Schools and safeguarding
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When child safeguarding meets gender ideology in sport, children are the losers
An organisation meant to protect children has built gender-identity ideology into its policies, putting children at risk. There is an intrinsic conflict between treating people as the opposite sex to what they are in reality, and protecting children and vulnerable adults. Indeed, there is a conflict between this and...
19th September 2024
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How should schools respond to “gender questioning” children?
Sex Matters has published a model policy on sex-based rules and data collection. Our policy applies to a whole school – all the pupils, not just the gender-questioning ones – and concerns how a school records, communicates and uses data and language on the sex of all pupils. It...
17th September 2024
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What about pronouns at school?
Sex Matters has published a model policy for schools to help them communicate clear expectations to staff, pupils and parents and let them respond lawfully and safely to children who are “gender questioning”. We are calling on the Department for Education to provide a similarly clear policy for schools...
6th September 2024
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Why schools need clear rules not “watch and wait”
Sex Matters has published a model policy for schools to help them to be clear about why they have sex-based rules and policies, and to respond lawfully and safely to children who are “gender questioning” and who want different rules to be applied to them. We are calling on...
4th September 2024
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Schools model policy – editable
Our whole-school model policy on sex-based rules and record-keeping, formatted as a Word document for schools to adapt. See also the glossy PDF version. Read more about why this policy is needed.
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New safeguarding guidance for schools in England starts to close loopholes
The Department for Education has finalised its statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), closing a loophole that had been introduced as a result of lobbying by Stonewall. Statutory safeguarding guidance says that schools should make sure that all staff are aware of issues that can put...
3rd September 2024
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A model policy that protects all children’s wellbeing
Teachers and pupils in England are going back to school this week, and are still lacking finalised guidance or a model policy from the Department for Education on what to do if children ask to be allowed to “socially transition” and be treated as the opposite sex. Sex Matters...
2nd September 2024
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Sex-based rules and record-keeping – a whole-school model policy
See also the editable version in Word, for schools to adapt. Read more about why this policy is needed. This model policy specifies how a school records, communicates and uses data on the sex of all pupils, and any rules that treat girls and boys differently but fairly. It...
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Will the Church of England repeat old mistakes?
The Church of England is responsible for some 4,600 schools (including one in four primary schools) educating around 1.1 million pupils. In 2017 it began work with Stonewall as part of a £3 million government programme focused on “homophobic, biphobic and transphobic” bullying. It published guidance that promoted gender...
31st July 2024
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Sex matters and the new government
The UK has a new prime minister and we now know there will be a new Labour government, with a significant majority in the House of Commons. The Labour Party has pledged to provide greater support for victims of violence against women and greater protection for women’s rights at...
5th July 2024
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Despite the election, you should still respond to consultations
You can still make a difference by responding: here’s how.
7th June 2024
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Draft Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health education
The Department for Education’s statutory guidance for governing bodies, proprietors, head teachers, principals, senior leadership teams, teachers. Draft guidance for consultation from 16th May to 11th July 2024.
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Dispelling the suicide myth
For almost ten years, lobby groups have been promoting the idea that for gender-confused children there are only two options: transition or die. The claim that childhood transition prevents suicide has been used as an argument for social transition in schools, for giving puberty blockers and hormones, and for...
10th May 2024
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Gender-distressed youth and suicide risk – factsheet
The possibility of suicide can be a concern for parents with a child experiencing distress about their sex, and for the professionals working with that family, as well as for officials and politicians setting policy. This factsheet summarises research and addresses myths, misunderstandings and scaremongering.
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The Cass Review – initial analysis
The Cass Review of gender-identity services for children and young people has published its final report and recommendations. Sex Matters says: This is a breakthrough. It’s a huge step forward, with multiple implications that will be hugely consequential.
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The Cass Review – final report
Dr Hilary Cass's final report and recommendations to NHS England in her role as chair of the Independent Review of gender identity services for children and young people.
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The Cass Review is a damning indictment of what the NHS has been doing to children
Dr Hilary Cass has submitted her final report and recommendations to NHS England in her role as Chair of the Independent Review of gender identity services for children and young people. Hilary Cass’s report demolishes the entire basis for the current model of treating gender-distressed children. Its publication is...
10th April 2024
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Response to Department for Education consultation on national minimum standards for further education residential accommodation
Aims to align the standards with the position on residential accommodation being consulted on in the draft "Gender Questioning Children: non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges in England".
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Has the EHRC forgotten about children and safeguarding?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published its response to the Department for Education’s draft guidance for schools in England on gender-questioning children. It says that DfE’s approach “is compatible with equality and human rights law”, but calls for a clearer explanation of the legal concepts underpinning it. ...
21st March 2024
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What does the law say about “gender-questioning children” in schools?
An analysis of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s response to the Department for Education’s draft guidance for schools on gender-questioning children. See all our updates about this guidance.
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Hung out to dry – the impact of Welsh Government inaction on gender distressed children, their families and their schools
The impact of Welsh Government inaction on gender distressed children, their families and their schools, and a call for urgently needed clear, legally compliant guidance.
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Response to Department for Education draft guidance for schools on gender-questioning children
Our final response (after our draft response) to the DfE’s draft guidance for consultation, published in December 2023. See all our updates about this guidance.
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Evidence-Based Social Work Alliance (EBSWA)
Coalition of practitioners, academics and students in the field of social work. Formed as a response to concerns about the impact of gender-identity theory in their field. Argues that social workers’ legal responsibilities to safeguard children are being put at risk by the lack of an evidence base for...
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Single-sex toilets in schools
Are your daughter’s safety, dignity, health and privacy important at school? Single-sex toilets are being removed in schools despite the Equality Act’s legal protections. The WRN has a range of resources you can use to highlight this problem and talk to your child’s school.
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Responding to the schools guidance consultation
The Department for Education published draft guidance for schools in England on gender-questioning children for consultation at the end of last year. The closing date for responses is 12th March. Sex Matters is publishing its draft response to the consultation today, to help others who are developing their submissions....
1st February 2024
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Sex Matters’ draft response to the Department for Education consultation on guidance for schools on gender-questioning children
Draft version for feedback – read the DfE draft guidance for consultation.
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Lobby groups tell schools to ignore DfE guidance
The Department for Education’s guidance on gender-questioning children was published in December – but many schools are getting materials from organisations they think are trustworthy telling them to ignore it. Below is a summary of what the larger organisations are sending out. Since “The Key” alone reaches more than...
31st January 2024
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Mermaids’ letter shows what the DfE needs to do to make its guidance work for schools
In December 2023, the Department for Education released draft guidance on gender-questioning children for schools and colleges in England. The consultation on this guidance is open until 12th March. The guidance tells schools and colleges that they can and should say “no” to demands to: The guidance is quite...
26th January 2024
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Mixed sex toilets in Wales’ schools
New and refurbished school buildings across Wales are imposing mixed sex toilet facilities on children, reports Merched Cymru. These toilets are not compliant with the law, and present considerable problems, particularly for girls.
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How trans inclusion in sport is harming women and girls
The harms caused include unfair competition and demoralisation; losing out on records, rankings or on opportunities to participate; no consent or being coerced into a mixed-sex environment; a chilling climate of intimidation, fear and silencing; loss of privacy and dignity; and risks to women’s and girls’ physical safety
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SEEN in Schools
A network of UK school staff – including teachers, teaching assistants, administrative staff, other support staff and school governors – committed to promoting sex equality and equity in schools for under 18s, both state-maintained and independent. Formed in March 2024. Not affiliated with any school or academy trust nor...
