A primary school has used a gender-confused woman as an example of positive masculinity.
Writing in teaching newsletter Teachwire, Sarah Wordlaw, Head Teacher at Streatham Wells Primary School in south-west London, explained how her school was tackling issues including ‘toxic masculinity’ and violence against women. She said the school had used celebrities Elliot (formerly Ellen) Page and Harry Styles as examples.
Page is a Canadian actress who has ‘medically transitioned’ and has undergone surgery to remove her breasts. Harry Styles has frequently worn women’s clothing for fashion shoots and at public events, and recently announced he is launching a sexual wellness line including sex toys.
Gender stereotypes
Wordlaw wrote: “It is extremely important to teach about positive masculinities”.
“Undoing the deeply ingrained gender stereotypes in our society takes time. It’s certainly not a quick fix. We have seen a significant improvement in children’s awareness of key issues surrounding gender equality.”
She added: “We need to show that to be a man is not to be simply one thing. To do so, we highlight well-known figures such as Harry Styles and Elliot Page. They show that masculinity can mean softness and strength, and everything in between.”
Dangerous ideology
The school has received criticism online, with one commenter writing: “Elliot Page is female and everyone knows it, including herself. This is lying to children and promoting a dangerous ideology.”
Another noted: “A headmistress uses a biological woman as an example of positive masculinity? There will be some very confused children in that school.”
Another commenter suggested that children should be taught to accept who they are, “instead of teaching vulnerable kids that you have to mutilate yourself and stuff your body full of harmful chemicals for the rest of your life”.
Not fact
New guidance on Relationships, Sex and Health Education for schools in England has been released, with the rules set to become statutory from September 2026.
The previous Government’s drafting stated: “Schools should not teach about the broader concept of gender identity”, but this has been removed. However, it does say schools should not teach that everyone has a gender identity.
The new version instead states that in teaching on transgender issues, “schools should be mindful that beyond the facts and the law about biological sex and gender reassignment there is significant debate, and they should be careful not to endorse any particular view or teach it as fact”.
Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of The Christian Institute, said that “muddying the waters around teaching on gender identity is the last thing we need right now”.
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