Teachers are able to cover topics relating to parenting skills in their wider school curriculum, including in their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons. The non-statutory programme of study for PSHE includes the roles and responsibilities of parents, parenting skills, the value of family relationships, and the impact of separation, divorce and bereavement on families.

The Children and Social Work Act 2017 placed a duty on the Secretary of State for Education to make Relationships Education at primary and Relationships and Sex Education at secondary, mandatory through regulations. The Act also provides a power to make PSHE mandatory in all schools.

To ensure age appropriate and inclusive subject content for all key stages, the department is actively engaging with a wide range of stakeholders. As part of this work the department has launched a call for evidence, which will help inform the development of the regulations and guidance, and the types of support schools need for effective teaching of the subjects. The call for evidence, which closes on 12 February, is also seeking views on the future of PSHE. It can be accessed via this link: https://consult.education.gov.uk/life-skills/pshe-rse-call-for-evidence/.

It is not Ofsted’s role to issue guidance to schools on the content of any aspect of the curriculum.

Schools are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and sex and relationships education can contribute to this. The Department has issued guidance on sex and relationships education that sets out how schools should approach the teaching of this subject. All state-funded schools who teach sex education must have regard to this guidance. The Department has not provided guidance on PSHE as this is a non-statutory subject. Schools are free to determine the content of their curriculum, but can use the materials developed by the PSHE Association to support this. These materials include giving pupils the opportunity to learn about the roles and responsibilities of parents, carers and children in families.

The Children and Social Work Bill contains provisions relating to Relationships Education for primary schools, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) for secondary schools, and personal, social, health and economic education for primary and secondary schools. In March, the Government published a Policy Statement which sets out likely subject content, including family relationships. The policy statement can be accessed via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-rse-and-pshe

Regulations and guidance for Relationships Education and RSE will be produced and the regulations will be laid before Parliament for debate and a vote. The Bill’s provisions also create a power enabling the Secretary of State to make regulations in the future requiring PSHE be taught in all schools in England: primary and secondary, maintained and academy. This is subject to decision-making following careful consideration.

The government announced on 1 March 2017 proposals for statutory Relationships Education in primary schools, Relationships and Sex Education in secondary schools (RSE) and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), subject to careful consideration, in all schools. We want all pupils to be taught how to recognise and build healthy relationships of all kinds, including family relationships, friendships and, at the appropriate age, sexual relationships.

We plan to undertake a comprehensive programme of engagement with stakeholders about future provision in these areas. A key element of the engagement process will be gathering views and evidence to enable us to get the balance of subject content right, including through statutory guidance, enabling schools to design appropriate lessons. Regulations and statutory guidance will be subject to a full public consultation later this year and the regulations will be subject to debate and vote in Parliament.

The government’s plan is for schools to teach statutory Relationships Education, RSE, and PSHE (subject to consideration and consultation), from September 2019.

All pupils currently have the opportunity to learn about relationships in the non-statutory PSHE, or as part of the wider school curriculum. Schools are free to draw on the non-statutory programme of study produced by the PSHE Association in planning their provision. The programme of study includes topics, such as relationships and the value of family relationships.

All pupils, irrespective of gender, have the opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of fatherhood in non-statutory Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education or as part of the wider school curriculum.

Schools are free to draw on the non-statutory programme of study produced by the PSHE Association in planning their provision. The programme of study includes topics on the roles and responsibilities of parents and the value of family relationships. Issues relating to parenting skills are included for pupils at key stage 3.

Following the Government’s announcement of 1 March about proposals for Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and PSHE, we plan to undertake a comprehensive programme of engagement with stakeholders about future provision in these areas. While we are not proposing to put content of the subjects on the face of legislation as this is too prescriptive and risks the legislation becoming out of date as the world changes, this process of engagement will enable us to get the balance of content right in guidance, enabling schools to design appropriate curricula. Regulations and statutory guidance will be subject to full public consultation later this year and the regulations will be subject to debate and vote in Parliament. Our plan is for schools to teach statutory Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and PSHE (subject to consideration and consultation), from September 2019.

All pupils, irrespective of gender, have the opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of fatherhood in non-statutory Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education or as part of the wider school curriculum.

Schools are free to draw on the non-statutory programme of study produced by the PSHE Association in planning their provision. The programme of study includes topics on the roles and responsibilities of parents and the value of family relationships. Issues relating to parenting skills are included for pupils at key stage 3.

Following the Government’s announcement of 1 March about proposals for Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and PSHE, we plan to undertake a comprehensive programme of engagement with stakeholders about future provision in these areas. While we are not proposing to put content of the subjects on the face of legislation as this is too prescriptive and risks the legislation becoming out of date as the world changes, this process of engagement will enable us to get the balance of content right in guidance, enabling schools to design appropriate curricula. Regulations and statutory guidance will be subject to full public consultation later this year and the regulations will be subject to debate and vote in Parliament. Our plan is for schools to teach statutory Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and PSHE (subject to consideration and consultation), from September 2019.

