Equalities Guidance – Transgender Pupils
Disclosures
Staff should always be sensitive and show respect when a young person is making a disclosure to them. As for all disclosures made by pupils to a member of staff, this should be passed onto the teacher responsible for the young person’s pastoral care. As with any disclosure, the young person should be told this will happen. While a disclosure related to gender identity is not, in itself, a child protection issue, the member of staff responsible for that person’s pastoral care should still be informed as it is relevant to the overall picture of that young person.
If in any doubt, teachers responsible for Pastoral Care/Guidance should seek support from line managers whenever required.
Preferred names and pronouns
If a pupil wishes to be known by a completely different name than the one recorded against them on the class register, advice should be sought from the teacher responsible for the pupil’s pastoral care. Pronouns can be a more difficult area and some members feel that the safest and easiest way to address issues in this area is to merely not use pronouns. This has advantages in avoiding unintended mistakes but also protects members of staff who feel unable to use pronouns that are different from pupils’ biological sex for religious or other reasons.
Overnight trips
Where pupils may have to sleep overnight on any trip, those under 16 should not be accommodated in single rooms for child protection reasons. For all pupils, it would be inappropriate to allow them to choose freely with whom they would wish to share as we have a responsibility to not facilitate sexual interactions – the best approach is to accommodate pupils segregated by biological sex. There can be discussion with the pupils in advance to determine who will share rooms. It would not be sensible, in any circumstances, for teachers to share rooms with pupils.
General
Care should be taken to avoid using gender stereotypes and unconscious bias.
New pupils joining the school should bring birth certificates as part of the enrolment process
