Caroline Derbyshire, the executive head at Saffron Walden said: “No good can come of any young person being forced to adopt a gender they feel miserable with. It certainly won’t improve their learning. Schools do all kinds of things to safeguard the welfare of young people that they are not ‘bound’ to do by law. I am a believer in rules and following them, but I think that not listening to young people and their parents on this quite particular and personal matter would risk damaging mental health.”

Responding to Braverman's comment that girls’ toilets and changing rooms had legal protections as safe spaces if a scenario arose where a child born male wanted to use them, Derbyshire replied; “The availability of single-cubicle gender-neutral toilets and changing spaces avoids anxieties for all those who are not happy with single-sex facilities. The story is an attempt to whip up an anti-woke culture war, and in schools we are not really interested in this kind of silliness. Young people have been through enough.”

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Suella Braverman’s comments encouraging schools to take ‘a much firmer line’ on trans pupils are unhelpful, particularly as they appear to contradict comments made by education secretary Nadhim Zahawi. What is needed is national guidance on these issues rather than individual pronouncements which serve only to further muddy the waters.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said in a statement: "Schools should be a safe and welcoming space for all pupils, regardless of how they identify. We recognise that gender identity can be a complex and sensitive topic for schools to navigate, which is why we will be working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to make sure we are giving the clearest possible guidance to schools.”