Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Accepted
Paragraph: 18
Schools lack adequate time and funding for effective KCSiE guidance implementation.
Conclusion
The Government has updated the statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance to include tackling peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence. This is a positive step to ensure that schools better protect children and young people from harmful sexual behaviour. However, schools need the appropriate time and money to implement the guidance properly and provide effective safeguarding training.
Government Response Summary
The government asserts that funding for schools to implement the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and provide training is available through existing core schools funding, noting that the overall education budget is at its highest level.
Paragraph Reference:
18
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
1. The updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education made it explicit that all schools should understand that sexual harassment and sexual violence might happen in any school, and that they should prepare and act accordingly. The statutory guidance sets clear expectations about safeguarding training. It is for schools to decide how best to meet these strengthened duties and funding is available through core schools funding. The Government has significantly increased funding for education. The total schools’ budget will be over £59.6 billion in 2024–25 – the highest ever level in real terms, as measured by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS). Recommendation 2 is for Ofsted to respond.