This gender identity training for early years practitioners gives your team the knowledge to support children and families with confidence and sensitivity. Gender identity is a person’s own sense of their gender — it may correlate with the sex they were assigned at birth, or it may differ from it. Gender is no longer seen as the same thing as sex, and there are now multiple ways people identify beyond male or female.
Children in early years settings are at a formative stage in developing their understanding of themselves, and gender stereotypes have changed considerably over time. This course helps your setting create an environment where children can develop their own thoughts about their gender, supported by informed practitioners, parents and carers.
What you’ll learn
- The difference between sex and gender, and why the distinction matters
- How gender identity develops in young children
- How parents and carers can support children as they explore their gender identity
- How gender stereotypes have changed over time
- The impact of stereotypes on children, and how to challenge outdated assumptions
- How to create a genuinely inclusive environment for every child in your setting
Who this course is for
This course is designed for all early years practitioners who want to support children and families around gender identity and build a more inclusive setting. No prior knowledge is needed — it works equally well for new starters and experienced staff refreshing their understanding.
Why this training matters
Gender identity is a deeply personal aspect of who we are, and the early years are when children begin forming their own understanding of it. Practitioners who understand the difference between sex and gender, and how identity develops, are far better placed to respond thoughtfully to children’s questions, work in partnership with parents and carers, and make sure no child feels boxed in by outdated stereotypes. Your completion certificate also gives you recognised evidence of staff development for compliance and Ofsted audit.
How the course works
The course is delivered entirely online with media-rich content and voiceovers, so your team can learn at their own pace on any device — at nursery, at home, or anywhere in between. It takes around one hour to complete.
Your certificate
Successful candidates are awarded the National Nursery Training Gender Identity Course Completion Certificate, which can be used as evidence for compliance and audit and counts towards continuing professional development (CPD). National Nursery Training is an NFAQ-accredited provider and an accredited CPD Training Provider (#776846) with the CPD Accreditation Group.
