Access the consultation documents here.
The intention is to bring in the changes from 1st September.
In view of the shortness of time, schools would be well-advised to familiarise themselves with the draft new Standards, attached to the Consultation. The most significant changes are to Standard 2 (SMSC) and are aimed at addressing extremism. The proposal is that schools be required to promote principles which “encourage pupils to respect fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs” and ensure that political issues are presented in a balanced way.
Additionally, there are provisions clarifying that information can be provided in electronic format, clarifying the circumstances under which schools need to supply information to local authorities and paving the way for early years exemption (see more below).
Please feed into the sector consultation response through your association or via legal@isc.co.uk and/or copy any direct responses to legal@isc.co.uk so that we can ensure the sector response reflects the views of members.
