Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee

Fifth Report - Attitudes towards women and girls in educational settings

HC 331 Published 5 July 2023

Women and Equalities Committee Attitudes towards women and girls in educational settings Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance8 recommendations and 6 conclusions · Government response published 17 November 2023

The government's response

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government, Ofsted and the Office for Students responded to the Committee's report, with the Government stating that it is "considering" extending compulsory RSHE to post-16 settings and pointing to existing guidance, funding and the Office for Students' work in other areas.

On school safeguarding funding, the Government says "It is for schools to decide how best to meet these strengthened duties and funding is available through core schools funding."
On the call for an evaluation of Keeping Children Safe in Education within six months, the Government says the guidance is updated annually, with "the next consultation of the guidance" to be launched "later this year".
On RSHE, a review of the statutory guidance is "underway" with a "full public consultation"; following publication of updated guidance, the Department will update teacher training modules and "assess further support needed".
Ofsted says it "agree[s]" it is important to monitor technology's impact, but that gathering evidence on abuse of female staff "is not a specific inspection focus"; the Office for Students expects to publish its consultation decisions "early in 2024".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

What the committee recommended 14

1
Ensure all schools recognise sexual harassment seriousness and receive funding for effective safeguarding. Recommendation · paragraph 16
2
Undertake further thematic review of safeguarding policies and investigate abuse against female staff. Recommendation · paragraph 17
3
Schools lack adequate time and funding for effective KCSiE guidance implementation. Conclusion · paragraph 18
4
Undertake evaluation of KCSiE guidance implementation, impact, and barriers within six months. Recommendation · paragraph 19
5
Require head teachers to address harmful mobile device use; improve DfE/Ofsted monitoring. Conclusion · paragraph 26

See all 14 recommendations and conclusions

Sources

Fifth Report - Attitudes towards women and girls in educational settings ↗The committee's report, HC 331, parliament.uk
Attitudes towards women and girls in educational settings: Government, Ofsted and Office for Students responses to the Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2022–23 ↗The government's response, 17 November 2023, parliament.uk

