Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure LGBT+ students are protected from bullying and discrimination within the education system.

The government has sent a clear message that bullying should never be tolerated, and we are committed to supporting schools to tackle it. The department provides advice for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities. Published guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.

The department is providing over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those who are victims of hate-related bullying and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

We are also making sure that all children in England learn about respectful relationships, in-person and online, as part of new mandatory Relationships, Sex and Health Education.

The department has published ‘Respectful School Communities’, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole-school approach which promotes respect and discipline, available here: https://educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.

Further and Higher Education providers, have clear responsibilities, including under the Equality Act 2010, and should have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law, to investigate and swiftly address reports of harassment. Ofsted's inspection framework for further education providers looks at whether there is "an environment in which learners feel safe because staff and learners do not accept bullying, harassment or discrimination. Staff deal with any issues quickly, consistently, and effectively".

Following on from the publication of its Statement of Expectations on harassment and sexual misconduct in April 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Higher and Further Education, wrote to the Office for Students to ask that as part of their next steps, they consider options for connecting the statement into conditions of registration. This would mean that providers could be fined failing to take their duties seriously.