Jersey Schools Transgender Guidance: What does it actually say?
A parent-focused review of Jersey’s guidance for schools on supporting trans pupils
Document: Transgender Guidance for Schools
Published by: Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES), Government of Jersey
Date: August 2021
Status: Current
Link: Available via Hautlieu School website
Note: This is Jersey (Channel Islands) guidance, not England. Jersey has its own government and laws, including the Discrimination (Jersey) Law 2013 which explicitly protects transgender people.
At a glance
🟢 Bathroom access: Child chooses which toilets to use; single stall available if preferred
🟢 Changing rooms: Child should ideally choose; alternative arrangements discussed with pupil
🟢 Sports and PE: Minimise segregation; child chooses which group to join; inclusion prioritised
🟢 Name: Child has right to be called by chosen name; school should adopt it
🟢 Pronouns: Correct pronouns should be adopted by school community
🟢 Uniform: Schools should enable trans children to dress according to their gender identity
🟢 Bullying protection: Transphobic behaviour must be challenged at all levels
🟢 Overnight trips: Trans child should sleep in room appropriate to their gender identity
🟢 Privacy: Child has right to keep trans status private; staff must not disclose without permission
🟠 Parental involvement: Views listened to and respected, but child’s confidentiality protected
Key: 🟢 Supportive 🟠 Limited or conditional 🔴 Restrictive or denied
Summary
This guidance is strikingly different from what schools in England are being told. It is explicitly supportive, frames trans children as “enriching the school community”, and prioritises the child’s voice and wellbeing throughout. Trans children can use toilets and changing rooms matching their gender identity, wear uniform of their choice, be called by their name and pronouns, and sleep in appropriate accommodation on trips. The guidance is grounded in children’s rights (UNCRC) and Jersey’s anti-discrimination law. It reads as what supportive school guidance should look like.
The detail
Privacy and confidentiality
Will they tell parents or others that my child is trans?
What the guidance says: “A child or adult has the right to keep private their trans* status at school.”
“Staff should not disclose information concerning a child’s trans* status to others, including parents, carers and other members of the school community unless legally required to do so or because the child has asked the school to do so.”
“Confidential information should not be shared with the parents or carers without the child’s permission, unless there are safeguarding reasons not to do so.”
What this means: Your child controls who knows. Staff cannot out your child to other parents, other pupils, or even to you without your child’s permission (unless there’s a safeguarding concern). This is the opposite of the England approach.
Bathrooms and changing rooms
Will my child be allowed to use the facilities of their affirmed gender?
What the guidance says: On toilets: “Children in transition must be allowed to choose which toilets they wish to use.”
On changing rooms: “Ideally a child should be able to choose which changing room they wish to use.” If not, staff should “discuss the most appropriate arrangement with the individual pupil to develop a plan which best meets their needs.”
“Ideally, all toilets within schools would be single stalled toilets available to all children.”
What this means: Your child chooses. If they want extra privacy, that’s available too, but it’s their choice, not imposed on them. The guidance explicitly says trans children “must be allowed to choose”.
Sports and PE
Will my child be able to play sports with their affirmed gender?
What the guidance says: “Schools should try to minimise segregation wherever possible during physical education. If segregation is a requirement, then the child should be allowed to choose which group they wish to join.”
“Trans* children should be permitted to participate in competitions and sports days in a manner that corresponds to their gender identity.”
The guidance acknowledges that at secondary level “staff may need to use their discretion” for competitive events, but frames the question as whether “exclusion of the trans* student from the sporting event will be detrimental to the trans* student’s development”.
What this means: The default is inclusion. Your child chooses which group to join. For competitions, the focus is on avoiding harm to the trans child, not on abstract debates about fairness. Exclusion is the exception, not the rule.
Name and pronouns
Will my child be supported in their affirmed name and pronouns?
What the guidance says: “An individual has the right to be called by a name of their choice and therefore the pronoun that reflects their chosen gender identity should be adopted by the school community.”
“Staff must be careful to use the correct pronoun when referring to a trans* child or adult.”
What this means: Yes, fully. Your child’s name and pronouns should be used by everyone. No “case-by-case” delays, no “watchful waiting”, no right for staff to refuse.
Uniform
Can my child wear the uniform of their affirmed gender?
What the guidance says: “Schools should enable trans* children to dress according to their chosen gender identity.”
“Allowing a trans* child to dress in clothes which make them feel comfortable and associated with their gender identity will enable them to become empowered.”
What this means: Yes. The guidance recognises this is often “one of the first steps” and frames it positively as empowering.
Bullying
Is my child protected against transphobic bullying?
What the guidance says: “Ensure transphobic behaviour is challenged and dealt with at all levels, including abuse, bullying (name-calling, derogatory jokes, graffiti, unacceptable and unwanted behaviour, intrusive questions) and harassment.”
The guidance also notes that signs of a struggling trans child (poor performance, truanting, self-harm) are “not caused by the child being trans* but by society’s attitude towards transgender people”.
What this means: Yes, and the guidance goes further by naming specific examples of transphobic behaviour and explicitly locating the problem in society’s attitudes, not in the child.
School trips and overnight stays
Will my child be included and accommodated on residential trips?
What the guidance says: “A trans* child should be able to sleep in a room appropriate to their gender identity. If a trans* child is uncomfortable with this, alternative arrangements must be provided.”
What this means: Your child sleeps with their affirmed gender. If they want something different, that’s their choice. Compare this to England, where trans children must sleep with their birth sex or alone.
Parental involvement
Will I be involved in decisions?
What the guidance says: “The views of children, parents and carers must be listened to and respected.”
But also: “Confidential information should not be shared with the parents or carers without the child’s permission, unless there are safeguarding reasons not to do so.”
What this means: Your views matter, but your child’s privacy is protected. If your child hasn’t told you, the school won’t out them. This respects both parental involvement and the child’s autonomy.
The guidance’s approach
What principles underpin this guidance?
What the guidance says: “Trans* children should be viewed as enriching the school community and providing an opportunity for all pupils to challenge gender stereotypes and norms.”
“No child should be made to feel that they are causing problems or owe something to the schools for being treated with the equality they deserve and are legally entitled to.”
The guidance is framed around the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Jersey’s Discrimination Law.
What this means: This guidance starts from a fundamentally different place. Trans children are welcomed, not managed. Their presence is an opportunity, not a problem. The language throughout is affirming and rights-based.
What’s notable about this guidance
Written in 2021, before the current political climate around trans children intensified
Grounded in children’s rights (UNCRC) and anti-discrimination law
Uses respectful language throughout (”trans*” with asterisk to include non-binary identities)
Links to supportive organisations (Mermaids, Gendered Intelligence, Liberate Jersey)
Explicitly names the cause of trans children’s distress as society’s attitudes, not their identity
No “watchful waiting”, no “contested belief”, no barriers to support
Overall assessment
This is what supportive guidance looks like. It centres the child, protects their privacy, enables them to live as themselves at school, and frames their presence as positive. It’s grounded in rights and law, not fear and caution.
Jersey is not England. It has its own government, its own laws, and apparently its own approach to trans children. Parents in Jersey can expect something very different from parents in England.
For parents in England reading this: this shows another way is possible. The restrictions in the draft English guidance are policy choices, not inevitabilities.
Questions to ask a Jersey school
Are you following this CYPES guidance?
What training have staff received on supporting trans pupils?
How do you handle confidentiality if my child isn’t out to everyone?
What support is available if my child experiences transphobic bullying?
Have a policy you’d like reviewed?
If your child’s school has a policy you’d like me to review, send it to me.