Peers have urged the Government to ensure sex education resources are open to parental scrutiny and to publish delayed guidance on gender-questioning pupils.
In a House of Lords’ debate on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, Members called for sex education materials to be age-appropriate and available in the public domain. They also highlighted the need to protect vulnerable pupils from the harms of gender ideology.
A recent poll of British parents for Parentkind revealed that many are concerned about the use of inappropriate content in Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) and want schools to teach there are two biological sexes only.
‘Gender identity’
Former Ofsted Chief Inspector Baroness Spielman warned that some providers of sex education resources “appear to start from the position that no child is too young for detailed and explicit sex education, with the associated terminology”.
She also said: “Many schools have embraced teaching about gender identity, sometimes downplaying the importance of teaching about sex, by which I mean the protected characteristic”.
Lady Spielman continued: “In the light of the Cass review, it is clear that the claim that we all have an inner gender identity that is more important than our biological sex has spread confusion and caused much damage.” Yet, she said, “in our schools, change has been too slow”.
She added: “We need more visibility and wider public discussion about what is being taught to children to make sure that unsuitable materials are identified and that it is easy for schools to know this and to avoid those programmes.”
Suspicion
Baroness Barran pointed to “a growing consensus that gender ideology harms” and urged the Secretary of State to publish guidance for schools regarding gender-questioning children.
She explained: “Social transition or cross-sex affirmation for children is not a neutral act. It is a harmful one, and it sets vulnerable children on a pathway to bodily disassociation and psychological confusion.”
Citing Parentkind’s National Parent Survey 2025, Lord Sandhurst informed the House it had found, among other things, “that 23% of parents say that their child has been exposed to inappropriate content in an RHSE class and 71% think it important that schools consult them on the content of such lessons”.
Based on the research, the Peer said, “parents must be entitled and should be allowed to see” Relationships, Health and Sex Education materials in order to “remove cause for suspicion”.
Guidance delayed
Addressing the concerns raised, Education Minister Baroness Smith of Malvern reminded the Chamber that the “legal requirement for schools to publish their relationships and sex education policies, and to consult parents on them, has been in place since 2020”.
Government guidance published in July, she said, is clear that schools are required to allow parents to see RSHE teaching materials and that they should not agree with outside providers “to any contractual restrictions on showing parents any content that the school will use”.
On the already delayed guidance for gender-questioning children, the Minister said it was under consideration, but should be “produced thoughtfully rather than quickly”. She told Peers that the Government would confirm its next steps on the matter “shortly”.
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