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Bristol Ideal Standards – Bristol Ideal

Domestic violence, Female genital mutilation, Forced marriage, Gender equality, LGBTQ, Local authority, Pornography, Primary age, Reports, Safeguarding, Secondary age, Sexual bullying and harassment, Sexual exploitation, Sexual violence, Sexualisation, Teenage relationship abuse, Trafficking

In simple terms, the Bristol Ideal is a list of standards for schools that will make a real impact on promoting healthy relationships and tackling domestic and sexual violence.

These standards are evidence based and help support schools to meet OFSTED and other local targets. Additionally, the project will have further reaching results than just domestic and sexual violence, but mental health and wellbeing, school engagement, sexual health and more.

Crucially, the standards are simple to achieve and the multi-agency team behind The Bristol Ideal will provide free support, resources and training to ensure schools are supported.

The Standards:

  • Relationships and Sex Education delivered by trained professionals – with at least one teacher holding specialist accreditation to teach PSHE
  • Formally timetabled, regular Relationships and Sex Education lessons for every year group. As part of this learning, children and young people will:
  • Understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships
  • Understand that healthy relationships are based on empathy, negotiation, respect for culture and diversity, human rights and equality and, as such, are given the skills and knowledge on these topics.
  • Know about all forms of domestic and sexual abuse and about coercive and controlling relationships
  • Understand gendered violence as a cause and consequence of inequality
  • Know where to go to report abuse
  • A whole-school approach to tackling domestic and sexual violence and abuse including having a school policy covering this
  • A named staff member with responsibility for addressing all forms of gendered violence and domestic and sexual violence such as domestic abuse, teen abuse, sexual harassment, forced marriage and female genital mutilation
  • Staff attend training to ensure they understand and respond effectively to all forms of domestic and sexual violence
  • Ensuring that information about support services are available for pupils and staff, and that there is access to specialist support services for children and young people
  • Participation in research to provide an evidence-base and monitoring for the Bristol Ideal

To meet the standards above, schools will need to decide to have PSHE and RSE on the curriculum and formally timetabled – a current requirement of Healthy Schools.

View Bristol Ideal Standards

Bristol Ideal, 2014