A
BILL
TO
Require schools to provide sex and relationships education to registered
pupils; and for connected purposes.
Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
(1)
Section 403 of the Education Act 1996 (sex education: manner of provision) is
amended as set out in subsections (2) to (5).
(2)
In subsection (1), for the words from the beginning to “at a maintained school”
5there is substituted “The governing body or other proprietor of any school to
which this section applies, and its head teacher, must take such steps as are
reasonably practicable to ensure that sex and relationships education is given
to registered pupils at the school and that”.
(3) After that subsection there is inserted—
“(1ZA) 10The schools to which this section applies are—
(a) maintained schools;
(b) city technology colleges;
(c) city colleges for the technology of the arts;
(d) Academies.
15A reference in this section or section 404 to the governing body of a
school, in relation to a school within paragraph (b), (c) or (d), shall be
read as a reference to the proprietor of the school.”
(4) In subsection (1A)—
(a)
for “when sex education is given to registered pupils at maintained
20schools” there is substituted “when sex and relationships education is
given to registered pupils at schools to which this section applies”;
(b)
in paragraph (a), after “, and” there is inserted “learn the nature of civil
partnership and the importance of strong and stable relationships.”;
(c) paragraph (b) is omitted.
Sex and Relationships Education BillPage 2
(5)
In subsection (1C), for “sex education” there is substituted “sex and
relationships education”.
(6)
In section 579 of that Act (general interpretation), in the definition of “sex
education” in subsection (1)—
(a)
5for “sex education” there is substituted “sex and relationships
education”;
(b) at the end there is inserted—
“but does not include education about human reproduction
provided as part of any science teaching;”.
For section 405 of the Education Act 1996 there is substituted—
(1)
If a pupil of sufficient maturity in attendance at a school to which
section 403 applies requests to be wholly or partly excused from
15receiving sex and relationships education at the school, the pupil shall
be so excused accordingly until the request is withdrawn.
(2) The Secretary of State must in regulations define “sufficient maturity”.
(3)
A statutory instrument containing regulations under subsection (2)
may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before
20and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
(4)
The Secretary of State must lay draft regulations before Parliament
before the end of the period of 3 months beginning with the day on
which this Act is passed.”.
(1) 25This Act may be cited as the Sex and Relationships Education Act 2011.
(2)
This Act comes into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order
made by statutory instrument appoint.
(3) This Act extends to England and Wales only.