TL;DR: The long-awaited Transgender Schools guidance could force schools to take a gender-critical approach, that the government has called âParent Firstâ. But it could also provide loopholes to make transphobic actions possible by teachers and schools.
The long-delayed school's guidance for trans kids was announced this week and will now go into a 12-week consultation. If it goes ahead, it will enforce a gender-critical approach to trans childrenâs pronouns use of toilets and uniforms.
It says schools should make sure âsocial transition is extremely rareâ, which could create a chilling effect similar to the devastating impact of Section 28âs ban on schools talking about people who are gay. So, what does it set out?
Transgender school's guidance principles 'are about putting âparents firstâ'
The government says itâs been drafted with the interim conclusions from the Cass Review in mind. It repeats the claim from the report that social transition is not a âneutral actâ - which means to say, gender-critical and transphobic people contest the growing body of evidence that gender-affirming care is saving lives. As such, it sets out that schools should only consider any form of âsocial transitionâ as an âextremely rareâ option.
It also sets out that âparents should be involved in decisions about their childrenâs lives, and that significant decisions affecting a childâs future should not be made without parents being involved.â
What does the Transgender school's guidance say about toilets, changing rooms, and sports?
The guidance, under consultation, sets out that âbiological sexâ a phrase championed by gender-critical campaigners, is the overriding factor as to who can use what spaces, setting out that sports should âalmost alwaysâ be split between boys and girls biological sex, as should changing rooms and toilets for those over the ages of 8.
Analysis: The implication of this could be that some trans pupils could be banned from using some toilets or taking part in sports.
What does the Transgender school's guidance say about changing names or pronouns?
It says pupils âmay be allowed to informally change their names if it is in the best interests of the childâ, but crucially, only if the âparents have been fully consulted.â
But, on pronouns, it says schools can decline to use a childâs pronouns and bans primary school aged children from having different pronouns to their sex assigned at birth. It further sets out that teachers and pupils canât be compelled to respect the pronouns of a trans student unless there is a safeguarding issue and âall otherâ routes have been considered first.
What does the Transgender school's guidance say about uniforms?
It sets out that âin generalâ a trans child should be âheld to the same uniform standard as other children of their sexâ. The implication here pulls from the concept this guidance wants to prevent schools from allowing children to âsocially transitionâ except in âextremely rareâ cases. It does say schools may agree to changes or exceptions on a case-by-case basis but bans them from allowing any changes to swimwear.
Analysis: Worse than Section 28, because it will be harder to revoke
Itâs clear why there has been a great deal of back and forth in the wording of this guidance. It toes the line just carefully enough to be able to claim to respect transgender peopleâs rights within the Equality Act. But its impact, regardless of this, will be devastating.
It will send a message to a generation of young people that being trans is something to be ashamed of, to hide, to not recognise and will create an even bigger target on young trans kids' backs. The legacy of this non-statutory guidance will be even harder to unpick than Section 28âs because, unlike that law - there is nothing to repeal, and therefore, the hangover of any withdrawal or changes later will be more complex to communicate and confirm.
What can I do? This guidance now enters a 12-week consultation period - and so while some of the chilling effects it may have had already begun, it hasnât been sent to teachers yet. If you have opinions on the guidance, you can respond to the consultation on GOV.UK

What do you know about 2024?
- You know it's not enough for you alone to understand the LGBTQIA+ world - we need everyone to.
- You want to play your part in helping to change the media - so it can shift the narrative on queer lives positively.
- You believe in a different kind of queer news - focused on creating content because it counts for the community, not for clicks.
- You want to join a community of like-minded queers dedicated to supporting marginalised LGBTQIA+ people - who want to make the world better place.
QueerAF is a growing community of members who want to change the media by supporting LGBTQIA+ creatives' careers.
Every membership helps fund our unique approach to queer journalism, as well as our wider work shifting the media landscape so it works for us, not against us.
Make your new years resolution clear: