Gender and safeguarding in schools (FOI)

​Request

Further to the previous Freedom of Information request linked below, please provide links to the five schools' policies, including Les Quennevais, given in the reply:-

Gender and Safeguarding in schools (FOI)

A

Does the school inform parents or guardians when their child expresses that he or she might be a different gender to their sex, or expresses a wish to change gender?

B

Does the school operate a policy of self ID for gender identity; in other words, do they consider the gender of a child to be the gender that that child declares it to be, irrespective of the child’s sex?

C

Who, if anyone, does the school consult before allowing a child to socially transition (i.e., identify as a different gender to their sex)? Please detail the roles of those consulted.

D

Does the school allow a child who identifies as a different gender to their sex to:

i) Use toilets according to their new gender, rather than their biological sex?

ii) Use changing rooms according to their new gender, rather than their biological sex?

iii) Take part in sporting activities according to their new gender, rather than their biological sex in circumstances where sports are separated into boys and girls?

iv)) Choose which single-sex accommodation to sleep in on school trips?

E

Does the school require other children to refer to children who have socially transitioned by their new name and preferred pronouns?

F

Which of the following ideas does the school either teach or support?

i) That people have a gender identity that may be different from their biological sex.

ii) That it is possible for people or children to be ‘born in the wrong body’.

iii) That a person who self-identifies as a man or a woman should be treated as they identify in all circumstances, even when this does not match their biological sex.

G

In the last three years, has the school worked with any external provider (either charity or commercial organisation) to provide lessons or resources that include gender identity? If so, please give the name of the provider.

H

​Please provide copies of all presentations, leaflets, worksheets and other materials that are used in the school, as well as a list of library books that reference gender identity.

Response

As referenced in the previous response, each school can then use this guidance within the context of their own school and / or create their own policy. The response did not state that every school had their own policy. 

Following further investigation and review, it has been established that all schools now utilise the government guidelines. However, for this and all other matters, once a school creates its own policy they are published on their websites.

Links were also provided to the department’s Transgender Guidance and other related documents in response to the questions raised.

It should be noted that schools will work with children / young people and their families to assess their individual needs and support them in the best way for that child / young person; this may not always fit within the parameters of a policy.

Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Article applied

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.​