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How to support pupils who are trans, non-binary or questioning their gender

Find out how you can support a pupil who is trans, non-binary, or questioning their gender, including questions to ask and steps you can take to make them feel more comfortable and supported at school.

Last reviewed on 26 May 2026See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 45281
Contents
  1. Understand your legal requirements
  2. Identifying a pupil who may be struggling with their gender identity
  3. Responding to a pupil who tells you they’re trans, non-binary or questioning their gender
  4. Ask the pupil about what they need from you
  5. Make changes to support the pupil
  6. Speaking to the pupil’s parents or carers
  7. Supporting a pupil who wants to detransition

Understand your legal requirements

While there’s a lot you can do to support pupils in your school who are trans, non-binary or questioning their gender, you need to be aware of your legal requirements and how they affect what you can offer.

The UK Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman  This states that ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a ‘biological woman’ (someone of the female sex at birth) and 'biological sex’ (the sex of a person at birth) The Equality Act 2010 This states that schools have must have ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the basis of a person's “gender reassignment” (which includes anyone who is undergoing, has undergone or is proposing to undergo a process, or part of a process, of reassigning their sex) The DfE’s