Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the review of relationships and sex education will seek to improve relationships education for children who have been adopted.

On 8 March 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced that the Department had brought forward the review of the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. The review will cover the full scope of the statutory guidance and will involve working closely with stakeholders and experts to draw on the best available evidence. The review aims to improve the statutory guidance, which will in turn improve relationships education for all pupils.

On 31 March 2023, the Department announced further details of the review, including setting up an independent panel of experts to advise on what can be done to ensure that what is taught is appropriate, including introducing age restrictions: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-of-relationships-sex-and-health-education-to-protect-children-to-conclude-by-end-of-year.

The Department will seek to gather evidence from a range of stakeholders over the coming months and will undertake a public consultation on the amended guidance in autumn 2023. The Department expects to publish the revised statutory guidance early in 2024. Families and representatives of adopted children will be able to contribute to the consultation process.

The Department is in the process of identifying the members of independent expert panel, which will inform the wider review of the RSHE statutory guidance. The Department expects the process to be completed shortly and will then make public more details of the panel and their work. The Department will seek to ensure that the views of a range of groups are represented in the review process, including adopted children and those who have experienced trauma.