Sex and Relationship Education

Department for Education written question – answered at on 2 April 2019.

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Photo of Sir David Amess Sir David Amess Conservative, Southend West

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which (a) individuals and (b) organisations were sent copies of the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education draft statutory guidance for governing bodies, proprietors, head teachers, principals, senior leadership teams, teachers prior to its publication; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Sir David Amess Sir David Amess Conservative, Southend West

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whom his Department consulted before drafting the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education draft statutory guidance for governing bodies, proprietors, head teachers, principals, senior leadership teams, teachers; what research was evaluated; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Sir David Amess Sir David Amess Conservative, Southend West

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information is provided to parents on the content of sex education being taught in their child's primary school; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Nick Gibb Nick Gibb Minister of State (Education)

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. It is not compulsory in primary schools and will not be once the proposed new subjects of Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education become compulsory. The statutory sex and relationships education (SRE) guidance (2000) states that maintained schools must have an up-to-date policy that sets out the school’s approach to sex education and that they should consult their pupils’ parents on this, making the policy available to parents. It is for schools to determine what range of information they provide to parents, but they must have regard to statutory guidance.

The Government is now making Relationships Education compulsory for all primary pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for all secondary pupils and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in primary and secondary state funded schools from September 2020.

All schools will be required to have in place a written policy for Relationships Education and for RSE. Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. Schools should also ensure that the policy sets out the content of the subjects, how the content is taught and who is responsible for teaching it. The draft guidance is clear that schools should ensure that, when they consult parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use. Schools should assess each resource that they propose to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and is sensitive to their needs.

The key decisions on these subjects and the drafting of the guidance were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence was launched in December 2017 and received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools. The Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views and a broad range of evidence. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

The revised draft guidance was not shared publicly between the close of the consultation and it being finalised following decisions by Ministers in light of the consultation responses. It was only shared, under embargo, immediately in advance of publication with a small number of stakeholders to allow for communications on the day of publication.

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