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

This is the government's response, published 17 November 2023.

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