Dear Benton Dene School, Newcastle upon Tyne,

This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act on your single-sex and mixed-sex policy and practice on changing for sports, use of toilet facilities and overnight stays. Some schools have adopted policies which allow children with feelings of gender dysphoria or who identify as transgender to use opposite-sex changing and toilet facilities based on the idea of gender identity.

1. Do you allow children with feelings of gender dysphoria or who identify as transgender to use opposite-sex changing and toilet facilities in your school based on the idea of gender identity?
Yes/No.

Please list:

2. the number of classes in each year group where children change for PE (physical education) in mixed-sex group (boys and girls together) in the same room with no divider such as curtains
a. Reception
b. Year 1
c. Year 2
d. Year 3
e. Year 4
f. Year 5
g. Year 6

3. the number of classes in each year group where children change for PE (physical education) in single-sex groups, that is separate groups for boys and girls by sex in the same room with a divider such as a curtain.
a. Reception
b. Year 1
c. Year 2
d. Year 3
e. Year 4
f. Year 5
g. Year 6

4. the number of classes in each year group where children change for PE (physical education) in single-sex groups, that is separate groups for boys and girls in separate rooms.
a. Reception
b. Year 1
c. Year 2
d. Year 3
e. Year 4
f. Year 5
g. Year 6

5. The number of classes in each year group where children come to school dressed for PE (physical education) and do not change afterwards.
a. Reception
b. Year 1
c. Year 2
d. Year 3
e. Year 4
f. Year 5
g. Year 6

6. Please disclose any policies about changing for PE (physical education) and transgender policies and/or policies that permit children with feelings of gender dysphoria or who identify as transgender to change for PE with children of the opposite sex and/or to use opposite-sex toilet facilities in your school and/or share sleeping accommodation on overnight stays with children of the opposite sex based on the idea of gender identity.

7. Please list organisations that have trained staff in school or in external training about equality & diversity, and/or transgender, sexual orientation, LGBT from 2022 to date.

Time limit: You should regard the 20 working day limit for answering FOIs as a ‘long stop’, in other words the latest possible date on which you may issue a response (ICO guidance on time limits in FOIA Section 10).

Excessive costs: If this request needs refining to make it possible for you to comply without incurring excessive costs (FOIA Section 12), consider ways in which you can help me to refine my request so you can answer without exceeding the appropriate limit. Please let me know as soon as possible, so you will be able to make the disclosures promptly, within the Section 10 time limit.

Redactions:
Please ensure that where you deem it necessary under s.40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to redact personal data or any other information, please redact the minimum necessary (eg redact an individual’s name not their organisation in email addresses) and send me the rest of the material, explaining the legal grounds for each redaction.

Accessibility
If the information is already published, please provide the link to the document and let me know the relevant page number or agenda item.

Please acknowledge receipt of this request.

Many thanks for your assistance.

Yours faithfully,

Ms Panton

Dear Office BentonDene School,

1. Do you allow children with feelings of gender dysphoria or who identify as transgender to use opposite-sex changing and toilet facilities in your school based on the idea of gender identity?

Yes / No.

Yours sincerely,

Ms Panton