Recommendations and conclusions 14

1
Ensure all schools recognise sexual harassment seriousness and receive funding for effective safeguarding. Recommendation · paragraph 16 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
Sexual harassment and sexual violence continues to be a scourge in our schools, with many girls and women feeling powerless. The issues are longstanding and warnings have been frequent, including from our predecessor Committee. It is saddening that it took the public testimonies of thousands of school-aged children for Ofsted and the schools they inspect to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem. The Government must take steps to ensure that all schools, including both mainstream and special schools, recognise the seriousness of the problem of sexual harassment in educational settings of female students and staff and have the funding they require to deliver safeguarding effectively.
2
Undertake further thematic review of safeguarding policies and investigate abuse against female staff. Recommendation · paragraph 17 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
Ofsted did not act quickly enough in undertaking its review in 2021, however we welcome it and their commitment to strengthen requirements for inspectors to assess how schools address sexual harassment and abuse. Should Ofsted inspectors find a lack of progress has been made in tackling peer-on-peer abuse in schools, Ofsted should not delay in undertaking a further thematic review of the adequacy of safeguarding policies in schools and colleges. As part of their inspections Ofsted should also investigate the level of abuse experienced by female staff, at the hands of pupils, parents and other staff.
3
Schools lack adequate time and funding for effective KCSiE guidance implementation. Conclusion · paragraph 18 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
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.
4
Undertake evaluation of KCSiE guidance implementation, impact, and barriers within six months. Recommendation · paragraph 19 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government should undertake an evaluation of how well schools are following the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and the impact that guidance is having in practice. The evaluation should include 33 scrutiny of any barriers preventing schools from implementing the guidance effectively. This evaluation should be completed within the next six months.
5
Require head teachers to address harmful mobile device use; improve DfE/Ofsted monitoring. Conclusion · paragraph 26 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Online Safety Bill is a landmark piece of legislation with the potential to significantly tackle violence against women and girls, in part through the regulation of online pornography. It presents an opportunity to address issues such as boys cyberflashing hardcore pornographic images at girls, the Airdropping of nude images and other forms of sexual harassment. However, those responsible for the safety of girls in educational settings should not wait for the Bill to become law to tackle this behaviour. Head teachers must do more to address the harmful use of mobile devices on school and college premises. Government guidance should make clear the harmful effect such technology can have and the Department for Education and Ofsted should improve their monitoring of its impact in educational settings and the effectiveness of school leaders in tackling this corrosive problem.
6
Extend compulsory Relationships, Sex and Health Education to post-16 educational settings. Recommendation · paragraph 33 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
A lack of compulsory RSHE for young people until they are 18 leaves young people making their first steps in the adult world under-supported and less equipped to navigate potentially harmful and dangerous situations and keep themselves safe and healthy in relationships. We recommend that compulsory RSHE is extended to young people in post-16 educational settings.
7
Conduct evidence-led RSHE review, engaging stakeholders, assessing curriculum gaps and needs. Recommendation · paragraph 37 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government’s review of RSHE must be evidence-led. The review team should engage with children, teachers, parents and specialist VAWG organisations to ensure that any developments in policy support effectively the Government’s commitment to tackling sexual harassment and violence in schools and colleges. The review should include an assessment of the reasons why some children are leaving school without having received the mandatory elements of the RSHE curriculum and whether that curriculum is meeting the needs of children.
8
Develop specific strategy to engage boys on sexual harassment in schools, laying before Parliament. Recommendation · paragraph 45 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
Engagement with boys and young men is crucial for tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence in educational settings. As part of the review of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), the Department for Education and the Government Equalities Office should work together to develop a specific strategy for engaging with boys and young men in primary and secondary schools on the topics of sexual harassment and gender-based violence. The Government should lay that strategy before 34 Parliament by the end of 2023 alongside the review. The strategy should include the guidance and follow-up support the Department for Education will provide to primary and secondary school leaders to enable them to: – design and deliver an RSHE curriculum that places a greater focus on boys and young men; – access learning materials covering gender norms and gender equality. As a signatory to the Istanbul Convention, the Government has an international obligation to provide such materials. The Government should work with experts in education, academia and preventing violence against women and girls to create an online repository of evidence-based material; – provide support for students who experience all types of harmful sexual behaviour to come forward without fear of invalidation; and a safe, non-judgmental space for students who are responsible for ‘low level’ behaviours to reflect on and talk about their behaviour; – train all teachers how to engage with boys and young men in conversations that challenge prevailing gender norms, ideas of masculinity, and attitudes towards women and girls. The Government should also work with initial teacher training providers to include gender sensitive training as part of their offer. All training should be evidence-based.
9
Ensure teachers receive adequate funding and time to deliver RSHE effectively. Recommendation · paragraph 49 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
Schools and teachers should have the knowledge and materials to raise awareness of what sexual harassment and sexual violence looks like, address inappropriate language and behaviour, and challenge stereotypical views of sex and masculinity. In too many cases, they lack the funding and time to deliver RSHE effectively. While it is encouraging that a significant proportion of teachers in training wish to be able to specialise in RSHE, the same concerns exist in that environment. The Government must take steps to ensure that teachers and teachers in training have the funding and time they require to learn how to deliver RSHE effectively.
10
Ensure OfS sexual harassment survey captures student experiences on and off university campus. Conclusion · paragraph 56 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
We welcome the Office for Student’s (OfS) commitment to a prevalence survey of sexual harassment and sexual abuse in the university sector. This would overcome the reluctance of some universities to do this work due to fears of reputational damage. The OfS should ensure that the survey captures students’ experiences of sexual harassment both on and off the university campus.
11
Improve university whistleblowing policies to end silence regarding sexual abuse and violence. Conclusion · paragraph 60 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
It is disgraceful that universities in England have used non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of sexual harassment and violence. Given the number of universities still to commit to banning the use of NDAs, we are pleased to see the Government endorse legislative proposals to prevent this abhorrent practice. Universities need to improve their whistleblowing policies to end the culture of silence regarding sexual abuse and violence in higher education institutions.
12
Develop nationwide sexual harassment and violence awareness campaign targeting male university students. Conclusion · paragraph 63 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Department for Education should develop a nationwide sexual harassment and sexual violence awareness campaign that particularly targets male university students.
13
Strengthen Office for Students' mandatory university requirements for tackling sexual harassment and violence. Recommendation · paragraph 70 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
The higher education sector has made progress in tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence, but that progress has been inconsistent and slow. The Office for Students (OfS) has committed to a new condition of registration which will place mandatory obligations on universities to tackle sexual harassment and sexual violence, which we endorse. The OfS should not miss the opportunity to strengthen its requirements of universities.
14
Require all universities to implement compulsory bystander intervention programmes for first-year students. Conclusion · paragraph 71 · addressed to Government Equalities Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Office for Students’ condition of registration should require all universities to put in place compulsory evidence-based bystander intervention programmes for all first-year students. The Office for Students should strengthen its statement of expectations to ensure that universities provide that training.