Christian Concern’s Head of Education Steve Beegoo analyses the Church of England’s updated anti-bullying guidance for schools
We finally have new draft anti-bullying guidance from the Church of England (CofE) for its schools. Flourishing for All is set to replace Valuing All God’s Children.
Valuing All God’s Children followed the trans ideology of groups like Mermaids and Stonewall, even thanking Stonewall employees for their help with the document. It encouraged an ‘affirmative approach’ where gender-questioning children would be treated as members of the opposite sex and others encouraged to accept their new identities.
When the Cass Report criticised this approach, the Church of England backtracked, incredibly claiming that it has “always maintained a very cautious approach to children transitioning”. It said that new guidance would be produced – presumably to remove some of the now-embarrassing statements in Valuing All God’s Children.
New Guidance
Does the new guidance, Flourishing for All, achieve this?
It is fair to say that some of the most egregious statements from Valuing All God’s Children that supported social transition are not in the new guidance. But it still falls a long way short of a genuinely Christian vision for schools which supports real flourishing and it continues to lend support to transgender ideology, albeit with more subtlety.
The most basic, fundamental, biblical truth about sexual differences – that God creates us ‘male and female’ – is quoted nowhere in the document, presumably so as not to offend. While the Bible is quoted at points, it is only referenced in out of context ‘proof texts’ to enforce that there should be no expressed disagreement regarding what they now seem to believe flourishing looks like in the communities they oversee.
The definitions they do use to explain identity do not come from the Bible, or even from science. They can be found in the glossary, where gender identity ideology vocabulary is defined to educate teachers. One example regards the transgender-ideology label ‘cisgender’.
“Cisgender: This is a term introduced to refer to people who identify exclusively with the sex assigned to them at birth.”
Sex is not assigned by doctors or parents, it is recognised. This guidance is underpinned by an acceptance of this ideological language. The implication is that authorities who ‘assign’ male or female are not to be trusted.
In fact, the guidance directs schools not to use ‘outdated terms’, without defining these. The glossary identifies terms which are to be promoted, and tellingly, does not have men or women defined.
The glossary educates the reader about pronouns, without any value judgement that, “Some people may prefer others to refer to them in gender neutral language and use pronouns such as they/their.” This promotes acceptance of the changing of pronouns, without challenge, as part of supporting social transitioning.
The guidance says that some people are “non-binary” (p27). If the guidance was truly about how to tackle bullying while maintaining a Christian vision of ‘flourishing’, it would give advice on how to uphold the Biblical truth that we are made male or female, an identity given to us by the highest authority, our Father God. It would explain how to uphold this truth with gentleness and respect to children and adults who have been led astray by harmful gender ideology. Instead, it simply accepts the language of the world, leaving children to work out or forge their own ‘identities’, that may go against the reality of how God made them.
There is a disturbing emphasis within the guidance on the flourishing of transgender adults which, it seems, should become a focus in CofE schools so that transphobic bullying is prevented.
“Every adult in a Church school community should feel safe to be able to fully participate in the life of the school without needing to hide any part of themselves.”
This means that:
“Within school communities there will be members of staff who feel able to be open about being in a same-sex marriage or partnership, their sexuality or gender identity.”
So trans identified adults would be encouraged to be as open about this with pupils as possible.
Is the CofE school’s role to promote to children the contested beliefs and practices of any minority adult groups, or only particular groups? If anyone in a school community were to address a transgender adult who was actively engaged with children, in any way that was perceived as negative by that person, what kind of bullying and silencing will result?
Who is really being bullied in schools?
In fact, our cases show who is being bullied and silenced in schools.
- The Christian parents and their children labelled transphobic and hounded out of a CofE school for saying they cannot believe that a boy is a girl, and that they will not affirm and teach this to their children. It took 8 years before they were exonerated having been ostracised from the community of the school. Parents in CofE schools continue to be bullied into silence due to the fear of the attacks and name-calling which comes from such gender identity embracing CofE communities. These schools historically use the CofE guidance to back up their bullying of orthodox Christians.
- The Christian teacher who could not go along with affirming a harmful lie about a child in their school. ‘Hannah’ (whose real name cannot be used) was dismissed for gross misconduct for seeking a review of the school’s unsafe policy and practice when a young child was being ‘socially transitioned’. Despite the school not being a CofE school, Valuing All God’s Children was referenced to discredit Hannah’s concerns. She was then bullied by the county council in support of the school demanding she re-mortgage her house to pay legal costs. She has worked in a sandwich bar since.
- The Christian chaplain who lost his job in an independent school with a CofE ethos when he preached a gentle sermon on freedom of thought, upholding the Christian teaching on marriage. He was bullied out of his school for stating things such as “there are areas where the two sets of ideas [Church and Secular] are in conflict, and in these areas you do not have to accept the ideas and ideologies of LGBT activists.” Reported to the anti-terrorism agency Prevent, he was finally cleared after several years by all agencies, except the CofE who still say he is a safeguarding risk to children.
This bullying is the tip of the iceberg. All these Christians and more saw the previous CofE guidance being used against them.
Pastoral Support
In providing pastoral support, the new guidance states schools should be, “Creating safe spaces for those who are (or perceived to be) LGBT+ to meet with peers with similar identities. This allows them to build trusting positive relationships and build psychological safety.”
