Supporting a Member of Staff in School Through Gender Transition

Supporting a member of staff in school through gender transition

As a school we were very fortunate to hear of the work that Juno Roche has done around gender transition within the education field, when we were deciding how best to support one of our colleagues who was going through gender transition. There were are a number of ways in which she supported us, which included vitally important and ongoing practical advice as we planned, but perhaps more importantly her input gave us confidence in our community’s ability to handle this positively. When Juno first broached the idea that this was a wonderful opportunity for our school community to unite and shine I was perhaps a little sceptical, it seemed initially a fairly significant challenge for a Headteacher of a community of 1500 pupils and 200 staff. I am delighted that she was proved entirely right. Our school community is indeed stronger and more unitedas a result of the work we did.

-Juno was involved in the initial planning meeting that we held to discuss and action plan. Her input was crucial in ensuring we had the correct factual information and that we were following procedures lawfully. Her initial input at this meeting also nurtured the idea of this as an opportunity for our school to show that its inclusivity was more than just words in our vision, but a living part of it.

-As Headteacher I then worked closely with her, via email and numerous telephone conversations, as our planning progressed. She checked over letters, policy and presentations, made suggestions and amendments, and ensured that I was confident that what we were doing was legally as well as morally right.

-Juno has remained in touch with the school and I am confident that as we seek to address this, and other issues of equal opportunities in the future with our young people, we will be able to use her knowledge, experience and contacts, to ensure that we continue to lead the way in terms of our inclusive approach.

I am very grateful for the support we received from Juno, and am certain that she played a key role in ensuring that our school celebrated this as an opportunity to show the importance of equal opportunities for all, rather than something to be fearful of.

Gillian Dineen

Headteacher Cumberland School