Teachers in England have been told they do not have to address pupils in their chosen pronouns under new government guidance on how best to support transgender students.

The main points from today’s developments include:
• Parents should be involved in decisions affecting their children
• Single-sex spaces must be protected for the safeguarding of all children
• Schools and colleges do not have to, and should not, accept all requests for social transition
• ‘Social transitioning’ can include requests to change pronouns, names, and uniform.

The guidance was meant to be published before the summer holidays, but was delayed to ensure it met the “high expectations” of teachers and parents.

On Tuesday, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the draft puts the “best interests of all children first, removing any confusion about the protections that must be in place for biological sex and single-sex spaces”.

She said it makes clear that safety and safeguarding for all children must always be schools’ primary concern.

The document is non-statutory, with parents and teachers now urged to have their say in a 12-week consultation.

Kemi Badenoch, minister for women and equalities, added: “This guidance is intended to give teachers and school leaders greater confidence when dealing with an issue that has been hijacked by activists misrepresenting the law.

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“It makes clear that schools do not have to accept a child’s request to socially transition, and that teachers or pupils should not be pressured into using different pronouns.

“We are also clear how vital it is that parents are informed and involved in the decisions that impact their children’s lives.”

‘Does not go far enough’

In an early indication of potential unease about the measures on the right of the Conservative party, former prime minister Liz Truss said the guidance “does not go far enough”.

She called for a change in the law rather than non-statutory guidance.

Ms Truss said: “I fear that activists and others will be able to exploit loopholes in the guidance and the existing legal framework to pursue their agenda, leaving children at risk of making irreversible changes and with single-sex spaces not sufficiently protected.”

The former prime minister called on government to back her Health and Equality Acts ( Amendment) Bill, which she first put to Parliament on 6 December.

Under the proposed amendments bill social transitioning would not be recognised by schools or the state in children and puberty blockers and hormone treatment for gender dysphoria would be banned for under-18s.

Speaking ahead of the publication of the draft, the prime minister’s spokesperson said it was a “complex area” and was right to “take the time to get this right”.

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