Schools must avoid teaching gender identity as fact, says new government guidance

Pupils across England will learn about the law on biological sex and gender reassignment under updated government guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE).

The new rules stress that schools must not teach it as fact that all people have a gender identity, and caution against suggesting that social transitioning is a “simple solution” to distress.

The 47-page guidance, published on Tuesday, replaces stricter proposals by the previous government that would have banned teaching about gender identity entirely and imposed firm age limits, preventing children under nine from receiving any sex education.

Instead, the Labour government has opted for a more flexible approach, urging schools to make RSHE “age and stage appropriate and accessible to pupils in their area.”

Primary schools are encouraged to teach sex education in years 5 and 6, alongside lessons on conception and birth, but it remains non-compulsory. Schools must consult parents on what is taught, help them discuss these topics with their children, and remind them of their right to withdraw children from sex education.

The guidance states schools should avoid using oversimplified cartoons or diagrams that might push stereotypes or encourage questioning of gender.

It also allows teachers to address issues such as sharing naked images or online sexual content if they know pupils have encountered it, including pornography.

Beyond gender and biological sex, the document addresses a range of modern safeguarding concerns. It includes guidance on online gambling, sextortion, strangulation and suffocation, deepfakes, suicide prevention, “incel” culture, and links between pornography and misogyny.

Margaret Mulholland from the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) welcomed “the clarity over biological sex and gender reassignment,” noting the importance of clear national guidelines given the “strongly held and sometimes polarised views” on these subjects.

However, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, while pleased that rigid age restrictions were dropped, warned: “The new guidance asks schools to teach more content with only the same amount of time available.” He urged the Government to address how additional teaching time would be found.

The guidance has drawn criticism from some campaigners. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, said it was “a big shame” the Government had watered down earlier proposals that would have challenged what she described as trans activist policies in schools.

Bayswater, a group supporting parents of “trans-identified adolescents,” warned that the guidance weakens previous safeguarding clarity and may even harm vulnerable pupils. They argued that direct teaching about suicide, for instance, could undermine prevention efforts.

The Department for Education is expected to publish separate guidance soon on supporting gender-questioning pupils.