Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to require schools to educate Year 6 pupils on county lines.

Within the relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance, pupils in secondary education are taught about county lines and exploitation. This includes developing pupils’ understanding of how to determine whether other children, adults, or sources of information are trustworthy, and how to recognise when a relationship may be unsafe, both for themselves and for others.

Where relevant topics are taught, pupils are made aware of the legal provisions that protect children and young people. This includes laws relating to grooming or exploiting children into criminal activity, such as gang involvement and county lines drug running.

Schools have the flexibility to tailor their curriculum to meet local needs, introducing topics earlier in an age-appropriate way while drawing on high-quality, evidence-based resources.