The values and wishes of parents must be at the heart of the way in which Ofsted rates schools on how they teach sex education, says SPUC Safe at School, following a report that government would like sex and relationships education (SRE) higher up the list of Ofsted's scoring system, rather than making it a compulsory school subject.
"The government appears to be taking a very pro-parent line regarding sex education. In a report published earlier this year it stressed that parents must be consulted about the sex education policy and that parents should be able to hold the school to account on this issue," says Antonia Tully of SPUC Safe at School.
In the same report published in July 2015, the government said that Ofsted inspectors should "look at how effectively the school engages with parents, including how well the school gathers, understands and responds to the views of parents."
Antonia Tully says: "The real test will be whether a school can deliver SRE in line with its parents' values without being penalised by Ofsted."
For more information, please contact Anthony Ozimic, SPUC's Media Manager: