- Review to be informed by expert panel, in response to
concerning reports of inappropriate content being
taught
- Priorities for the review include introducing age ratings,
and making sure high-quality teaching materials are available for
schools
- Education Secretary to write to schools today to make sure
they share curriculum materials with parents
New Relationships, Sex, Health and Education (RSHE) statutory
guidance will be completed by the end of the year, in response to
disturbing reports that inappropriate material is being taught in
some schools.
The review is needed to make sure all children are protected from
inappropriate content in all cases, even if many schools already
teach RSHE and engage parents in a positive way.
The review, which was recently accelerated by the Prime Minister
and Education Secretary, will be informed by an independent panel
to be appointed over the coming weeks to provide external
expertise. The panel will bring together input from health,
children’s development, curriculum and safeguarding. The review
will also draw on close work with Ofsted, to understand what
material is currently used in the classroom, and consider what
improvements might need to be made.
The panel will advise on how to put in place clear safeguards to
stop pupils from being taught contested and potentially damaging
concepts, including introducing age ratings setting out what is
appropriate to be taught at what age, to prevent children being
taught concepts they are too young to understand.
Oak National Academy, the independent provider of freely
available online curriculum and lesson resources, will develop
curriculum materials to make sure every school can access
high-quality, compliant resources which will build on what is
already available for schools. This will help support teachers as
they develop their curriculum and lesson planning in this
sensitive area.
The Education Secretary has also today written to schools to
remind them they are required by law to publish a relationships
or a relationships and sex education policy and consult parents
on it, and should also provide all curriculum materials to
parents and stop entering into contracts that seek to prevent
parents from seeing materials.
Education Secretary, said:
“I am deeply concerned about reports of inappropriate lessons
being taught in schools.
“This urgent review will get to the heart of how RSHE is
currently taught and should be taught in the future. This will
leave no room for any disturbing content, restore parents'
confidence, and make sure children are even better protected."
The letter makes clear that parents should be able to view all
curriculum materials, and that parents can ask to see material if
it has not already been shared, especially in relation to
sensitive topics.
The review will also consider how to make sure all RSHE teaching
is factual and does not present contested views on sensitive
topics as fact.
It will also engage widely with those working with children
across the education and health sectors.
The government is determined to make sure RSHE teaching leaves
children equipped to make informed decisions about their health,
wellbeing and relationships, in a sensitive way that reflects
their stage of development.
The government expects new statutory guidance to be released in
the coming months. It will then be subject to public consultation
to conclude by the end of the year, coming into statutory force
as soon as possible after that.
Separately, the Education Secretary, working with the Minister
for Women and Equalities, will publish guidance for schools for
the summer term on how to respond to children who are questioning
their gender identity.