The Government recognises the damaging impact of conflict between parents on children’s outcomes. New evidence was published last year highlighting this link, and making clear that the presence or absence of parental conflict has a much greater impact on a child’s outcomes than the structure of the child’s family. Our child maintenance system encourages separated parents to collaborate and make family based arrangements where they can, working together in the interests of their child once they separate. Evidence shows that after separation where parents are able to take a collaborative, low conflict approach it is better for children’s outcomes, including over the involvement of the non-resident parent where this is appropriate, whether this is the child’s mother or father.

The purpose of Ofsted school inspection is to assess the quality of education provided by the school for its pupils. This includes reporting on how well the school’s provision supports pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In addition, Ofsted’s school inspection handbook does require inspectors to consider how well leaders and governors engage with parents, carers and others in supporting pupils.

All pupils, irrespective of gender have the opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of parenthood in non-statutory Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and schools have the flexibility to determine when, and how, to teach it.

The department encourages schools to draw on the revised non-statutory programme of study produced by the PSHE Association that helps schools to plan their provision and includes the roles and responsibilities of parents and the value of family relationships, including the impact of separation, divorce and bereavement. Issues relating to parenting skills are included in the personal wellbeing of the programme of study at KS3.

The information requested is not collected.

This government is committed to providing the best outcomes for children. The Department’s forthcoming Green Paper on Social Justice will outline how it plans to improve children’s outcomes.

The Government is clear that all schools should make provision for high-quality sex and relationship education, which is a vital part of preparing young people for life in modern Britain.

Academies, like maintained schools, must teach a broad and balanced curriculum and in respect of sex and relationship education, they must - under the terms of their funding agreement - have regard to the Secretary of State’s statutory Sex and Relationship Education guidance published in 2000.

The issue of statutory personal, social, health and economic education and sex and relationship education was raised during the Education Select Committee session in September. The Secretary of State agreed that we need to look again at how schools deliver high-quality personal, social, health and economic education including sex and relationship education. The Government is considering all the options and will come to a view in due course.

The Government is clear that all schools should make provision for high-quality sex and relationship education, which is a vital part of preparing young people for life in modern Britain.

Academies, like maintained schools, must teach a broad and balanced curriculum and in respect of sex and relationship education, they must - under the terms of their funding agreement - have regard to the Secretary of State’s statutory Sex and Relationship Education guidance published in 2000.

The issue of statutory personal, social, health and economic education and sex and relationship education was raised during the Education Select Committee session in September. The Secretary of State agreed that we need to look again at how schools deliver high-quality personal, social, health and economic education including sex and relationship education. The Government is considering all the options and will come to a view in due course.

We are clear that as part of schools’ duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, all young people should be provided with a curriculum that prepares them for success in adult life.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the education of their pupils. Teachers are able to cover parenting skills in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons. The non-statutory programme of study for PSHE includes the roles and responsibilities of parents, parenting skills, the value of family relationships, and the impact of separation, divorce and bereavement on families.

The Department does not hold information on secondary schools in Wales. This is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.

Maintained secondary schools must continue to meet their existing statutory duties. All maintained secondary schools are required to teach sex and relationship education and we expect academies to teach it as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

As announced in February, we will continue to keep the status of PSHE under review and work with a group of leading headteachers and practitioners to identify further action we can take to ensure that all pupils receive high quality, age appropriate PSHE and sex and relationship education.

When any school, including academies, teaches sex and relationship education, they must have regard to the Secretary of State’s statutory Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000). The guidance makes clear that all such lessons should be age-appropriate and that schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour.

Maintained secondary schools must continue to meet their existing statutory duties. All maintained secondary schools are required to teach sex and relationship education and we expect academies to teach it as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

As announced in February, we will continue to keep the status of PSHE under review and work with a group of leading headteachers and practitioners to identify further action we can take to ensure that all pupils receive high quality, age appropriate PSHE and sex and relationship education.

When any school, including academies, teaches sex and relationship education, they must have regard to the Secretary of State’s statutory Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000). The guidance makes clear that all such lessons should be age-appropriate and that schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour.

All schools should equip young people with the necessary knowledge and skills to leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. We are working to support schools to develop character traits like self-confidence, motivation and resilience in their students. These traits that can be developed in pupils of any age and in every school through the development of a positive culture and ethos, and supported by a rich provision of classroom and extra-curricular activities.

