Children have been changing gender after being influenced by their friends or social media, new government guidance suggests.
The guidelines tell teachers to consider whether a pupil questioning their gender is being influenced by other factors like peer pressure.
They are also asked to consider whether children are feeling pressure to adopt a new identity because they 'do not align with stereotypes associated with their sex'.
Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said the long-awaited guidance was necessary because activists had hijacked transgender issues by misinterpreting the law.
In the first direction of its kind, teachers and pupils will not be ‘compelled’ to use a child’s preferred pronouns.