacher: But there is a link between it – you’re saying that people can’t change to who they want to be.
Girl: No they can’t. Unless you get a penis attached.
Teacher: You are so wrong.
Girl: No I’m not.
Teacher: You’re confusing sex and gender.
Girl: No I am not though, because if you have a vagina you’re a girl, if you have a penis you’re a boy.
Teacher: Gender is how you identify. IT’S NOT AN OPINION!
Girls: YES IT IS!
Teacher: No it’s not and if you don’t like it you need to go to a different school. I’m reporting you to Miss Willis. You need to have a proper educational conversation about equality, diversity and inclusion, because I’m not having that expressed in my lesson while I am teaching you about you can be who you want to be. How you identify is up to you.
Girl: They [obviously meaning most people] just don’t say it because all this happens.
Teacher: Maybe because they’re polite and maybe they’re sensitive.
Girl: I haven’t said anything in all of the lessons I’ve been in. It’s just because they turn around and start saying something so I said how can you identify as a cat when you’re a girl?
Teacher: THEY are now writing a statement. I would imagine that you will be asked to write a statement as well.
Girls: Yes we will.