More than two-fifths of parents rely on advice from schools when discussing sexual relationships with their children, a new poll has found. 

In a survey of more than 2,000 parents of secondary school-aged students from Impero, three-quarters of parents had spoken to their children about sexual relationships, and of these, 44 per cent of parents reported that they relied on advice from schools to do so.

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The survey also found that:

• More than a quarter of parents (26 per cent) don’t think children need to be taught about consent in relation to sex and relationships until aged 15.
• Almost a third (29 per cent) feel that 11 or older is the correct age to learn about LGBTQI+ relationships.
• Overall, just under a tenth (9 per cent) said they will not let their child take part in sex and relationships education in schools. This nearly doubled when only considering parents of non-binary children (17 per cent).

Justin Reilly, a former teacher and chief executive of Impero, said: “Speaking as a former teacher myself, the best thing that parents can do to support teachers is communicate with their children about these sensitive issues.

“Of course, teachers do everything they can to tackle these issues already, but that constant support from parents is crucial. Parents look to teachers when it comes to discussing sexual relationships, so the new RSE curriculum will be welcome news.

“Hopefully, teachers and parents will collaborate and share the best resources, as safeguarding issues are ultimately a team effort.”

New guidance on RSE teaching was introduced from September 2020. The guidance says that failing to teach pupils about LGBT+ relationships will result in schools being marked being down in Ofsted inspection judgements.

It also called on schools to teach pupils about “cancel culture” and that “no platforming” is “harmful”.