Dear School

Dear School

We are writing to formally raise serious concerns about the handling of my children’s social transition within the school, and the significant impact this has had on their wellbeing and our family as a whole.

At the heart of this issue is safeguarding. We believe there has been a failure to prevent and mitigate harm to my children at a time when they were vulnerable, particularly in light of growing evidence, such as that outlined in the Cass Review, highlighting the risks associated with affirming approaches without thorough assessment. Instead of caution, it appears that an ideological approach was adopted, with insufficient regard for the potential consequences.

There has been a clear lack of support and poor communication throughout. Important decisions affecting my children were not adequately discussed with me, and we were not meaningfully included in the process. This created a situation where my voice, as a parent, felt effectively hidden, and concerns about the wider trauma impact on our family were not acknowledged or addressed.

No one created or managed a space where resolution could be worked toward constructively. Neither my children nor our family felt supported through what has been an extremely distressing experience. Communication remained inconsistent and difficult, further compounding the situation.

Of particular concern is the escalation of self-harming behaviour during this period. Evidence from home consistently showed significant distress, yet this did not appear to alter the school’s approach. Pronoun use and social transition practices continued even when there were clear indications that these may not have been helping and could, in fact, have been contributing to harm.

The impact on our family has been profound. There has been clear damage to our family unit, including a negative influence on my youngest child, who is at an impressionable age. We are especially concerned about the effect on her developing sense of identity as a young woman. This experience has undermined her confidence, and there is now a need for careful reparative support to help her feel secure and positive about herself.

Overall, the consequences for our family have been deeply damaging. We are left questioning how many other families may be experiencing similar situations, and whether there has been any meaningful reflection within the school on its current approach, despite mounting evidence that challenges it.

Given the seriousness of these concerns, we consider this to be a child protection issue. We ask that the school responds with a clear explanation of the decisions made, the policies followed, and what steps will now be taken to ensure that no further harm occurs—both to my children and to others.

We would also like to understand how the school intends to improve communication with parents, ensure that differing perspectives are respected, and provide appropriate safeguarding measures moving forward.

We look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,