Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the guidance to support schools in relation to transgender pupils will include measures to help tackle transphobic bullying.

The Government has sent a clear message that bullying should never be tolerated, and the Department is committed to supporting schools to tackle it. The Department provides guidance for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities, and makes clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child’s social, emotional, and mental health needs. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.

The Department is working with the Minister for Women and Equalities to develop guidance to support schools in relation to supporting gender questioning pupils.

The Department has provided over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

The Department is ensuring all pupils in England will learn about respectful relationships, in person and online, as part of new mandatory relationships, sex and health education. The subject is designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to lead happy, safe, and healthy lives, and to foster respect for other people and for difference.

All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. The policy should set out the behaviour expected of pupils, the sanctions that will be imposed for misbehaviour, and rewards for good behaviour. This should be communicated to all pupils, school staff and parents. This is supported by ‘Respectful School Communities’, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole school approach which promotes respect and discipline. The tool is available at: https://educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/. This can combat bullying, harassment, and prejudice of any kind, including hate based bullying.