Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of mandatory education on domestic abuse and coercive control for all young people aged 16 to 19 in post-16 education.

The department does not provide a national curriculum for post-16 students beyond key stage 4. However, post-16 providers have the flexibility to offer aspects of Relationships, Sex and Health education, including content on domestic abuse and coercive control, and should support students to access the information and support they need to have positive relationships and sexual experiences.

The Ofsted Further Education and Skills inspection handbook includes personal development as part of its judgements, which includes ‘developing an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships through appropriate relationship and sex education’.