Head teachers revolt over ‘irresponsible’ age limits on sex education

Schools need flexibility to ignore age limits on sex education to counter myths or questionable content on social media, head teachers have said.

Gender guidance due to be published on Thursday by the government says that schools must not teach children that they can change their gender identity, and should avoid “explicit” conversations about sex until they reach the age of 13. If asked, they should teach “biological” facts about sex.

The guidance will also impose age limits on sex education for the first time, to address concerns that children are being exposed to sensitive material before they are ready. It will state that children should not be given any form of sex education in primary school until Year 5, when aged nine and over.

Head teachers’ leaders said they had not been consulted about the new relationships and sex education guidance. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said on Wednesday: “We do not think the government has handled the important matter of the teaching of sex education with the care it deserves. It has not consulted with school leaders and we have not seen the guidance.

“Schools are already following government guidance on the teaching of relationships and sex education — the new guidance is a revised version of this. The gist of the new guidance is apparently the setting of age limits on what children can be taught. There does need to be some flexibility for school leaders to respond to the circumstances in their context.

“For example, there is often damaging misinformation circulating on social media which they may need to address in order to safeguard the wellbeing of their pupils.”

One education leader said the age of 13 was too late to teach about pornography. Steve Chalke, the founder of Oasis Community Learning, which runs more than 50 schools, suggested children risked being left ignorant and confused. He told Times Radio: “The way that relationships and sex are taught in schools is really mature and well thought through.

“When it comes to the issue of transition and social transition, teachers are very wise about that already. Schools are a safe haven. They do not teach ideologies.”

He said he thought lessons about pornography at the age of 13 were “too late” as children were likely to have seen such images before then.

• I’m watching what the kids are watching: porn. It’s disturbing

Teachers should decide when best to teach about it, he said, adding: “Let’s not over police them. And let’s have an evidence base around this discussion rather than some wild ideas thrown in from the back benches of the Commons.”

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said it was irresponsible to shut down discussions until the teenage years, adding: “Schools need clear and constructive support about how to respond to the issues children and young people face, read about online and chat about in the playground. Primary-aged children pick up information online and need the opportunity to discuss puberty and relationships and their bodies with trusted adults.

“Issues such as domestic violence can affect children from a young age and it is irresponsible to shut this conversation out until teenage years.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at the National Association of Head Teachers, whose membership is predominantly primary heads, said: “Some of the topics covered are particularly sensitive and need considered and measured debate.

“The government must provide evidence which unequivocally shows that such age limits will improve the support, protection and safeguarding of children and young people. We have serious concerns about how potential ‘limits’ would work in practice.”

Nick Hewlett, head of St Dunstan’s College in south London, said there was an “apparent disconnect” between the guidance and a report published last year by the children’s commissioner which said 27 per cent of children had seen pornography by the age of 11, adding: “Surely we have a duty of care to facilitate age-appropriate discussion with children about this risk, and how to navigate it, from that age or before it.”

The guidance says that age limits are necessary because, even if issues were handled in a well-meaning way, they could inadvertently give the message to children that they should be exploring adult activities.

It tells schools they should follow age limits at all times but acknowledges that flexibility may occasionally be needed if pupils are circulating inappropriate material.

Schools must clearly tell children that people cannot legally reassign their gender until 18. The guidance says schools should not use any materials that suggest gender is a spectrum and should avoid cartoons or diagrams that oversimplify issues or could be seen as being aimed at younger children.

Some materials provided by external companies include the “Genderbread Person”, which claims gender is not binary and depends on a mixture of gender identity, gender expression, biological sex, sexual attraction and romantic attraction. Schools are told to ensure primary pupils learn about boundaries, privacy and to recognise physical and sexual abuse but without being taught about the detail of sexual acts.

Information for children in Year 5 should be limited to the basic facts of conception and birth, with what they need to know to stay safe, including “appropriate boundaries” and how to report concerns. Explicit discussions of sexual acts should not take place until Year 9, when children are aged 13 and over. This includes conversations about contraception, sexually transmitted infections and abortion.

Domestic violence, coercive control and sexual violence should also not be discussed until children are 13. Detailed conversations about pornography and how it can lead to children having a “distorted” view of themselves should be delayed until Year 9.

Children in Year 7 — those aged 11 who are starting secondary school — will be taught that sending naked or images of someone under the age of 18 is a potential criminal offence. The ­guidance will state that they can be taught about sexual harassment, ­revenge porn, grooming, stalking and forced marriage from the same age. Parents will retain the right to withdraw pupils from sex education unless there are “exceptional” circumstances.

The move represents the first overhaul of relationships, sex education and health guidance in nearly five years, ­including an explicit ban on teaching children about gender identity. Rishi Sunak has become concerned that ­gender identity is being “embedded” within schools as an uncontested fact.