School gender guidance: Parents should be in the know - minister

Parents should be aware of what is happening with their child, the equalities minister has said ahead of gender guidance for England schools.

Kemi Badenoch told the BBC she "can't go into specifics" of what will be in the new guidance, expected next week.

Recent reports have suggested schools will be told to tell parents if students are questioning their gender.

Ms Badenoch said "what is right is that parents know what is going on with their children at school".

She told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that the guidance would bring "clarity" for schools on "how to deal with children experiencing gender distress".

She added: "There's quite a lot of confusion about what the law says and it is important that parents are aware of what's going on with their children and what's happening to them at school, so what we're doing is making sure we have robust guidance that's going to be able to stand up to scrutiny. That will be coming shortly."

When asked whether trans students may feel that their teachers will be "outing" them to their parents against their wishes, Ms Badenoch warned against speculating what will be in the guidance, adding that "it's best read in totality and within context".

Ms Badenoch added that the government's guidance will ensure "everyone is getting the balance right".

The Department for Education is expected to publish a draft for consultation, before the final guidance is then issued.

The guidance may also look at issues such as whether single-sex schools are legally obliged to allow transgender pupils.