Dr Adrian Hart read this question to Brighton & Hove City Council on July 20th 2023. The new Labour administration will rue the day it ever thought this answer (from leader Bella Sankey) was a good idea.
Cllr Sankey described the concerns of parents and campaigners like PSHEbrighton as “baseless smears” and asserted the that the schools third party provider practices, which Dr Hart made reference to, were in fact within the law and national guidance, policy and evidence. They’re not.
Dr Hart’s question had previously been rejected six weeks earlier by the Chairs of the Children, Schools & Families Committee. He hoped that Labour would want to do better than the Green administration on child protection – instead they double down.
Dr Hart says that the response of @BellaSankey to his questions were not only contemptuous of parents seeking reassurance but also – as you will soon find out – factually incorrect in terms of law, guidance and evidence. Huge error.
These are the seven laws/national standards/guidance (which the council must confirm it isn’t breaching) that I was referring to and sent to council leaders with Dr Hart’s question.
@BellaSankey ignored all but two in her reply (Equality/Human Rights Act): 1 to 7 as follows:
1. s.11 Children Act 2004
2. s.9 Education Act 1996
3. s.406/407 of the Education Act 1996.
4. The Public Sector Equality Duty (as set out in s.149 of the Equality Act 2010)
5/6 (Eq/Human Rights)
7. DfE guidance on political impartiality in schools (mentioned without evidence).