CofE's new gender and sexuality guidance for school's sparks concern

The Church of England's draft guidance on bullying has sparked concern over its language on gender and sexuality.

'Flourishing for All,' a set of guidance documents, is set to be implemented in the Church of England's 4,700 schools from September.

This replaces the previous 'Valuing All God's Children,' used since 2014. The first document, 'Guidance for preventing and tackling homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying,' was released earlier this month.

The guidance aims to address "homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying" in schools, urging teachers to use "up-to-date" language and challenge "outdated terms." It includes a glossary defining terms such as transgender, gender, pronouns, and gender identity.

The Bishop of Portsmouth, Jonathan Frost, emphasised the importance of a safe learning environment: "Bullying has no place in our schools; every child deserves to learn in an environment where they are loved, supported, and respected."

The Church's Chief Education Officer, Nigel Genders, added that the guidance reflects the need for updated anti-HBT bullying resources in schools.

However, some groups have expressed serious concerns.

Lucy Marsh of the Family Education Trust criticised the guidance for not recognising biological sex as immutable, stating, "Sex is not 'assigned at birth,' it is determined at conception and recorded at birth."

Christian Concern argued that the guidance reflects gender ideology and risks labelling genuine Christian beliefs as bullying.

Parents are being encouraged to participate in the consultation, which ends on 31 July.

The Church of England clarified that the guidance was informed by reputable sources, including Government Guidance, the Cass Review, and its Living in Love and Faith process.