Action 1  Does your school understand the Equality Act 2010? 

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act/protected-characteristics   

[The Equality Act applies across England, Wales and Scotland.  Northern Ireland has its own legislation. Some resources will be England specific as guidelines were issued in England in September 2020.]

  • Check your children’s school correctly states the Equality Act in its Equality policy and Safeguarding policies. They should be on the school website
  • Does the school accurately list the 9 protected characteristics? https://youtu.be/VXLtKlmtrvM
  • Do the policies say sex (ie being male or female; NOT gender) and include disability?
  • Is sexual orientation a separate characteristic (it should be; NOT gender identity) and is gender reassignment listed (again, NOT gender identity).

Schools cannot safeguard if sex is not included in their policy.  Write to your school using Safe School Alliance’s letter on the Equality Act ‘Protected Characteristic’ if it is getting the law wrong [ins link to specific letter].

Action 2  Check what resources your school uses for Relationships Education, Relationships (RSE) and Sex Education, and Personal, Social, Health & Economic Education (PSHE)

Schools have a statutory requirement to teach RSE but they often do so using external resources from providers that are unmonitored and unregulated. Many of these providers teach materials that go against DfE guidance, especially in their teaching about gender identity.

Check your school’s provision against the careful analysis of Safe Schools Alliance and Transgender Trend [ins see LINKS].

Write to your school with concerns – SafeSchools_UK has draft letters – and let us know how you get on or if you need help.

We offer you support to challenge policies and curriculum informed by gender identity ideology:

–  We can help with letter writing and identifying who to approach to inform and lobby about your concerns (senior leadership in schools, governing bodies, Academy Trusts, Local Authority and beyond)

–  We identify the advice, guidance and legislation that schools should be following to improve their teaching and the relevant policies within the existing statutory framework.

–  We highlight and explain to schools the pastoral and school monitoring implications of non-compliance with this framework

 

We help parents with their questions to schools:

  • We can comment on draft letters and offer advice on best next steps
  • We have sample letters written by group members we can share covering toilets, RSE curriculum, teaching of gender identity, RSE materials 
  • We have information on copyright if your school is refusing you access to materials 
  • We have members with expertise and experience of meeting with governors
  • We can signpost to specific advice about transgender policies at school
  • We can signpost to media contacts to gain coverage in mainstream media (they will need to name the school and see supporting evidence of what is happening but can keep your name anonymous)

 

If you email us with a brief description of the issue you are facing we will try to suggest a course of action and put you in touch with other parents or representatives in your area