Ofsted to mark down schools that don’t teach pupils about LGBT relationships
SCHOOLS that fail to teach about same- sex relationships risk being marked down by inspectors.
They will have their ‘readiness’ to teach the Government’s new relationships and sex education curriculum assessed from early next year.
Oftsted will comment in their reports if they find that schools fail to teach about LGBT relationships and do not have ‘adequate plans’ in place to meet the requirements.
From the summer term, a secondary school that does not teach about same-sex relationships will be judged as not meeting the statutory guidance. It will receive a leadership and management judgment of no better than ‘requires improvement’.
This could also happen at primary schools if Ofsted decides the school is not meeting the guidelines, according to a report published by the education watchdog yesterday.
It says: ‘From the start of summer term 2021, if a primary school does not teach about LGBT relationships, this will not have an impact on the leadership and management judgment as long as the school can satisfy inspectors that it has still fulfilled the requirements of the DfE’s statutory guidance.
‘If it cannot do this, for example if it has failed to consult with parents, inspectors will consider this when making the leadership and management judgment.
‘The school will not ordinarily receive a judgment for this better than “requires improvement”.’ The Ofsted document also states that schools are ‘at liberty to teach the tenets of any faith on the protected characteristics’.
It adds: ‘For example, they may explain that same- sex relationships and gender reassignment are not permitted by a particular religion. However, if they do so, they must also explain the legal rights LGBT people have under UK law, and that this and LGBT people must be respected.’
The National Secular Society attacked the guidance as contradictory last night. A spokesman said: ‘It’s wholly incongruent for Ofsted to penalise schools that refuse to teach about LGBT peoing ple, but turn a blind eye with faith schools that teach being LGBT is morally wrong. All pupils should be entitled to study in a welcomand accepting school that doesn’t make them feel ashamed about who they are.’
Parents have no right to withdraw their children from relationships education in primary schools, which has led to the threat of a judicial review. The Let Kids Be Kids group, which wants the classes to be optional, is crowdfunding for legal costs.
An Ofsted spokesman said: ‘The Department for Education’s guidance makes it clear that secondary schools must teach about LGBT issues. Therefore, from next summer, if secondary schools do not teach about all the protected characteristics, they will receive a judgment of “requires improvement” for leadership and management.
‘However, government guidance is that primary schools have more discretion over when LGBT issues are age appropriate, and so won’t necessarily be marked down if they exclude them.’
‘It’s wholly incongruent’