What school governors and trustees should know about LGBTQ+ inclusion

All school governors and academy trustees have a responsibility to protect the health and wellbeing of children and young people at their school. For children and young people who are lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning or ace (LGBTQ+), feeling included is a crucial part of wellbeing.

45% of LGBTQ+ young people have experienced bullying because they are LGBTQ+ – these numbers are even higher for disabled LGBTQ+ pupils and LGBTQ+ pupils who receive free school meals. 33% of trans pupils don’t feel safe at school. Pupils who are bullied in this way are more likely to experience poor mental health outcomes, more likely to skip school and less likely to attend the next educational phase (Stonewall School Report 2017). Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying can affect pupils who aren’t LGBTQ+ – research shows that pupils who don’t conform to gender stereotypes are also at risk of experiencing this type of bullying (Stonewall Teachers’ Report 2014).

In schools where equality is a whole-school value, LGBTQ+ pupils can flourish, experiencing lower rates of bullying and feeling more confident to ask for help from teachers and school leaders. When difference is celebrated, all young people are able to thrive as their unique selves. LGBTQ+ inclusion is an essential part of meeting your legal and statutory requirements under the Equality Act 2010 – but it’s also a core strand of a child-centred approach that helps every young person grow up happy, healthy and safe.

Legal and statutory responsibilities

Governors are responsible for ensuring schools meet their public sector duty under the Equality Act 2010. The Public Sector Equality Duty (s149(1) of the Equality Act 2010) places a duty on bodies carrying out public functions, in the exercise of those functions, to have due regard to the need to:

Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by or under the Act - including because of the protected characteristic of sexual orientation and gender reassignment.

Advance equality of opportunity, which may include the need to:

Remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by those who are LGBTQ+ that are connected to their LGBTQ+ identity

Take steps to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people that are different to those who are not LGBTQ+

Encourage LGBTQ+ people to participate in public life or any other activity where participation is disproportionately low

Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it - e.g. between LGBTQ+ pupils and those who are not LGBTQ+. While there is no legal requirement for private schools to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty, Ofsted will inspect a school's efforts to meet the expectations of the duty (including in their inspections of private schools, where relevant).

Select your setting type to find key questions you can ask senior leaders at your school.