The growth of LGBTQ+ clubs in secondary schools where affirmation from LGBTQ+ adults prevails will surely open the door to indoctrinating teaching into queer theory and harmful gender identity beliefs being endorsed through Church of England schools. This is one of the reasons why 15,000 people signed a petition call the CofE to scrap its previous guidance.
And for those who may disagree?
What about those adults and children who hold that you cannot change your sex, that sexual intercourse should only occur in lifelong heterosexual marriage, and that gender should be defined as the church throughout history has always defined it? The biblically founded church school, where Jesus’ teaching was once honoured above all, now aligns its policies first with the shifting sand of culture’s confusion, stating:
“Human sexuality and gender identity are currently areas where there is no single opinion or understanding.” The guidance recognises, ‘there may be tension on this subject in some schools, but this does not mean that matters and questions of sexuality, gender and gender identity should be passed over.”
So how will they be addressed? This anti-bullying guidance makes clear that CofE school communities must be free from ‘polarised debates,’ and that it is not, ‘acceptable for homophobic, biphobic or transphobic language or viewpoints to be shared within the school.” Even a viewpoint which could be seen as negative must not be shared in a school.
The Bible’s own teaching on sexuality is routinely described, unfairly, as homophobic. It describes male-male intercourse as an ‘abomination’ (Leviticus 19:22) and ‘shameless’ (Romans 1:27).
How does this guidance support any genuine Christian who wants to speak of God’s good pattern for our lives? In practice, any dissent from LGBTQ ideology will simply be branded as homophobic, biphobic or transphobic and silenced.
In fact, the guidance goes further: “remaining silent on the topic, or avoiding it, can send a hurtful message to pupils and/or adults who are LGBT+.” It appears vocal endorsement and affirmation is required without exception.
Discrimination?
While “LGBT+ parents/carers can bring useful insight to the development and revision of anti-bullying policies,” Christian parents who may not conform, are not encouraged in the same way to bring ‘useful insights’ on how they can have their views and their children’s views respected, so that they don’t experience bullying or discrimination.
The direction of travel is set. To be clear, there should be no bullying of any children in any school, and any attempts to stop children being bullied should be applauded. However, this should not be at the expense of silencing sound, scientifically truthful, biblical teaching by schools, especially when those schools declare themselves to be Church schools. Protecting children from bullying should certainly not result in discrimination against and the bullying of those who hold traditional Christian beliefs.
Unless significant revisions are made, this anti-bullying guidance from the Church of England, opens the way for the continued and increasing bullying and silencing of those staff and families with traditional Christian beliefs about sex, gender, and sexuality.
Scale
The scale of the cultural shift has been highlighted by the Christian teachers who were surveyed by the Association of Christian Teachers, many of whom work in church schools.
Around half of them said they had been asked to teach content they were uncomfortable with in Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), and a third said that gender identity ideology was being taught ‘as fact’ in their school. One, who was also a parent, described what is now common:
“Before Easter the children took part in their weekly ‘Votes for Schools’ debate. The question was ‘Do we see enough LGBTQ+ stories represented on screen?’ The slideshow included an explanation of each element of LGBTQ+. The material was heavily biased in leading children to the conclusion that we ought to see more of these stories in the media and the topic was not delivered neutrally. The material was completely inappropriate to be delivered to Lower KS2. Parents were not informed of the contents beforehand. Instead, we were informed after the debate had occurred. We approached the headteacher (of a CofE VA school) who informed us that she didn’t see a problem with the contents of the presentation and that it didn’t contravene the schools PSHE and RSE policy.”
A quarter of all primary schools in England are Church of England schools.
Christian teaching
In 2017, the General Synod of the Church of England passed a motion saying that not only should transgender people be welcomed but ‘affirmed’ in their parish church.
This practice of affirmation of homosexuality and transgenderism is now being extended to schools. In Feb 2023, the synod voted to ‘lament and repent’ given the lack of welcome LGBTQI+ people had experienced. They see greater affirmation and public blessing of these identities as the way forward. The church’s teaching recognises that we are all made in the image of God, yet without reference to ‘male and female’, nor to the fallen nature of all mankind, the church is teaching a truncated gospel. It removes our Lord’s challenge to humbly repent of our sinful nature and to follow Christ, where we discover our uniquely and beautifully created eternal identity in him.
‘Flourishing for all’, will result in bullying of those who want to graciously but clearly express the full Christian gospel which leads to true flourishing of our children and indeed all mankind. The one million children in CofE schools are at the forefront of the progress of the unbiblical acceptance of transgenderism, through belief that we are created with one of multiple recently defined ‘gender identities’, which we can only find out ourselves.
There is no repentance from the Church of England from the kind of teaching that brave parents have sought to stand against, such as Calvin and Nicola Watts or Kristie Higgs. Christian Concern will continue to support any parents or staff who wish to courageously oppose this.
Respond
The Church of England must lament and repent of removing the biblical gospel teaching of the church about identity from its schools. The Church of England must withdraw this guidance and protect the thousands of families and staff who do not want to be bullied and silenced for their belief that there are two sexes created by God, and that we do not create ourselves. The Church of England must stop receiving the advice of LGBT organisations and stop accepting the prevailing state culture in shaping their advice to schools.
Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.
The strategic publication of this guidance just before the summer holidays and ending on 31 July is a testament to the lack of desire for real consultation on this issue.
To respond to the consultation go to: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools/education-publications/anti-bullying-guidance-church-england-schools
Christian Concern will produce advice on how to respond in advance of the 31 July deadline for responses.
