The secretary of state for education, Justine Greening, has announced her intention to put Relationships and Sex Education (SRE) on a statutory footing, "so every child has access to age appropriate provision". At the moment, all schools in England should have an up- to-date sex and relationships (SRE) policy. This is a statutory obligation for all maintained schools, but an advisory measure for academies and free schools. The move will be made as an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill (external link) and will require:
- all primary schools in England to teach age-appropriate 'relationships education'
- all secondary schools in England to teach age-appropriate 'relationships and sex education'
The Department for Education will "lead a comprehensive programme of engagement to set out age-appropriate subject content and identify the support schools need to deliver high-quality teaching". The statutory guidance (first introduced in 2000) will be updated and is expected to come into force in September 2019. Parents will continue to have a right to withdraw their children from sex education should they choose to do so.
The amendment will also "create a power enabling the Government to make regulations requiring PSHE to be taught in academies and maintained schools".