Parents of secondary school children in Brighton who don't believe teenage girls should have to get changed with males - can you help?

[TangenitalContrivences]

Hello fellow parents.

Some of you may know I am engaged in a debate with the head, governors and head of safeguarding at a very large Brighton secondary school about whether changing rooms (including swimming) should be single sex or mixed sex.

The Brighton Trans Toolkit says they can be mixed sex.

The EHRC interim guidance says they must be single sex.

At least one Brighton school is ignoring the interim guidance and keeping changing spaces mixed sex.

I need parents who want to protect girls (and boys!) from sexual voyeurism, assault, an invasion of their privacy and dignity, and all of the other great reasons to keep changing spaces single sex, to join me in writing polite, legal, safeguard focussed emails to the head, safeguarding lead and chair of governors, at their school.

ALL Brighton secondary schools follow the trans toolkit. the trans toolkit explicitly encourages mixed sex situations which are a safeguarding nightmare.

It is really important that parents who care about safeguarding take a stand and ensure our children are being looked after by the people we entrust them to.

How do you join in?

Very simple - we start with a single letter to the school that says something along the lines of:

Subject: Safeguarding and Compliance with Equality Act Guidance

Dear [Headteacher’s Name], [Designated Safeguarding Lead], and Chair of Governors,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to request clarification regarding the school’s safeguarding policies and their compliance with current legal guidance, particularly in light of the recent Supreme Court judgment concerning the definition of “sex” in the Equality Act 2010, and the interim guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

Could you please confirm:

1. Whether the school currently follows the Brighton & Hove City Council Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit, and if so, which version?
2. In light of the Supreme Court judgment, are there any circumstances under which pupils of the opposite biological sex are permitted to share changing rooms, toilets, or overnight sleeping accommodation?
3. Is the school actively following the EHRC’s interim guidance regarding the implementation of the Equality Act?

These questions are asked from a safeguarding and legal compliance perspective, and I would be grateful for a clear and prompt response.

Kind regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Details]
[Your Child’s Name, if appropriate]

(And if anyone wants the long sorry saga, this thread covers it all https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5330837-secondary-school-mixed-sex-changing-rooms-complaint-update-from-school-again?page=1 )

I don’t have a child at a Brighton School but I wish all the best with this.
Well done

I wish you very good luck with this.

I have family with very young children, back in Brighton (and grew up there myself). I can probably guess which school you are referring to.

And, I'm also on the other side of the rail now, as I teach science in a very large secondary and 6th form, down in the South West.

• took on DDs primary school, over their use of No Outsiders resources and their overpromotion of gender identity, above biological sex.

Any help I can give. Please ask!

@TangenitalContrivences ALL Brighton secondary schools follow the trans toolkit. the trans toolkit explicitly encourages mixed sex situations which are a safeguarding nightmare.

Does this also include the very large Catholic secondary school?

I believe so - but, would be great if they didn’t!

Could I ask anyone reading this who knows any parents at all in Brighton to have eyes on this please?

I know for a fact the local
coincil is swearing blind no parents have made complaints. I also know at least a handful have.

need more polite, safeguarding focussed emails asking the status

Great work! Well done for all you're doing (which I still can't believe needs doing). Bump.

Small bump for eyeballs - please do let me know if you are able to send your school a message, of any type!

Bumping for more eye balls - can any brighton parents help at all?

Bump.

Is nobody helping OP? I would if I fit the description but I don't. Someone here must!

I wish you the very best with this, @TangenitalContrivences and I would help if I could.

Would it be worth braving another mumsnet board to try and recruit fellow parents who don’t read FWR?

More bumping. Good luck Tangenital.

You could try posting on the secondary education board.

If so then make the post suitable for those blissfully unaware of potential issues.

I will - but I can;t find it!! :D

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary

I was going blind sorry - posted - https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5354833-parents-of-secondary-school-children-in-brighton-who-dont-believe-teenage-girls-should-have-to-get-changed-with-males-can-you-help

You may have answered this before, is this school in a Trust or Local Authority run?

Not in Brighton. Wishing u success against this nonsense. I would be refusing to use the changing facilities

OP, do you know Adrian Hart? He has made some FOI requests about this issue before and might be able to help. https://www.adrianhart.com There is also a group called PHSE Brighton https://pshebrighton.org though I’m not sure if they’re still active.

I have two daughters at school in Brighton but they’re in the lower years of primary school so I can’t really help as changing together is pretty normal when they’re that young.

If you feel up for sticking your head above the parapet you could post on the Facebook group ‘Brighton and Hove School Catchments’ which was set up to discuss the catchment changes and FSM priority that happened recently, but does also have some general discussion of school issues. It has a lot of engaged parents in there so you’ll reach an audience but there are definitely some TRA types so you’d have to be braver than me! Though you could post anonymously.

Good luck with all this.

I think they do - AFAIK King’s is the only one that doesn’t. It’s a shame you have to live so close to there to get in if you’re not religious!

I have but don’t worry at all, authority run.

The rot has spread very deep and wide in Brighton. I am not surprised to learn the big catholic school is as bad

quite why parents are putting up with it I can only put down to nobody being told. It’s an actual scandal.

I do, quite well now having met over this issue but it’s very kind to suggest it and share those links.

I think any parent in Brighton would be very well placed to get in contact with PSHE Brighton and speak to them so we can be even more joined up in our emails and complaints to schools locally

facebook also a good call. I think if it’s toned as safeguarding risks, (which it is) people are more accepting.