Conclusions and recommendations
Why teach PSHE and SRE in schools?
1. There
are a number of ways of evaluating whether PSHE and SRE should
be taught in schools; focusing primarily on its impact on teenage
conceptions and STIs means insufficient emphasis is placed on
safeguarding and young people's rights. It would also detract
from the focus on the 'whole child' implicit in recent DfE work
on "character, grit and resilience". (Paragraph 46)
2. Measuring
specific positive outcomes from the provision of PSHE is challenging
but the context is the wide range of pressures and risks to health
to which young people are exposed. They have a right to information
that will keep them healthy and safe. Delivering this is particularly
important for the most vulnerable children, including looked after
children, LGBT children and those with special educational needs.
Schools need to provide this information, and to develop the resilience
and character of young people. (Paragraph 47)
3. While
a minority of parents strongly object on principle, it is clear
that a large majority of parents and young people feel that schools
should provide SRE. (Paragraph 48)
4. Trends
in teenage conceptions and STIs are driven by factors far outwith
the provision of SRE in schools and provide little insight into
the usefulness of such education. Instead the quality of PSHE
and SRE should be measured through Ofsted inspections and through
levels of student and parent satisfaction. This should be the
focus for the Government.
(Paragraph 49)
5. We
recommend that the Government explore how pupil wellbeing could
be measured in schools.
(Paragraph 50)
The provision and quality of PSHE and SRE in schools
6. Ofsted's
2013 report showed that there was a problem with the effectiveness
of PSHE and SRE in schools, and suggested that this was worsening
over time. This matches the view of young people themselves. (Paragraph
70)
7. We
recommend that the Government take steps to incentivise schools
to raise the quality of PSHE and SRE in schools.
(Paragraph 71)
Recent Government actions and the supplementary advice
8. The
Government's current strategy for improving PSHE and SRE in schools
is weak, and the recent actions taken by the Government are insufficient
to make much difference. Destination measures, parental choice
and schools publishing their curricula online will not in themselves
lead to the required improvement in PSHE. There is a mismatch
between the priority that the Government claims it gives to PSHE
and the steps it has taken to improve the quality of PSHE teaching.
(Paragraph 89)
9. We
recommend that the Government formally endorse and issue the 2014
advice produced by the voluntary sector, and promote this advice
more actively to schools and governors.
(Paragraph 90)
10. We
recommend that the Government monitor schools' compliance with
the requirement to publish information about their PSHE and SRE
curriculum on their websites.
(Paragraph 91)
11. Ensuring
that PSHE and SRE is delivered by confident and capable teachers
is crucial to improving the quality of teaching. We recommend
that the DfE restore funding for the National PSHE CPD programme,
with the aim of ensuring that all primary and secondary schools
have at least one teacher who has received specialist training
in PSHE, and monitor progress towards this.
(Paragraph 117)
12. We
recommend that the Government ensure that there are sufficient
school nurses training places, and that the ratio of school nurses
to children is maintained.
(Paragraph 118)
13. We
recommend that Sex and Relationships Education be renamed "Relationships
and Sex Education" to reflect the (existing) focus on relationships
and to emphasise the importance of this part of children and young
people's education.
(Paragraph 119)
14. There
is clear agreement about the need for parents and schools to work
together in the area of PSHE, and this is key to improving SRE
in particular. (Paragraph 120)
15. We
recommend that all schools be required to run a regular consultation
with parents on the school's SRE provision, in a way that allows
all parents to participate.
(Paragraph 121)
16. We
recommend that Ofsted inspect schools' engagement with parents
on Sex and Relationships Education.
(Paragraph 122)
17. We
recommend that Ofsted set out clearly in the school inspection
handbook the way in which a school's PSHE provision relates to
Ofsted's judgements on safeguarding and pupils' "spiritual,
moral, social and cultural development".
(Paragraph 123)
18. We
recommend that the Government commission Ofsted to produce regular
subject survey reports on the quality of PSHE and SRE.
(Paragraph 124)
19. We
recommend that the DfE clarify that children in primary schools
should be taught the proper names for genitalia as part of the
National Curriculum.
(Paragraph 125)
The status of PSHE and SRE
20. The
DfE must clarify the current status of SRE, including in different
kinds of schools, and communicate this message clearly to schools.
(Paragraph 145)
21. We
note that parents would be concerned if their existing right to
withdraw their children from SRE was removed, and that this may
serve to discourage schools from engaging with parents on this
subject. The matter can be separated from the question of whether
PSHE and SRE should be statutory in schools. We conclude that
the parental right to withdraw their children from elements of
SRE should be retained.
(Paragraph 146)
22. We
accept the argument that statutory status is needed for PSHE,
with relationships and sex education as a core part of it. In
particular this will contribute to ensuring that appropriate curriculum
time is devoted to the subject, to stimulating the demand for
trained teachers, and to meeting safeguarding requirements. (Paragraph
147)
23. We
recommend that the DfE develop a workplan for introducing age-appropriate
PSHE and RSE as statutory subjects in primary and secondary schools,
setting out its strategy for improving the supply of teachers
able to deliver this subject and a timetable for achieving this.
The statutory requirement should have a minimal prescription in
content, and should be constructed with the aim of ensuring that
curriculum time is devoted to the subject. Alongside this, statutory
guidance should be developed to enhance schools' duty to work
with parents in this area and secure and effective home-school
partnership. (Paragraph
148)
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