New guidance to support teachers in tackling sensitive issues in the classroom in a politically impartial way has been published today, Thursday 17 February.
Teaching about political issues and the differing views on these is an essential part of the curriculum, helping pupils to form their own opinions and prepare them for later life.
The guidance is for all schools, including academies and independent schools.
The guidance aims to:
It does not include any new statutory requirements and is based on existing legal duties on political impartiality.
What you need to know about political impartiality in schools.
Information to help school leaders plan, develop and implement the new statutory curriculum.
The guidance is aimed at:
It gives some basic principles to help school leaders plan and prepare for the new statutory curriculum. Schools have the flexibility to design their own curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of pupils and the community, as well as the statutory requirements.
Schools are required to teach:
As well as guidance on creating policy for the new curriculum, the guidance covers areas such as how to deal with sensitive issues, identifying teachers' needs, ensuring content is appropriate and where to find resources.
Read the updated guidance here.