| SPOTLIGHT |
The Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch, has written to the Ofsted Chief Inspector requesting that Ofsted carry out a snap inspection of Rye College over safeguarding concerns.
This follows a widely circulated recording, in which Badenoch argues a teacher is “acting inappropriately” regarding her pupils’ beliefs about sex, gender and a fellow pupil who claimed to identify as a cat.
The letter notes that the incident “raises issues about safeguarding at the school”.
The Rye College teacher was recorded saying that a pupil’s opinion on gender was “despicable”, after the student said they believed there were only two genders, and that anyone identifying as a cat is “crazy”.
The teacher went on to say: “Gender is about how you identify. It’s not an opinion”, adding: “If you don’t like it, you need to go to a different school.”
In the letter addressed to Amanda Spielman, Chief Ofsted Inspector, Badenoch wrote: “The belief that sex is biological and immutable, that people cannot change their sex and that sex is distinct from gender-identity – are classed as a philosophical belief worthy of respect in a democratic society and are therefore a protected characteristic under section 10 of the Equality Act 2010.”
She noted that the teacher was not “acting in a way consistent with the Equality Act’s requirements upon schools”, or in accordance with Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework’s requirements.
Further, Badenoch added: “By apparently teaching contested political beliefs as fact […] it appears to me that the teacher was in breach of the political impartiality requirements set out in Articles 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996.”
According to the letter, the Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan has asked her officials to look into recent events at the school.
Since November 2018, Rye College has been part of Aquinas, an educational trust of eleven schools in the South-east.
A spokesperson for Rye College said: “We have already met with the Department for Education (DfE) to share a comprehensive update on the events which took place before, during and after the recording. This meeting was a positive step, and we will continue working closely with them to ensure any appropriate action is taken. In the event we receive an Ofsted inspection, we would of course, as always, fully support and engage with the process. We can confirm, no children at Rye College identify as a cat or any other animal.
“More widely, we understand that draft guidance on gender identity in schools is expected to be issued by the Government soon and we would of course welcome what we hope will be clear and helpful guidance to support all teachers and schools in addressing gender identity going forward. This will be particularly useful in developing future training to ensure staff feel confident, well-equipped and well-prepared to address these issues.
"We remain committed to offering our pupils an inclusive education in line with best practice and will continue to support our teachers in their endeavours to ensure that pupils’ views are listened to and encourage them to ask questions and engage in discussion.”
