Schools and colleges will be required to take a careful, evidence-informed approach when a child asks to socially transition, under new government guidance embedded in statutory safeguarding rules.
The updated guidance will form part of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), placing expectations on a clear legal footing. Backed by Dr Hilary Cass’s independent review, it stresses that children’s wellbeing and safeguarding must remain central, noting limited evidence on the long-term impact of social transition.
Single-sex spaces must be protected, with no mixed-sex sport that compromises safety, no shared toilet facilities for pupils over eight, and no mixed sleeping arrangements on trips. Schools must also accurately record a child’s birth sex.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the changes provide ‘clarity’ for teachers and reassurance for parents.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the guidance.
‘Schools and colleges have done a very good job in dealing with this complex and sensitive issue over the course of many years, striving to create inclusive environments for all their young people. But they have had to do so amid an often-polarised public debate,’ he said.
‘We have long called for clear, pragmatic and well-evidenced national guidance to support them in this area and we are pleased to have reached this point.’