We have invested £5 million in character education, including £3.5 million of grants for 14 projects and £1 million to the Education Endowment Foundation to build evidence and expand research into the most effective character education. We will continue to support schools in developing the character of their pupils without prescribing compulsory measures. In order to do this, we will develop an online digital platform which will share evidence, innovation, and examples of best practice in character education. We will also promote character education to schools and organisations through a new round of character awards.

Of course, many schools and organisations are already supporting children to develop their character in and outside the classroom and through programmes such as the National Citizen Service (NCS). We will be investing over a billion pounds over the next four years to make NCS a rite of passage and to guarantee every child a place on NCS.

The aims of the research reported in Factors associated with achievement: key stage 4, were to assess the quality of the current measure of socio-economic deprivation used by the Department for Education and to identify potential alternative proxy indicators for deprivation.

The attached research brief and full report examines the relationship between attainment and household employment characteristics, including whether it is a single-parent household, and whether at least one parent was in full-time employment. This model was not included in the research brief because it was not considered a feasible alternative.

The background characteristics used in the research were collected as part of the first wave of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (LSYPE), which did not ask questions directly addressing the other factors mentioned. The research was exploratory, but also pragmatic, examining a broad range of measures but also mindful that not all measures would be available to the Department in the future. Measures such as domestic violence, alcohol addiction, drugs or parental mental health problems are not collected by the Department and were therefore not included in this analysis.

The aims of the research reported in Factors associated with achievement: key stage 4, were to assess the quality of the current measure of socio-economic deprivation used by the Department for Education and to identify potential alternative proxy indicators for deprivation.

The attached research brief and full report examines the relationship between attainment and household employment characteristics, including whether it is a single-parent household, and whether at least one parent was in full-time employment. This model was not included in the research brief because it was not considered a feasible alternative.

The background characteristics used in the research were collected as part of the first wave of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (LSYPE), which did not ask questions directly addressing the other factors mentioned. The research was exploratory, but also pragmatic, examining a broad range of measures but also mindful that not all measures would be available to the Department in the future. Measures such as domestic violence, alcohol addiction, drugs or parental mental health problems are not collected by the Department and were therefore not included in this analysis.

The Government does not have a single standard definition of family or household income. The definition used will vary depending on the particular circumstances under consideration.

The definition of household income in the National Statistics publication Households Below Average Income, which analyses the income distribution, is:

Total income from all sources of all household members including dependants.

This definition includes any income received by a household member from an absent parent or former partner.

All schools should equip young people with the necessary skills to leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education has a vital role to play in this and we want all schools to put it at the heart of their curriculum.

This includes developing character traits like self-confidence, motivation and resilience. These traits support academic attainment, are valued by employers, and encourage young people to make a positive contribution to British society. Many schools are already doing this. The 27 schools and organisations that were winners of character awards in 2015 demonstrated excellence in the area. We will continue to support schools in developing these traits in pupils without prescribing compulsory measures. In order to do this, we are investing £5 million in character education, including £3.5m of grants for 14 projects and £1m to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to build evidence and expand research into the most effective character education.

Last September, Ofsted introduced a common assessment framework for the inspection of schools, early years and further education and skills remits. There is an overall effectiveness judgement underpinned by four graded judgements, one of which is a new judgement on personal development, behaviour and welfare. This aspect, therefore, will be graded and reported on in all school inspections.

Additionally, before making the final judgement on the overall effectiveness of all schools, Ofsted inspectors must evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This means that when judging the effectiveness of leadership and management, inspectors will consider the design, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum, ensuring breadth and balance and its impact on pupils’ outcomes and their personal development, behaviour and welfare.

All schools should equip young people with the necessary skills to leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education has a vital role to play in this and we want all schools to put it at the heart of their curriculum.

This includes developing character traits like self-confidence, motivation and resilience. These traits support academic attainment, are valued by employers, and encourage young people to make a positive contribution to British society. Many schools are already doing this. The 27 schools and organisations that were winners of character awards in 2015 demonstrated excellence in the area. We will continue to support schools in developing these traits in pupils without prescribing compulsory measures. In order to do this, we are investing £5 million in character education, including £3.5m of grants for 14 projects and £1m to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to build evidence and expand research into the most effective character education.

Last September, Ofsted introduced a common assessment framework for the inspection of schools, early years and further education and skills remits. There is an overall effectiveness judgement underpinned by four graded judgements, one of which is a new judgement on personal development, behaviour and welfare. This aspect, therefore, will be graded and reported on in all school inspections.

Additionally, before making the final judgement on the overall effectiveness of all schools, Ofsted inspectors must evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This means that when judging the effectiveness of leadership and management, inspectors will consider the design, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum, ensuring breadth and balance and its impact on pupils’ outcomes and their personal development, behaviour and welfare.