Guidance for schools in BBC news

[WallaceinAnderland]

'The legally-binding advice for all schools in England also says there are "no exceptions" for single-sex facilities, including toilets and changing rooms, with single-sex sports also protected.'

Vast Majority of parents should be told if pupils question their gender

This thread has taken a very strange turn😬

I think the guidance is good - it's strange that it allows 'transitioning' ,but you still have to use the same toilet as your fellow 'assigned at births', but at least it is clear about single sex spaces being just that.

This thread has taken a very strange turn😬

I'll get back to my lane 😶

My bolding

95. As children get older, some sports are typically taught and played in single sex groups.27 The Equality Act 2010 contains an exception in relation to single-sex sport. It applies to participation in any sport or game, or activity of a competitive nature, where the physical strength, stamina or physique of the average girl would put her at a disadvantage in competition with the average boy (or vice versa). This means that schools and colleges can separate children according to their biological sex in these circumstances without discriminating unlawfully against them on the basis of their sex.

96. Some sports may need to be played in single-sex groups from a certain age to ensure children’s safety, and where this is the case there should be no exceptions. In other cases, schools or colleges may have adopted a policy of single-sex sports for reasons related to fairness.

97. Where there are no safety concerns and a child makes a request relating to how they participate, schools and colleges will need to consider the request in light of the advice on “considering requests for support with social transition”. This means that the school or college would need to take into account all the relevant factors, including whether supporting social transition is overall in the best interests of the child, as well as considering the impact on other children and the aim of creating safe and fair environments for children to participate in PE.

So initially very clear, but then some case by case and wiggly lines there, nothing specific on which sports exactly are single sex. Which as we all know means endless wangling on whether or not it is really unsafe - which we heard when Khalif was permitted to batter women on tv.

I hope this brings an end to the nonsense that the Dad on here is currently fighting against in the Brighton School that has spectacularly failed to safeguard his daughter and her right to single sex changing at school. Sorry don't have link to his name.

There's always the Capuchin Crypt in Rome, should you fancy more insane things built of skeletons.

They've got a whole Grim Reaper with a scythe built from leg bones and a shoulder blade, iifc

Added to the list! 😂

108. Therefore, if a child does not want to use the toilet designated for their biological sex, schools and colleges should consider whether they can provide an alternative toilet facility, for example self-contained individual toilets, without compromising the provision of single-sex facilities. These alternative arrangements should not compromise the safety, comfort, privacy or dignity of the child, or of other children.

109. Where a school or college provides mixed-sex toilets in addition to single sex toilets, schools and colleges should assess safeguarding risks and plan accordingly, for example, mixed-sex toilets should open directly onto public areas (e.g. a corridor). Changing Rooms and Showers 111. This section does not apply to colleges that are outside the “furthe

It's not final it's being consulted on "consultation on Thursday's updated guidance is due to run for 10 weeks." From the BBC.

The thing that everyone appears to be missing is this consultation goes DOWN, not up. Therefore, whatever the "consultation" involves, it's never going to go back to SCOTUK with a "redo this ruling" note.

is this all the original draft guidance?

I’m confused; is this latest consultation based on these, again?

the only difference I can see is that the law has been clarified and I bet GLP outcome is linked

It seems very coherent throughout with the same wording. Essentially that where a child does not want to change with a child of the same sex then they should be accommodated but that this cannot compromise (and the wording is specific) safety, comfort, privacy and dignity of another child. The suggestion in overnight stays is a separate provision for the child.

The entire section on social transitioning is also well worth reading, starting at 245.

Hello and huge thanks 🙏

It feels a bit ironic that this has come out on the day DD16 has informed me after the fact that she's sent the forms off to change her name with help from school. I fucking hate this ideology 😔

It’s a poisonous. Sending support.

I am sorry. I would think you'd have every grounds to go and put the draft on the table of the HT and say they've acted against safeguarding advice from the government, which explains why the choices they have made are wrong, and you will be considering legal advice.

I've been there - well worth a visit!

I can't see anything about pronouns?

Social transition seems to have been reduced to name and uniform change with parental involvement. And pronouns.
Personally I don't think either of these transition for children are a good idea but they don't impact other children.

Pronouns though are asking everyone else to play along and warp their language. No one should be asked to do this.

Unfortunately since she was born in Scotland no signature was required, although they were happy to help if she needed it. But since this is the school that were happy to have her sleep in a room full of 14 year old boys on a school trip (I made damn sure that didn't happen!) nothing they do surprises me. I'm going for a shower and a good cry.

The unsurprising guardian spin on it

www.theguardian.com/education/2026/feb/12/new-gender-guidance-for-uk-primary-school-children-permits-use-of-different-pronouns

There's an interesting section on living in stealth and how those children are at risk.

What do they think this is going to mean for those on the puberty blocker trial then??

It's a weird mix of you can pretend to be a girl and everyone will play along and say you're a girl but we'll also make it clear you are not really a girl.

Meaningless about pronouns unless they are going to police other children's speech. I commented on that aspect in a previous consultation. It's immoral and unworkable. Imagine it in a school with a high % of children with speech and language difficulties or for whom English is not their first language. Nobody can "own" pronouns.

They have been policing it.
Children have been sanctioned for not using preferred pronouns.

It needs to be stopped.

They most definitely have been policing pronouns, DS was pulled up for using the 'wrong' ones for his sister!

Just musing on how we often say that transgenderism is a death cult...

This seems to be saying that this

draft guidance produced in 2023, under the Conservatives, which said that primary-aged children “should not have different pronouns to their sex-based pronouns used about them”.

has been overturned. If so that’s not good for children.