Sex and relationship education: Independent review
The DCSF has published an independent report on the delivery of sex and relationship education (SRE) in schools; and the Government response to the report.
The review was announced in the Children's Plan, in December 2007. The steering group that undertook the review comprised:
- practitioners involved in the planning and delivery of SRE
- experts in young people's sexual health
- representatives of faith groups
- young people.
The review was co-chaired by Jim Knight, Schools Minister; Jackie Fisher, Principal of Newcastle College; and Josh McTaggart, a member of the UK Youth Parliament. The group's independent report included a number of recommendations to Government, designed to improve the quality and consistency of SRE in schools, to which the Government has responded. The steering group's headline recommendation was that personal, social and health education (PSHE) should be made statutory and be supported by a statutory programme of study to give it increased status/priority in schools. The Government accepted the arguments for statutory PSHE and has undertaken a review — headed by Sir Alasdair MacDonald — to consider how to take forward the decision in a practicable way. In addition, the Government will further consider the steering group's other recommendations for improving the delivery of SRE. Recommendations broadly fall into six categories:
- those designed to improve the skills and confidence of those who deliver SRE — the key delivery challenge
- those designed to encourage greater use of external professionals and agencies to support schools' delivery of SRE
- those that address the need for more guidance and support on how best to deliver SRE
- those designed to increase young people's opportunities to influence the design of their SRE programmes
- those aimed at maximising the impact of wider Government programmes on the quality and consistency of SRE
- those designed to improve leadership on SRE, in terms of both school leadership teams and strategic oversight by local authorities and PCTs.
The report also considered how best to ensure that schools and parents work in partnership to educate children and young people about sex and relationships.
- Both the independent review and the Government response are available here.
- A press notice released by the SRE review steering group is available here.
- A press notice released by the DCSF is available here.
Review by Sir Alasdair MacDonald
Sir Alasdair has recommended that PSHE education should become part of
the National Curriculum at both primary and secondary levels, subject to formal
consultation. His report to the Minister was published on 27 April 2009 and is
available here.
PSHE consultation
The consultation was launched on 30 April and closed on 24 July 2009.
It was launched alongside Sir Jim Rose's Review of the primary curriculum.
A summary of the findings will be published in autumn 2009. It is likely that
changes will be introduced in September 2011, in order for schools to have a
full academic year to prepare for the implementation of statutory PSHE
education.
Last updated: 16 September 2009
