The school at the centre of a cat gender row has denied it allows students to identify as animals.
Rye College, East Sussex, said on Thursday ‘no children’ at the school ‘identify as a cat or any other animal’.
It comes as Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch ordered a snap Ofsted inspection into the school after a teacher called a pupil ‘despicable’ for refusing to accept her classmate identified as a cat.
But Rye College said it had already met with the Department for Education to share a ‘comprehensive update’ on what happened.
Now Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, slammed Ms Badenoch’s decision as ‘unnecessary’ and accused her of ‘grandstanding’ over the issue.
Rye College (pictured), East Sussex, said on Thursday ‘no children’ at the school ‘identify as a cat or any other animal’
It comes as Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch (pictured) ordered a snap Ofsted inspection into the school
In her letter to school regulator Ofsted, Ms Badenoch said that the ‘widely circulated recording of a teacher acting inappropriately regarding her pupil’s beliefs about sex and gender’ raised issues about ‘safeguarding at the school’.
She added the teacher in question was ‘not acting in a way consistent’ with the 2010 Equality Act’s requirements, nor ‘in accordance with Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework’s requirements to promote respect for the different protected characteristics as defined in law.’
Ms Badenoch also said by teaching ‘contested political beliefs as fact’ such as there being ‘lots of genders’, the school risked breaching political impartiality requirements set out under the 1996 Education Act.
Earlier this week the House of Commons heard Education Secretary Gillian Keegan had ‘launched an investigation’ in response, with MPs also raising concerns in Parliament.
And yesterday, the school confirmed it had met with the DfE’s regional director for the South East and shared a ‘comprehensive update on the events whoch took place before, during and after the recording’ and that no pupil identifies as a ‘cat’ or ‘any other animal’.
It said it would ‘as always, fully support and engage with the process’ should an Ofsted inspection go ahead.
Earlier this week the House of Commons heard Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (pictured) had ‘launched an investigation’ in response
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘There is a need for a sense of proportion here.
‘This involves an incident at one school in which the trust has already met with the Department for Education to share an update on the events that took place, and the school has said that no pupils identify as a cat or any other animal.
‘Now we have politicians, including the Minister for Women and Equalities, weighing in over this matter in a manner that is unnecessary, unhelpful and smacks of grandstanding.’
And Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, warned against ‘inappropriate interventions’ from ministers.
He said: ‘Ms Badenoch has a duty of care to weigh her words carefully to ensure the wellbeing of pupils, teachers and school leaders.
‘The very last thing that school leaders need is ministers from other departments interfering in the work of schools.
Pictured: A ‘furry’ – the type of fantasy animal at the centre of the ‘cat gender’ dispute
‘Due process and the principles of good government are the very least that the sector should expect – not inappropriate interventions fuelled by reports that have now been significantly discredited.’
The mother of one of the girls reprimanded, who has asked to be kept anonymous, told MailOnline earlier this week: ‘I’m so proud of my daughter, she will always stand up for what she believes is right and this is all that she did.
‘She expressed a view that many, many of her classmates and their parents would share yet she was shouted down and bullied by someone in authority.’
She continued: ‘For that teacher to tell her to leave and go to another school if she didn’t like what she was being told made my blood boil. What kind of welcome is that for a 13-year-old girl.’
The PM’s spokesman asked for headteachers to not be afraid to intervene in extreme cases.
The spokesman said: ‘In broad terms, teachers have a responsibility to encourage their students to engage respectfully with those they disagree with.
‘They should also not be teaching contested opinions as fact, shutting down valid discussions and debates.
‘It’s important parents and carers are reassured that children aren’t being influenced by personal views of those teaching them.
‘Any example that strays from this would be wrong and we would expect headteachers to act.’
