U.K. to Review Delivery of Sex And Relationship Education

A review of the delivery of Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) in schools was outlined today by Schools Minister Jim Knight and Minister for Children and Young People Beverley Hughes. The delivery of good SRE is crucial in keeping young people safe and healthy as well as helping to bring down teenage pregnancy rates.

Progress has been made in improving SRE, but delivery is still patchy. We know that many young people feel they are not getting sex and relationship education which provides them with the knowledge and skills they need to make safe and well-informed choices, and delay sex until they are ready.

Evidence shows that quality SRE has a direct impact on reducing teenage pregnancy rates and is an essential strand of the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. If we are to see the large scale reductions in teenage pregnancy rates that we need, local authorities must implement all aspects of the strategy.

The review will consider how best to improve the delivery of SRE in both primary and secondary schools and the Review Steering Group will be co-chaired by Schools Minister Jim Knight, Jackie Fisher, Principal of Newcastle College and Joshua McTaggart from the UK Youth Parliament.

The review will also look at:

* how to ensure that young people are provided with good SRE irrespective of what school they attend;

* how best to identify and share best practice on SRE delivery and provide practical support for teachers in the form of things like exemplar lesson plans;

* how schools can best utilise external professionals to support the delivery of SRE in the classroom;

* how the SRE provided by schools can reflect the views of/complement the role of parents;

* the role of schools in referring young people to specialist advice and support;

* how to encourage head teachers, school senior management teams and governors to provide better leadership on this important aspect of the curriculum.

Jim Knight said:

“This review is a direct response to concerns raised by young people. We know that SRE is good in most schools but we know from talking to young people that in some schools SRE teaching is not up to scratch. This is not acceptable. I want to look at what the best schools are doing and make sure every school follows their lead.

“As well as listening carefully to the views of parents and experts, I am determined that young people be involved in developing this policy. I look forward to working with UK Youth Parliament, who have played an important part in bringing this issue to the fore.”

Beverley Hughes said:

“We are continuing to make progress in reducing teenage pregnancy rates in this country and currently have the lowest level for 20 years. Good delivery of SRE is a vital part of our Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, which is based on the best international evidence.

“Consistent delivery of SRE across England will also help to tackle teenage pregnancy in those areas that are still struggling with their rates and where local authorities have not fully implemented our tried and tested advice.”

Joshua McTaggart said:

“The UK Youth Parliament has been pushing for nearly three years to get better quality sex and relationships education into secondary schools across the UK, and hopefully this review will be the first step in doing that. Having a young person co-chairing the review, alongside Jim Knight, is fantastic for youth voice, showing that young people really do have a chance to make a difference and be heard.”

The Review will also look at issues such as: what is the right age to begin teaching SRE; what are the key messages and content that young people should receive at each key stage; and whether SRE should be delivered in gender-specific or mixed groups, or a combination of the two.

Members of the Steering group have been invited to take part in the review based on their expert knowledge of SRE and the sexual health of young people and will represent the views of parents, schools, local authorities and young people.

There is widespread consensus as to the benefits of good quality SRE among both young people and parents - with 92% of parents supportive of SRE in schools.

Getting SRE right for young people is not only critical for achieving the ambition of our teenage pregnancy strategy but also central to schools’ work to achieve ECM outcomes.

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