Sexism and sexual harassment: behaviour policy consultation toolkit

You've got an idea of how to improve your response to sexism and sexual harassment through your behaviour policy, but you’ll want to consult with staff, pupils and parents to make sure you’ve got it right. See how to get the most out of discussions on this tricky topic.

Last reviewed on 6 March 2024
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 43076
Contents
  1. Review your policy before consulting on it
  2. Why consult on these changes? 
  3. Signpost to support before diving into discussions 
  4. How to consult with staff 
  5. How to consult with pupils 
  6. How to consult with parents
  7. Next step: decide when to review your new policy 

Review your policy before consulting on it

Before you begin, make sure you’ve read our guide to updating your behaviour policy to cover sexism and sexual harassment

It contains:

  • Strategies to weave into your policy so it explicitly addresses the issue and underpins a culture of respect
  • Example scenarios to help you review your response to different types of incidents 
  • A template to help you narrow down your proposed amendments alongside your current policy and present these to stakeholders during this consultation

Why consult on these changes? 

You’re not required to consult on changes to your behaviour policy, but you are required to publicise them to staff, pupils and parents annually. 

This is set out on page 9 of the DfE’s behaviour in schools guidance.

You can't shift your school's culture without buy-in from your school