Petition Revoke trans guidance in schools until parents have been fully consulted

Ministers responded

This response was given on 16 June 2025

The guidance will not be revoked as it is an important resource for schools. It remains subject to future review, with the wellbeing and welfare of children and young people at the forefront.

The guidance applies to staff in schools, both teaching and non-teaching, and is for their use only. It is a guidance tool for schools to use at the point at which a child discloses to them their thoughts around their gender. This will be a very small proportion of the school population, and most children and families will not be affected by the guidance or need to use this guidance. It is not accurate to say 'The Guidance applies to under 18s including primary age children, which I believe risks schools giving credibility to gender assertions by children ignorant of their meaning.'

The point made in the petition around not informing parents has been taken in isolation and out of the wider context of the document. The guidance continually foregrounds the vital role of partnership working with parents, for instance:
'It is hoped that schools and education settings will have positive relationships with all groups of parents and carers and will be using a range of methods to break down any barriers to enable open and transparent conversations about equality practice.'

And
'As a key principle, educational settings will want to work in close partnership with parents and carers. Parents and carers will often be the ones to approach the setting about the needs of their child.'

The guidance makes it clear that open dialogue with parents is our goal:

'Settings will encourage pupils to talk with their parents and carers about their trans* status, including offering to talk with the parent or carer on the child’s behalf.'

The guidance is also clear that withholding / masking information about a child's gender identity would only happen in exceptional circumstances:

'When contacting a child’s family, therefore, respecting a child’s confidentiality, may very occasionally require staff to use their legal name and the pronoun corresponding to their sex registered at birth.'

Perhaps most importantly, the fact that a child 'exploring their gender identity' does not automatically need to be shared with parents only applies if the student is not asking the school to facilitate any kind of social transition. As soon as the school is being asked to acknowledge and actively accommodate a trans* or non-binary identity, this moves into the territory of Appendix 1 'Flowchart guidance for schools when a pupil approaches school of intention to socially transition'. This flowchart repeatedly signposts attempts to engage parents, and the need to escalate to the Children and Families Hub or CYPES safeguarding, where safeguarding considerations make this impossible. Schools cannot simply choose to not include parents.

Therefore, the key issues that seem to be highlighted here is that (as with a gay student) we won't be 'outing' them to anyone on the sole basis of their identity. Parents have a right to know what actions schools are taking in support of their child, and the guidance fully supports this.

Furthermore, the guidance puts parental partnership at its heart and subordinates this consideration only in exceptional circumstances related to safeguarding (as we always must).

The Petition goes on to state:
‘this guidance also allows books, that parents may consider unsuitable, to be placed in our school libraries and the children's section of the public library.’

There are only three books recommended as part of this guidance for schools. These books are explicitly professional education resources to support positive inclusion in a school. They are not recommended reading for students; there is no recommended reading for students contained within the guidance. This statement is therefore inaccurate.

Petition Response from - Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning.