Councillor urges removal of transgender admissions from school policy in East Riding

[IwantToRetire]

East Riding is facing a heated debate over the 2027/28 school admissions policy as Councillor Samantha Christon-Whyte calls for a controversial section to be removed.

The section in question, "Admission of Transgender Pupils to a Single-Sex School," permits transgender admissions in the region's only maintained single-sex girls' school, Beverley High School for Girls.

This move follows significant legal developments, including a UK Supreme Court ruling affirming "sex" as biological sex under the Equality Act 2010 and updates from the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Code of Practice.

Councillor Christon-Whyte, a former pupil of the school, argues that the policy should align with legal definitions and protect the essence of female-only educational spaces.

She believes that admitting biological males undermines the purpose of a girls-only setting.

Joanne Donoghue, a parent actively campaigning on the issue, criticises the council for formalising an approach that includes transgender pupils without sufficient transparency for families.

Full article at https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/east-yorkshire-north-lincolnshire/news/councillor-transgender-admissions-removal-motion-east-riding

I think relates to this https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/15/girls-school-legal-action-secret-trans-pupil-beverley/ also at https://archive.is/KONOC

(Sure there was a thread about this but cant find it.)

Well if says the school is a girls school or a single sex female school or any derivative thereof that mentions sex, then that is an unlawful policy.

Thing is it will take an attendant parent to challenge this legally.

Thanks for the link, I hope the 'heated' debate comes out on the side of the law.

I don't think councils should have the power to impose such a policy on a school, it's not a case of discrimination, it's a case of allowing the school to be just as it describes itself to be a school for girls.

According to Google -
In the UK, local councils are statutory bodies, meaning they can only do what specific Acts of Parliament expressly or implicitly authorise them to do.
(no idea if that's true)

I wonder if the Councils have the power to turn a single sex school into a mixed sex school.

Single sex schools are permitted to "exceptionally" admit pupils of the other sex. This is specifically mentioned in the Equality Act. It was originally intended for things like pupils wanting to study an A-level that's only offered at the wrong sex school, or allowing the child of a teacher to join, but the language of the law is quite broad and I believe it's still untested whether it would allow trans-identifying pupils.

Here's the relevant paragraph:

1(1)Section 85(1), so far as relating to sex, does not apply in relation to a single-sex school.

(2)A single-sex school is a school which—

(a)admits pupils of one sex only, or

(b)on the basis of the assumption in sub-paragraph (3), would be taken to admit pupils of one sex only.

(3)That assumption is that pupils of the opposite sex are to be disregarded if—

(a)their admission to the school is exceptional, or

(b)their numbers are comparatively small and their admission is confined to particular courses or classes.

(4)In the case of a school which is a single-sex school by virtue of sub-paragraph (3)(b), section 85(2)(a) to (d), so far as relating to sex, does not prohibit confining pupils of the same sex to particular courses or classes.

And here are the explanatory notes:

This paragraph allows a single-sex school to refuse to admit pupils of the opposite sex. A school is defined as single-sex if it admits pupils of one sex only. This is so even if it admits a small number of pupils of the opposite sex on an exceptional basis or in relation to particular courses or classes only. Limiting those pupils to particular courses or classes is not discrimination. However, other forms of sex discrimination by the school against its opposite-sex pupils would still be unlawful.

Examples
A school which admits only boys is not discriminating unlawfully against girls.

If the daughters of certain members of staff at a boys’ school are allowed to attend, it is still regarded as a single-sex school.

A boys’ school which admits some girls to the Sixth Form, or which lets girls attend for a particular GCSE course not offered at their own school is still regarded as a single-sex school.

A boys’ school which admits girls to A-level science classes is not discriminating unlawfully if it refuses to admit them to A-level media studies or maths classes.

A boys’ school which admits girls to the Sixth Form but refuses to let them use the same cafeteria or go on the same visits as other Sixth Form pupils would be discriminating unlawfully against them.

It doesn't sound like it could be used to allow a boy who claims to be a girl to attend a girls school. 🤔
The paragraph is clearly talking about allowing the opposite sex to attend in a part-time capacity or only for specific lessons, not as a permanent pupil.

I think much of the argument revolves around the secrecy element. If a school is going to admit boys for whatever reason they need to be transparent about why. It also leads to big questions about how the trans child is treated within the school. Will other pupils know they are male or will it be a big secret. Much of the initial guidance involves awareness that the boys are known to be boys - nothing is hidden.

Isn't it also a matter of whether you can justify discriminating against the people you are not making an exception for, besides any effects on the people the facility is intended for?

I think a women’s college in Cambridge used this “exceptional” loophole. Hopefully this is the correct link:
https://newn.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2025-10/rationale.pdf
If that is indeed feasible, then the bigger challenge for the school will be to organise single sex toilets as there isn’t any exception to that.

This came up on my fb feed as I’m near to Beverley. Denizens of this board will not be amazed to hear that the comments were full of women outraged that anyone could possibility object to a trans-identifying boy in an all girls school. It was #bekind to the nth.

Why would you put a gender questioning child into a single sex school and nail down their choices? Leave them in a mixed school and leave their options open, surely thats the most BeKind choice of all.