New Relationships and Sex Education Guidance

This week, on 15 July 2025, the Labour government have released changes to the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) guidance. This is a legal document that tells schools how to teach RSE, including education on LGBT+ issues.

What does it mean?

The changes have significantly weakened schools’ responsibilities to provide equal and fair education about transgender people, including almost completely removing the word ‘transgender’ from the document. 

Schools have been told to teach about ‘biological sex’ but not necessarily ‘gender identity’, and that there is ‘significant debate’ about trans people and trans issues. They have also been told not to encourage students to question their gender. 

This could put pressure on schools to be less supportive of trans pupils, and it could allow for trans pupils to be excluded, misgendered, or deadnamed in the classroom under the guise of ‘debate’.

Is this the new Section 28?

Yes and no. 

Section 28 banned the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities, including schools. The result was that queer young people were suppressed, and queer teachers lost their jobs. 

The new RSE guidance does not ban teachers or young people from talking about trans issues in the classroom or from being trans and proud.

Students who want to proudly uphold their trans identity and teachers who want to provide fair and equal education on trans issues can still find a way, and we’re here to help them. 

Even if this is not a legislative ban in the same way as Section 28, it is in the same spirit. The Department for Education have made clear that they want to pressure teachers to avoid teaching about trans lives, and to shut down support of trans students in the classroom. 

There is no doubt that these changes will make it harder to support trans pupils and to discuss trans issues in a fair, respectful, and caring way.

There is no doubt that this will put teachers in an impossible position, making it harder for them to safely and supportively answer young people’s questions about sex, sexuality and gender. 

There is no doubt that this will make it harder for trans pupils to have a healthy and happy education.

In this way, these changes continue the legacy of Section 28.

What do we think?

The Department for Education and the Labour government have made it clear that their commitments to LGBT+ equality do not include trans people.

That makes it harder for those of us who know that everyone deserves equal access to education - but not impossible.

School is a place to explore identity and figure out who you are in the world. Many young people, whether they’re trans or not, use their time at school to experiment with changing their clothes, their hair, or their names. Questions about sex, gender, and sexuality are normal and healthy, and schools must provide a safe environment for children and adolescents who are asking these difficult questions. 

Restricting the language that teachers can use and discouraging some viewpoints while promoting others makes it harder for schools to be that safe space. It makes young people who have questions about gender less likely to be open, and more likely to seek answers in unsafe places like social media and the internet.

The priority must be the safety and wellbeing of young people. This doesn’t look like shutting down open discussion of trans lives and discouraging positive portrayals of trans people. It looks like answering young people’s questions honestly and clearly, supporting trans students to thrive as their best selves, and shutting down bullying and discrimination of all kinds. It looks like schools where cisgender and transgender students can have healthy conversations about sex and relationships without being divided or excluded. 

We’re already seeing too many of our young people dropping out of school or suffering from poor mental health because of bullying and exclusion. We’re worried that this will get worse if the government pushes trans exclusion in the classroom. 

We're frustrated that the new guidance addresses worrying trends in violence and hate in schools, but fails to recognise that this violence and hate stems from the same root cause as trans exclusion - misogyny.

We don’t think that schools will be able to provide a respectful and dignified education for trans students if they are also encouraged to debate those students’ identities and personal lives. 

More than anything, we’re determined to keep working with educators, families, and young people to ensure all trans people have the best education they can. 

What are we doing?

We’re writing to the Minister for Education, Bridget Phillipson, to say that this guidance puts young trans people and their teachers at risk and to demand a more compassionate approach. 

We’re writing to the Minister for Equalities, Nia Griffiths, to stress the need for a plan to protect LGBT+ students and educators from harassment and discrimination at school. 

We’re working on our own guidance to help teachers and educators understand how they can keep providing inclusive RSE under these changes, and we’re providing support to trans young people and their families. 

Whatever happens, we’ll always stand up for children and young people. Everyone deserves to have a school where they belong.

What can I do?

• Write to the Minister for Education, Bridget Phillipson, and tell her what you think of the new guidance and what you would like to see from inclusive LGBT+ relationships and sex education. 

Email the Minister of Education - bridget.phillipson.mp@parliament.uk

• Write to the Minister for Equalities, Dame Nia Griffiths, and let her know what you’re feeling right now as a trans person, or what you want to see from the government to support trans people. 

Email the Minister for Equalities - nia.griffith.mp@parliament.uk

You don’t need to be an expert or send a long email. If you’re a student, teacher, parent or guardian, make sure you include this and say why this is important to you.

If you're a teacher or an educator

 Where appropriate, offer reassurance, and keep creating a positive and welcoming space for all LGBT+ people in your classroom. If you have any questions about what this guidance might mean for trans young people or worries about trans students’ wellbeing, please get in touch via our website. We have over 15 years’ experience of youth work with trans people, and we’ll do our best to answer your questions and offer advice.

If you’re a young person

Don’t lose hope. We know things are really tough right now, but we’re not going anywhere. Most people really want to include and support trans people, including teachers and other pupils.

If you’re being bullied or discriminated against at school, tell a teacher, parent or carer, or trusted adult. If you have questions or just want to get to know other trans young people, you can contact our youth service on youthwork@genderedintelligence.co.uk.

If you're a parent or carer

Keep on supporting your child to be true to themselves. Talk to their school about what they need and report any bullying or concerns. If your child is being unfairly excluded or discriminated against you can complain to the school, to the local authority, and if that fails to the Department for Education.

There might be some tough times ahead, but we can support our young people to flourish and succeed in the face of adversity.