NSPCC Guidance Change Allows Male Teachers to Supervise Girls in Changing Rooms

The revised guidance now permits male staff to supervise female pupils while they change at swimming pools or sports centres, and likewise does not prohibit female staff from supervising boys.

Fury as NSPCC say male teachers can supervise girls in changing rooms

The previous version of the NSPCC guidance, published in 2024, used the term “gender” and advised schools to consider how to support transgender and non-binary pupils in changing facilities. This approach was challenged after the Supreme Court judgment of April 2025, which clarified that the Equality Act’s references to “male”, “female”, “boy”, “girl”, etc., denote biological sex rather than gender identity. Subsequent cases — *Hurley v Scottish Borders Council* and *DE and FG v West Lothian Council* — reinforced the requirement that school premises separate children by sex. In August 2026 the NSPCC issued an updated briefing that eliminated the gender-based supervision rule but did not replace it with a clear “sex-based” alternative, leaving schools without explicit direction.

NSPCC’s changing-room guidance fails girls Fury as NSPCC say male teachers can supervise girls in changing rooms

The NSPCC later clarified that the change was based on a “variety of sources” and that it may revisit the guidance once further direction is issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

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She urged the government to review the guidance urgently and to ensure “clear safeguards for sex-based supervision.”

Fury as NSPCC say male teachers can supervise girls in changing rooms

Women’s-rights campaigners have also accused the NSPCC of abandoning a “common-sense” policy in favor of vague language that fails to protect girls’ privacy.

Fury as NSPCC say male teachers can supervise girls in changing rooms

The NSPCC claimed that its revision followed a similar removal of the gender-based recommendation from Department for Education (DfE) guidance updated in the summer. The DfE, however, publicly denied that any such recommendation was removed. The NSPCC spokesperson could not identify the specific DfE provision that allegedly prompted the change, creating a discrepancy between the charity’s stated rationale and the government’s account.

Fury as NSPCC say male teachers can supervise girls in changing rooms

“We must put the safety and wellbeing of children first.” — Maya Forstater, chief executive of Sex Matters

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The NSPCC indicated it could amend the guidance again when the Equality and Human Rights Commission provides clearer direction. Meanwhile, Joy Morrissey has called for a governmental review of the policy, suggesting that future statutory guidance may re-introduce explicit sex-based supervision requirements.

Fury as NSPCC say male teachers can supervise girls in changing rooms