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Protected characteristics and separation by sex on school inspections

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Document information
ByOfstedamber_delta_f33d84

Guidance for inspectors on inspecting separation by sex in schools and the teaching of protected characteristics and relationships and sex education (RSE).

Adapted edition

Education governance
Document type
Reference Guide
Format
DOCX
Pages
10
Language
English
Version
1.0
Updated
2026-09-17
Category
Governance & assurance
Licence
Open Government Licence v3.0
Description

Guidance for inspectors on inspecting separation by sex in schools and the teaching of protected characteristics and relationships and sex education (RSE). Consult the original guidance for current legal and operational details.

Contents
  • Inspecting relationships and sex education and health education (RSHE) and teaching of protected characteristics
  • Separation by sex in mixed schools
  • Policy position
  • Impact on inspection grades
  • Impact on leadership and governance grade
  • Considering advice from other bodies
  • Genuine and imminent plans to remedy discrimination
  • Independent school standards
  • Impact on personal development and well-being grade
  • The inspection process when inspectors believe unlawful discrimination is occurring
  • Before inspection
  • During inspection: 5-step approach
  • Step 1: is there evidence of differences in the way the school treats girls and boys?
  • Step 2: is there evidence that the differences amount to less favourable treatment of, or a detriment to, girls, boys or both?
  • Extent of separation
  • Separation by sex in lessons only
Source and licence
Protected characteristics and separation by sex on school inspections

Ofsted

Original source OGL-UK-3.0

AttributionOfsted, ‘Protected characteristics and separation by sex on school inspections’ (updated 5 November 2025), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

ChangesNeutral text-only adaptation from the official GOV.UK Content API body: headings, paragraphs, ordered and unordered list items and clickable source-link destinations in an appendix preserved. Images, logos, page design, accessible-format request widgets and linked attachments excluded; normalised whitespace, invisible format marks and typography.

Version history
  • v1.017/09/2026
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