Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish revised safeguarding guidance on transgender issues in schools.

‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSIE) is the statutory safeguarding guidance schools and colleges must have regard to when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the pupils in their care.

The Secretary of State is working closely with the Minister for Women and Equalities to produce guidance to support schools in relation to pupils who are questioning their gender, following calls from schools, teachers, and parents. This guidance will clarify schools’ legal position and the importance of schools involving parents when making any decisions relating to their child and their gender. The Department will undertake a formal public consultation on this guidance before it is published.

The Department will consider whether to include links to the new transgender guidance, within future versions of KCSIE, and take into account any views on its inclusion, as part of the KCSIE public consultation process in the normal way.