The final transgender guidance for schools, issued by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, will permit children as young as five to socially transition, a move that campaigners fear will embolden parents seeking to transition their children. The statutory document, which faced controversy upon its initial February release, has retained its core provisions following a government consultation.
Sex Matters, a sex-based rights group, criticized ministers for not altering their stance. "The suggestion that schools – including primary schools – might be able to accommodate 'social transition'… opens the door to pressure from activist parents who want their child treated as an exception to whole-school rules that exist to safeguard all children," said Maya Forstater, chief executive of Sex Matters.
The guidance also maintains advice that there is "no reason" to inform parents about a pupil experiencing gender-related feelings unless the child requests to transition at school or there is a "safeguarding risk." Forstater argued that "trans identification should always be recognised as raising safeguarding risks" due to the potential for "harmful physical and medical interventions such as breast-binding and unregulated hormone prescriptions sourced online." She added, "Too many schools and teachers will approach a conversation about gender as an opportunity to celebrate, rather than a sign that a child's wellbeing is at risk."
Despite these concerns, Forstater acknowledged that the guidance, titled 'Keeping Children Safe in Education,' represents a "step forward" after "15 years of unbridled trans activism in schools." The document continues to prohibit children from using toilets or changing rooms designated for the opposite sex, and schools will not be permitted to record a child's sex as different from their biological sex. Teachers are also barred from initiating a pupil's transition.
Laura Trott, Shadow Education Secretary, welcomed the clarity on single-sex spaces and accurate record-keeping. "Labour were wrong to open the door to children as young as five socially transitioning," Trott stated. "Children cannot be kept safe if teachers are encouraged to socially transition them and set them on a pathway that can lead to irreversible harm. We will continue to fight for common sense. Referring to young children in a way that does not reflect their biological sex is wrong."
The guidance was initially drafted by the Conservative government but was paused after Labour's election victory in 2024. Previous instructions from Kemi Badenoch, then the relevant minister, had forbidden primary schools from changing pupils' pronouns. Labour's earlier draft of the guidance removed this ban, suggesting that children as young as five should be allowed "full social transition" in "rare" circumstances. The current version has received backing from Dr. Hilary Cass, whose independent review of NHS gender identity services for children led to a ban on puberty blockers for individuals under 18.
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.