An Ipswich school says it has done “nothing wrong and has nothing to hide” after the town’s MP hit out again at what he described as “potentially damaging” gender ideas offered on the school’s learning platform.
MP Tom Hunt has expressed concern that pupils at Northgate High School, in Ipswich, can access the materials, despite the school denying using them in the classroom.
The school say the resource has never been used as a teaching resource, only as a discussion point on the subject between staff members, which was then removed from the toolkit in October 2022.
The Conservative MP has said that the 'genderbread person' theory, which can be seen by pupils on the school's learning portal, is not age-appropriate and promotes "regressive ideas on gender".
Mr Hunt had previously raised concern that the theory was being taught in the classroom.
According to the MP, a parent at the school contacted him with a screen recording, seen by the Star, showing the online learning portal which included materials on the 'genderbread person'.
The diagram, from website It's Pronounced Metrosexual, places identity, attraction, expression and biological sex on a continuum based on female-ness and male-ness.
The MP said: "In many respects, this makes me even more concerned than if it was being used and promoted in the classroom. At least then a responsible adult would be present to hopefully provide some balance.
"As it is, a radical gender theory is there on the intranet, accessible to pupils and from what I can see promoted as fact, not even just a contested theory.
"If a pupil is struggling with their own gender identity, then of course I want them to be supported.
"However, I think there are potentially dangerous and damaging consequences for our young people when radical and controversial gender theories such as the genderbread person are promoted in schools.
"The concept also promotes regressive gender stereotypes which I also think have no place in our schools. For example, there is a 'woman-ness' category and a 'man-ness' category and with each associated roles, jobs, and hobbies.
"I thought we were trying to break down the view that there are roles and jobs for men and roles and jobs for women."
The MP added he hopes to meet with the school next week, saying: "I have always been open to meeting with the school to talk through all these issues and it would be highly misleading for anyone to suggest otherwise."
A spokesperson from Northgate said: "We have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide.
"The genderbread person is not part of our curriculum. It is not used for teaching and has not been promoted to students.
"We have issued three invitations to Mr Hunt to visit the school to explore his concerns; we are hopeful to arrange a date in the next week.
"If he is genuinely worried about what is happening at Northgate, we would have hoped he would have spoken with us in person by now, rather than regularly commenting on this matter in public.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank the school community and others in the local area who have sent us many messages of support."
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