Call for evidence: PSHE and SRE in schools

• Inquiry: PSHE and SRE in schools
• Education Committee

Points to address

Submissions of written evidence are invited addressing the following points:

• Whether PSHE ought to be statutory, either as part of the National Curriculum or through some other means of entitlement.
• Whether the current accountability system is sufficient to ensure that schools focus on PSHE.
• The overall provision of Sex and Relationships Education in schools and the quality of its teaching, including in primary schools and academies.
• Whether recent Government steps to supplement the guidance on teaching about sex and relationships, including consent, abuse between teenagers and cyber-bullying, are adequate.
• How the effectiveness of SRE should be measured.

Submissions

The Committee asks for written submissions in accordance with the guidelines below by midday on Friday 6 June 2014. As a guideline submissions should be no longer than 3,000 words.

As part of a scheme to encourage paperless working and maximise efficiency, the Committee is using a new web portal for online submissions of written evidence. Written submissions for this inquiry should therefore be sent via the PSHE and SRE in schools inquiry page.

Submissions should be in the format of a self-contained memorandum. Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference, and the document should, if possible, include an executive summary.

Submissions should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted, your submission becomes the property of the Committee and no public use should be made of it unless you have first obtained permission from the Clerk of the Committee. Please bear in mind that Committees are not able to investigate individual cases.

Data protection

The Committee normally, though not always, chooses to publish the written evidence it receives, either by printing the evidence, publishing it on the internet or by making it publicly available through the Parliamentary Archives. If there is any information you believe to be sensitive you should highlight it and explain what harm you believe would result from its disclosure; the Committee will take this into account in deciding whether to publish or further disclose the evidence.

For data protection purposes, it would be helpful if individuals wishing to submit written evidence send their contact details in a covering letter. You should be aware that there may be circumstances in which the House of Commons will be required to communicate information to third parties on request, in order to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Further information

• Information on the Government’s policy on PSHE education, including the Secretary of State’s guidance on SRE (External website)
• Information on the Government’s recent actions in relation to PSHE is contained within a letter from Lord Nash dated 24 January 2014 (PDF 91KB)
• Updated supplementary advice published in February 2014 by the PSHE Association, Brook and the Sex Education Forum (External website)
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