Thousands of Christian teachers are at risk of losing their jobs for holding biblical views on trans

Joshua Sutcliffe was recently barred from teaching for inappropriately expressing his religious beliefs and misgendering a pupil. It was a complex case, says Lizzie Harewood, and shows how new government guidance is desperately needed

There are many clichés that I could use to talk about waiting. ‘Good things come to those who wait’; ‘patience is a virtue’. But for schools - and teachers - waiting for direction on trans issues, the old adages don’t do much to placate frustration at the delay in government guidance on the topic.

The truth of the matter is that clarity on transgender issues cannot come soon enough.

This week, Joshua Sutcliffe was barred from teaching in English schools for “inappropriately expressing religious beliefs” and “repeatedly using female pronouns to refer to a pupil who identified as male”.