Sex education in schools in England to be reviewed by expert panel

An expert panel will be set up to review sex education in England’s schools, with updated guidance due in September to ensure that no “disturbing or inappropriate content” will make its way to students.

This review will take place over the concerns of teaching unions and more than 50 organisations and charities, who fear the move is politically motivated.

Rishi Sunak announced the review in March, after the Conservative MP Miriam Cates claimed that children were being taught “graphic lessons on oral sex, how to choke your partner safely, and 72 genders”.

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, said: “The wellbeing and safeguarding of children is our absolute priority, and I share the concerns of parents and teachers about reports that inappropriate lessons are being taught in schools.

“The review of the statutory guidance – with the help of this expert panel – will provide clear safeguards against children being taught concepts they are too young to understand or that are inappropriate for their age.”

An independent investigation for the Isle of Man government in March found that claims that children had been left “traumatised” by sex education taught by a drag queen in a school on the island were “inaccurate”. The release of the investigation’s findings resulted in death threats to teachers.

“It is worth remembering that the current curriculum was subject to extensive consultation before it was introduced,” James Bowen, director of policy for the National Association of Head Teachers, said in March. “We have seen no evidence to suggest there is a widespread problem with pupils being presented with age-inappropriate materials, and if this were the situation, we would expect it to have been picked up on a case-by-case basis.”

Members of the independent expert advisory panel, who are expected to give their time on a voluntary basis, will begin work immediately, taking into consideration evidence provided by the schools watchdog Ofsted to ascertain where clear age ratings are needed. The panel is expected to finish its work for consultation by the end of September, with a full review of the guidance expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to the Department for Education.

The panel will be made up of Prof Dame Lesley Regan, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Imperial College London and the government’s first ever women’s health ambassador; Sir Hamid Patel, the chief executive of Star Academies; Helena Brothwell, a regional director of school improvement for David Ross academy trust; Alasdair Henderson, a barrister specialising in public law, human rights and equality law; and Isabelle Trowler, the government’s first chief social worker for children and families.

This will be the first review of the statutory guidance since it came into force in 2020.