Several families in England and Wales have voiced alarm over the use of specific reading materials in primary school classrooms, alleging that young children are being introduced to books with 'trans-activist' themes without parental permission or adequate warning. These lessons, part of compulsory relationships education and diversity and equality classes, utilize materials developed by the education charity No Outsiders.
The No Outsiders program, which is used by hundreds of primary schools, incorporates picture books such as "Julian Is A Mermaid," "Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender And Friendship," and "And Tango Makes Three." "Introducing Teddy" reportedly focuses on a transgender teddy bear's acceptance, while "And Tango Makes Three" depicts two male penguins adopting an egg, a theme noted in the context of same-sex couple adoptions.
One family from London shared their surprise at finding such books used in their daughter's Church of England primary school. The mother stated that her concerns, along with those of other parents, were met with a misunderstanding from the school, who she felt perceived their objections as bigotry rather than a concern about the age-appropriateness and ideological presentation of topics. This led some parents to withdraw their children from the No Outsiders sessions. The family also noted that in a subsequent year, an assembly about pronouns was held, after which two children reportedly identified as non-binary.
Another complaint surfaced from a family in the east of England. They alleged that their primary school-aged child was taught lessons linked to these books without advance notice. The parents reported making repeated requests for prior notification regarding the use of No Outsiders resources, which they claim went unheeded. Their formal complaint, submitted to the school and their local Member of Parliament, highlighted that "And Tango Makes Three" was read to four- and five-year-old reception class pupils, despite being listed in the school's curriculum for older students aged nine and ten (Year 5).
Parents emphasized that their objection was not to teaching children kindness and respect, but rather to what they perceive as the No Outsiders program presenting a singular ideological viewpoint on sex and gender, introducing subjects they deem too mature for young children. A separate case from Dorset involved a family sending over 17 letters and emails across four years to their children's school regarding its ties to the LGBTQ+ charity Space Youth Project, which included an event called 'Trans Family Day.' They claimed an external trainer from the charity conducted an assembly without parental notification.
No Outsiders was founded by Andrew Moffat MBE, who received his honor for services to inclusion. The program aims to teach children about the Equality Act 2010 and British values. Schools can sign up to use the materials and display the official logo for a fee, with free lesson and assembly plans available online. Mr. Moffat and No Outsiders were contacted for comment.