Families have told The Mail on Sunday that their young children were exposed to ‘trans-activist’ books in the classroom with no warning and no permission.
The lessons, devised by education charity No Outsiders – which is criticised by the authors of the SEEN In Publishing report – introduced children to picture books such as Julian Is A Mermaid and Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender And Friendship.
Hundreds of primary schools in England and Wales use No Outsiders materials and lesson plans for compulsory relationships education and for lessons in diversity and equality.
One London family told the MoS they’d been shocked to find their daughter’s Church of England primary school using the books.
‘I raised my concerns with the school immediately, as did other parents, but they simply didn’t seem to understand why we were worried,’ said the girl’s mother.
‘I think they assumed we were just a bunch of crazed bigots objecting to children learning that some families have two mums or two dads. But that really wasn’t the issue.
‘The book list we were given included several books used to introduce ideas about gender identity, including Introducing Teddy. My only option was to withdraw my child from No Outsiders sessions. Other parents did the same.
‘The following year, we heard the children had had an assembly about pronouns. Shortly afterwards, two children “came out” as non-binary.’
Introducing Teddy is a book about transgender teddy being accepted by its friends
And Tango Makes Three follows two male penguins who adopt an egg. Around one in five adoptions in the UK are by same-sex couples
Another family from the east of England complained they had no warning that their primary-aged child would be taught lessons linked to the books, including And Tango Makes Three about gay penguins adopting an egg.
The MoS has seen a formal complaint sent to the school and their local MP in which the parents say they repeatedly asked to be given advance warning if lessons were to use No Outsiders resources, but claim this did not happen.
The parents also say that the school read And Tango Makes Three to reception-class pupils aged four and five, even though it is listed in the school’s No Outsiders curriculum for older pupils in Year 5 aged nine and ten.
‘We have never objected to our children being taught kindness and respect for others,’ the mother said.
‘Our concern is that the No Outsiders programme appears to present one ideological view of sex and gender, while encouraging discussion of topics that are far too adult for young children.’
A Dorset family told The Mail on Sunday that they sent more than 17 letters and emails to their children’s school over a four-year period expressing concerns about its links to LGBTQ+ charity Space Youth Project, which included a ‘Trans Family Day’.
They claim an external trainer from the charity known as ‘Diversity Mel’ was invited to lead an assembly without parents being told.
No Outsiders, which was founded and is run by Andrew Moffat MBE, is fast gaining mainstream acceptance.
Schools wishing to sign up and display the official logo pay £95. Free lesson and assembly plans are also available on its website.
Mr Moffat, who received his MBE for services to inclusion, has said his programme was created to teach children about the Equality Act 2010 and about British values.
Mr Moffat and No Outsiders were approached for comment.
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