Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to amend safeguarding guidance for schools better to protect girls from sexual assault.

In its response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s inquiry into sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools, the Government committed to consider how the Committee’s recommendations could be incorporated into Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE). This is the Department for Education’s statutory guidance which schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We want to make sure that any new or revised guidance is fit for purpose and provides schools with the information they require. We will consult fully on any planned changes to the guidance.

KCSIE was last updated in September 2016 and includes guidance for schools on dealing with peer on peer abuse. This includes the following requirements.

• All schools should have a child protection policy.
• The policy should set out procedures which minimise the risk of peer on peer abuse and set out how allegations will be dealt with.
• The policy should address the different forms of peer on peer abuse, including different gender issues.
• The policy should also set out how victims of peer on peer abuse will be supported.
• The guidance is clear that abuse is abuse, whatever form it takes, and should never be passed off as mere banter or part of growing up.

As well as addressing peer on peer abuse, KCSIE also contains guidance for schools on dealing with allegations of abuse made against staff.

KCSIE is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.