Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to include education on gender-based violence in schools.

The Department is supporting all young people to be happy, healthy, safe, equipped for adult life, able to understand the world they are growing up in, and able to make a positive contribution to society.

Relationship Education is now compulsory for all primary school pupils, Relationships and Sex Education compulsory for all secondary school pupils, and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools. The new subjects are being taught from the start of this academic year, and the latest statutory guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

High quality teaching of these subjects will ensure that children understand what positive, healthy, and respectful relationships look like and help to prevent abuse and gender- based violence. The starting principle when teaching these subjects must be the applicable law. The Department wants pupils to develop a clear understanding of their rights, including how to recognise unhealthy or abusive relationships. We also want schools to support pupils who have experienced unsafe or abusive relationships and approach these subjects with sensitivity.

To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence we have produced Relationship, Sex and Health Education teacher training modules. Each module covers safeguarding to make sure teachers, pastoral staff and the designated safeguarding leads are equipped to deal with sensitive discussions and potential disclosures. Additionally, to help schools implement a whole school approach to promoting healthy relationships and tackling gender-based violence, the Department has developed a ‘Respectful Schools Tool’. The tool is designed to help schools deliver on a range of existing equalities, behaviour, bullying and safeguarding duties.