Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how he plans to ensure that (a) Ofsted inspectors (i) know what good quality relationships and sex education and relationships education is, (ii) are trained in that education and (iii) are able to maintain school accountability and (b) Ofsted inspection processes are transparent.

The Department has worked with Ofsted to develop the recently announced revised draft guidance for Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education. The content for these subjects also builds on the existing Sex and Relationships Education guidance (2000), that many schools already deliver as part of a planned personal, social, health and economic education and national curriculum subjects such as citizenship and science.

Ofsted Inspectors will evaluate the extent to which a school is successfully promoting all aspects of pupils’ welfare, including learning how to stay healthy, about emotional and mental health, and safe and positive relationships. From September 2019, Ofsted proposes to introduce a new personal development judgement with a focus on these matters, and all inspectors will receive dedicated training on how to inspect effectively against this judgement.