Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provisions they have in place to ensure that those studying in academies receive adequate sex and relationships education.

Lord Nash

The government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools, and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way.

Academies do not have to teach SRE but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. When academies do teach SRE they are required through their funding agreement to have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education Guidance.

The guidance makes clear that all SRE should be age-appropriate and helps young people to develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour.