Mrs C Clarke                                             17 February 2023  

Headteacher

QE2 High School

Douglas Road

Peel

Isle of Man

IM5 1RD

 

 

Dear Mrs Clarke

Re: Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Curriculum Year 7/8

We write to complain about the PSHE sex education element of this curriculum that has been taught at QE2 recently to Key Stage 3.

There are a number of different issues and significant serious issues we wish to see addressed and responded to without further delay.  

Given the number of parents/carers who are supporting this complaint, we would request you respond directly to Anna Griffin Or Matthew Cheetham who will share your written response with the undersigned people.

We appreciate sex education and its broader themes is an emotive subject. We also recognise there is published benefit of early education (for children, young people and parents/carers) for those who are not yet sexually active to provide a sound basis from which sensible choices can be made in the future when they become sexually active.  We are aware sex education from a science perspective is introduced safely in late Key Stage 2. That said, we consider there has been a complete failure of safeguards, training, curriculum assessment and consideration of the Isle of Man education policy in respect of the delivery of PSHE at your school.

What we find wholly unacceptable and consider unsafe and placing children at risk of harm is the graphic, disproportionate, indecent presentation of sexual acts, materials and different gender identities (including graphic detail of transgender operations) within Key Stage 3.  

This is the summary of complaint.

In any other aspect of life, had children been exposed to the dialogue, explanations and graphic details relating to specific sexual acts and gender changing operations, this would be in our opinion be defined as for this age group as indecent, with significant consequences for those involved.

To assist in your response and direct action as a result of this complaint, we have set out the different issues that are related to this complaint and invite your specific comment to each point below please:

          1. Safeguarding Risk – suspension of curriculum

The Isle of Man recognises through its own government guidance the following:

“Everybody in the Isle of Man community has a role to play; safeguarding is everybody’s business. All members of the community can actively contribute to ensure children, young people and vulnerable adults are kept safe.

Parents have a critical role in this process. Success in enabling self-resilience will reduce the need for additional services beyond the universal. For a minority however, we need to take action to safeguard and protect. For children who need additional help, every day matters. Academic research is consistent in underlining the damage to children from delaying intervention. “

We are extremely concerned a safeguarding risk now exists for all children who have been exposed to the PSHE sex education material delivered in your school.  While direct evidence of harm, may or may not be widely known or reported – the risk exists.  This is enough for an immediate suspension  of the curriculum.

Whilst we are not experts in safeguarding, it seems reasonable for you to ensure as a minimum the following mitigation is put in place with immediate effect:

          A. Immediate support

Children need ongoing support to navigate the impact graphic images and confusing messages about gender they have been exposed too.  Dedicated safe professional spaces should be provided to enable both parent and child can access as a result of the risk that QE2 school has created within this cohort of children.

           B. Red Flags – Duty of Care

The school should seek professional support to ensure teachers and parents are aware of the “red flags” of behaviours that may result or indicate a child has been or is at harm as a result of this curriculum. This maybe withdrawal, bullying, confusion about gender, engaging of inappropriate behaviour or language.  

          C. Parent/Carer – education support and duty of care – lack of awareness, engagement and partnership/communication

We consider the QE2 school has failed significantly in meeting the expectations and trust expected between children, parents/carers and teachers.  The complete lack of communication, content and learning required by parents/carers to support their children during this curriculum has only added to the risk of harm to the children. This is out with normal policy and best practice in communicating with parents/carer givers.  Had the curriculum been shared with parents, in advance, the pathway to remove a child from the class, would have been a collective decision available to child/parent/carer with consent, which we would assume would have been processed in a supportive and respectful manner by school.

This has resulted in a breakdown of trust between parents/carers in creating a safe, secure learning environment for our children.

There should be complete written disclosure of the material shared, teaching methods and failings of the school to all parents/carers, along with an explanation for failing to communicate this curriculum was being taught to the children. This may start to rebuild the trust between the school and parents/carers, whilst also providing education of the material to the same so they can support their children as necessary whilst at home, after the horse has bolted nevertheless.

          D. Safeguarding Reporting

This safeguarding risk should also be notified to the Department of Education, Sports and Culture in accordance with the QE2 and DESC internal policies (the content of which is unknown, but such a significant risk must be alerted to DESC, who we assume would have an interest on the possible risk for other children in other schools on the Island).

This risk should also be reported to the Chairperson of the Isle of Man Safeguarding Board as an independent body.

What is the process you are following in respect of reporting this safeguarding risk?

          2. Alleged unsafe teaching behaviour

We seek an immediate investigation into the alleged actions of teachers delivering the age inappropriate material to children.  

We consider the alleged actions of – showing graphic images of sex change operations on a mobile phone to invoke school child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures.

We consider the attendance of a ‘drag queen’ in class and alienating students clearly confused about information discussed during this session wholly inappropriate.  How, who and why was this guest speaker permitted to discuss gender issues to an inappropriate child audience, by an inexperienced and untrained adult.  

A specific investigation and disclosure of the same is required into these circumstances.

(1) Use of mobile phone to show inappropriate content; 
(2) Apparent lack of training for teachers permitted to deliver in appropriate content to an age-inappropriate cohort of children
(3) Attendance at school of inappropriately trained and controlled information being shared with the children ( i.e. wide variety of genders) in an unsafe, unsupported manner.

          3. PSHE Curriculum

         A. Professional evaluation of suitability of teaching methods, material

We seek an explanation as to how this curriculum was permitted to be taught, the decision making, academic, scientific and safeguard risk assessment of the material deemed acceptable for this age group.

We call for an Island wide approach to the assessment of suitability of the PSHE curriculum to be taught in island schools.  Whilst we understand the current education system provides for autonomy in some aspects of school life e.g. day structure, uniform etc.  We do not believe this curriculum should be devolved to the individual school to assess and implement without specific technical and scientific and safeguarding evaluation with necessary teacher training and support in place for children and their parents/carers.  We consider this is a DESC and a national policy issue.

We seek your views on the policy autonomy of the school and request this complaint and your response is raised by you to the Chief Executive Officer and Minister of DESC for their immediate review.

We look forward to receiving your timely, detailed and full response to the points we have raised, thank you.

Signed from Concerned Parents/Care Givers from Peel, Marown, Middle Districts of Isle of Man.CC. Governor of QE2