Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide guidance to head teachers and governors of primary schools on the appropriateness of head covering for girl pupils in order to help tackle rickets.
The Department for Education does not intend to provide specific guidance to headteachers and governors of primary schools on the appropriateness of head covering for girls in order to help tackle rickets.
The department provides advice to schools on health and safety. Schools must take reasonable steps to ensure that staff and pupils are not exposed to risks to their health or safety by conducting a risk assessment and, if necessary, putting measures in place to minimise any known risk.
It is for individual schools to decide whether or not to provide guidance on the appropriateness of head covering. It is for the governing body of each school to set their own policies on school uniform and other matters of appearance. Our guidance to schools on school uniform is clear that, in doing so, they must have full regard to their obligations under equalities law.