Know Your Rights at School

The Schools OUT Student Tool Kit

Does your school:

Recognise and support you for who you are?
Always challenge biphobia, homophobia, sexism and transphobia?
Acknowledge and support your family?

If the answer to any of these questions is NO then this guide is for you.

The Schools OUT Student Tool Kit is for young people in any British secondary educational setting who are – or are perceived to be - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual or queer (LGBTQ). It is also useful for your friends and family members. Most of the Student Tool Kit is relevant for all schools. Some areas are equally applicable to primary schools.

Each of the areas below contains questions and answers suggesting the rights YOU have at school. Although some of the laws and government guidance are very new, your school should be following it. Schools have faced legal action in the past for failing to uphold a pupil’s legal rights.

This Tool Kit should be used as a guide only. We have selected relevant aspects from a number of British laws to show you your rights. However, only a court can decide on the interpretation of the law. Please also bear in mind that there are different types of law within the UK. These are Criminal Law, Private Law and Public Law.

These distinctions are highlighted to suggest the possible outcomes and gravity of implicating that a teacher, fellow pupil, or school as a whole has committed a criminal offence. Trying to sue your school for instance should be your very last resort.

The Student Tool Kit was written and devised by Emily Williams with assistance from Jacob Breslow,
Huw Williams and Annie Beaumont.
Schools OUT is indebted to the Gay Youth Corner, Queer Youth Network and The Peterborough Youth Group
for all of their ideas and feedback.
Legal consultation from Lewis Parle.
Graphics by Eleanor Litten of crouching-pencil.co.uk
Web design and layout by Huw Williams.


	Know Your Rights at School The Schools OUT Student Tool Kit Does your school: Recognise and support you for who you are? Always challenge biphobia, homophobia, sexism and transphobia? Acknowledge and support your family? If the answer to any of these questions is NO then this guide is for you. The Schools OUT Student Tool Kit is for young people in any British secondary educational setting who are – or are perceived to be - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual or queer (LGBTQ). It is also useful for your friends and family members. Most of the Student Tool Kit is relevant for all schools. Some areas are equally applicable to primary schools. Each of the areas below contains questions and answers suggesting the rights YOU have at school. Although some of the laws and government guidance are very new, your school should be following it. Schools have faced legal action in the past for failing to uphold a pupil’s legal rights. This Tool Kit should be used as a guide only. We have selected relevant aspects from a number of British laws to show you your rights. However, only a court can decide on the interpretation of the law. Please also bear in mind that there are different types of law within the UK. These are Criminal Law, Private Law and Public Law. These distinctions are highlighted to suggest the possible outcomes and gravity of implicating that a teacher, fellow pupil, or school as a whole has committed a criminal offence. Trying to sue your school for instance should be your very last resort. The Student Tool Kit was written and devised by Emily Williams with assistance from Jacob Breslow, Huw Williams and Annie Beaumont. Schools OUT is indebted to the Gay Youth Corner, Queer Youth Network and The Peterborough Youth Group for all of their ideas and feedback. Legal consultation from Lewis Parle. Graphics by Eleanor Litten of crouching-pencil.co.uk Web design and layout by Huw Williams.