The trans inclusion toolkit is an in-depth and practical how-to guide for teachers and school staff, giving them all the information and tools they need to best support the trans and non-binary young people in their school.

The aim of this document is to provide schools with a clear, practical and easy-to-follow guide to creating a supportive environment in which all students can flourish. The recommendations in the trans inclusion toolkit are informed by The Proud Trust’s research with parents, schools and young people and it has also been checked by legal experts, so that schools can be confident that the advice given is reflective of the relevant legislation.

The 2022 #BeeWell survey of young people in Greater Manchester found that “trans young people report significantly higher levels of stress and negative affect, and lower levels of life satisfaction and psychological well being, than their cis counterparts.” However, the good news is that many studies have shown that positively supporting trans young people can drastically reduce that wellbeing gap and improve the lives of trans young people, which is why this trans inclusion toolkit is being produced.

Research from The Proud Trust, independently analysed by Manchester Metropolitan University, found that 90% of teachers and school staff say they need more training and support to better equip them in supporting trans students. At the same time, only 48% of young people were confident that their school would do well at supporting a student who came out as trans. One young person surveyed said:

“There’s a real anxiety on how to approach trans people. So many harmful lies are spread…[it has] meant many people don’t know what to think. Having an opportunity to say ‘this is what it is like being trans’ would do a lot to make people understand the humanity of us, rather than our existence being a culture war.”

The Proud Trust’s Trans Inclusion Toolkit is now available to download for free. If you wish to make a donation towards our work, so that we can continue providing free resources to support LGBTQ+ young people, you can do so here.

Work on our trans inclusion toolkit began before either of these draft documents were released and it does not include any reference to them. Both pieces of guidance are still only in the draft stages and therefore the recommendations within them do not have to be followed by schools. In fact, we would urge extreme caution against following the recommendations, as we are concerned that some of them go against the Equality Act 2010, which could open schools up to legal challenges. The consultations on these documents were published by the previous government, and the current government has not indicated how or if they plan to proceed with those draft guidance documents.

The toolkit was commissioned for use in Greater Manchester schools, but the guidance included is not specific to this region. Any school can choose to use this toolkit if they wish. The advice on legal matters is specific to the law in England, but other recommendations will be useful to all schools, wherever they are based.

This toolkit is aimed at all professionals working in education, from senior leaders, teachers and teaching assistants; to pastoral staff and other leaders in the education sector. Improving the lives of trans young people in schools is best achieved by education professionals at all levels working together to ensure a consistent approach to awareness, knowledge, policies, and practices which is as positively inclusive as it can possibly be.

What this looks like will vary depending on the setting, but the toolkit has been written in such a way as to be a useful resource in all schools. We welcome feedback on how practical and useful you find the toolkit in your setting.

It is important to note that the Cass Review was primarily concerned with NHS services and therefore does not directly apply to schools. However, the Cass Review did look at a range of research on the topic of social transition, but concluded that the quality of the evidence wasn’t strong enough to make any particular recommendations, other than to ensure children and young people are adequately supported throughout by well-trained experts.

We do have concerns about many of the recommendations in the Cass Review, but we agree with the report when it says “Young people and young adults have spoken positively about how social transition helped to reduce their gender dysphoria and feel more comfortable in themselves. However, it is the reaction of those around them that can make it difficult.”

In addition, the report states that “it is important to try and ensure that those already actively involved in [young people’s] welfare (parents/carers, any involved clinical staff such as their GP, school staff or counsellors) provide support in decision making and plans to ensure that the young person is protected from bullying and has a trusted source of support.”

We agree that schools have an important role to play in tackling transphobic bullying and helping trans and non-binary young people thrive, which is the key aim of our toolkit.

The Toolkit was published on 31st March 2025 and it reflected legal advice which was up to date at the time of publication.

We understand that schools will be concerned to make sure they are following the latest legal advice, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on 16th April 2025.

Therefore, we are consulting with our legal advisors, with particular reference to recommendations which pertain to the protections given against discrimination on the basis of sex under the Equality Act. If any amends are deemed necessary, we will make those changes as soon as possible.