Schools and safeguarding

Updated school model policy: send to your child’s school

The updated version of Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), which comes into force across England at the start...

Sex-based rules and record-keeping – a whole-school model policy

UPDATED JULY 2026: This model policy specifies how a school records, communicates and uses data on the sex of...

Keeping children safe in education: better than before

The government has published the final version of the statutory safeguarding guidance for schools in England, Keeping children safe...

H, mother of a severely disabled girl

One day I won’t be around to speak for my daughter. The thought of men, however they ‘identify’, taking...

Katie Alcock, former Girlguiding leader

Now, finally, we have our movement back. But it’s bittersweet for me. I can’t imagine going back to an...

Boys told to leave Girlguiding

Girl-only charity returns to its founding purpose

Guidance released on “gender-questioning” children 

The government has published an updated draft version of Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE). This is a regular...

Will Girlguiding follow the law? 

Girlguiding is the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated to girls. It is a charity registered in England and Wales,...

Template email about positive action based on self-ID instead of sex

This template email is designed to help you tell organisations that programmes and prizes for women and girls must...

Model policy for schools: updated

Sex Matters’ model policy for schools has now been updated following the Supreme Court’s judgment in For Women Scotland....

What does the For Women Scotland judgment mean in practice? 

The judgment handed down yesterday by the Supreme Court returns the Equality Act to clarity.  Many organisations have fallen...

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...

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...

What about pronouns at school? 

Sex Matters has published a model policy for schools to help them communicate clear expectations to staff, pupils and...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Despite the election, you should still respond to consultations

You can still make a difference by responding: here’s how.

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...

Dispelling the suicide myth

For almost ten years, lobby groups have been promoting the idea that for gender-confused children there are only two...

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...

The Cass Review – initial analysis

The Cass Review of gender-identity services for children and young people has published its final report and recommendations.

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...

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...

Response to Department for Education consultation on national minimum standards for further education residential accommodation

Covering academies, further education colleges and sixth-form colleges, this aims to align the standards with the position on residential...

Advice of Karon Monaghan KC in the matter of Brighton and Hove City Council’s ‘Trans inclusion toolkit’

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...

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...

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...

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...