The Department for Education (DfE) has published long-awaited guidance on gender questioning for primary school pupils in England, permitting the use of different pronouns under certain conditions. The guidance, which is open for consultation, marks a shift from a 2023 draft that prohibited pronoun changes for primary-aged children.
The document emphasises caution, stating that social transitioning—including new names or pronouns—should not be adopted unilaterally by staff. Instead, decisions must follow proper procedures involving parental consent and clinical advice. The DfE notes that such requests are expected to be very rare in primary schools.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the aim is to provide pragmatic support for teachers and reassurance for parents, avoiding the issue being used as a “political football”. The guidance is statutory, meaning schools must comply, and incorporates findings from Dr Hilary Cass’s 2024 review into gender transitioning and children.
Teachers are expected to respond with caution, but children’s wellbeing remains paramount, allowing flexibility. Parents should be informed unless there is a safeguarding risk, and schools should seek clinical advice where possible. The guidance stresses that schools should not initiate action on gender questioning but respond only when raised by a child or parent.
Regarding facilities, the guidance states that schools should not have mixed toilets or sleeping arrangements for children over eight, and no child should feel unsafe in mixed-sex sports. Socially transitioning students will be “sensitively explained” that they cannot access opposite-sex facilities. The guidance will be reviewed annually.
