Brighton College alters uniform code to accommodate transgender pupils

A co-educational independent school is to scrap distinctions between boys and girls uniforms in an effort to accommodate transgender students.

Dysphoric or transgender pupils at Brighton College, a private day and boarding school that takes pupils from reception to sixth form, will be able to choose between wearing a traditional blazer, tie and trousers or skirt and bolero jacket.

The school said at least one pupil had taken up the option, and several families had made inquiries. The school said it was “reacting to a changing society which recognises that some children have gender dysphoria and do not wish to lose their emotional gender identities at school. Public schools are usually seen as bastions of conservatism but Brighton College feels it is time to break ranks.”

Richard Cairns, the headteacher, said the move followed discussions with a small number of families. “The college’s approach is different from most other schools that have tended to give transgender children personal leeway with uniform. Brighton College has instead decided to abolish the notion of boys’ and girl’ schools altogether,” he said.

“It ties in with my strong personal belief that youngsters should be respected for who they are. If some boys and girls are happier identifying with a different gender from that in which they were born, then my job is to make sure that we accommodate that. My only interest as headmaster is their welfare and happiness.”

Sixth-form pupil Amy Arnell said: “When the headmaster announced it, no one was really surprised – there is just no reason not to do it if it makes people feel more comfortable about themselves.”

The school said families with gender dysphoric children would need to write to the head to advise him of the situation.

Gender dysphoria is a condition where a person experiences a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity, according to an NHS website. It is not the same as transvestism or cross-dressing and is not related to sexual orientation. People with the condition may identify as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual or asexual.

A 2014 survey by Pace, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender mental health charity, found that 48% of young people with gender issues had attempted suicide, while 58% had self-harmed.

Brighton College has a reputation for outstanding academic achievement, with fees ranging from about £21,000 a year for secondary day pupil and £33,000 for boarders.

The school hit the headlines recently after Cairns said women attending single-sex schools were at a huge disadvantage in dealing with men, and that single-sex education was “a deeply unrealistic world”.