Almost half of teachers feel there is insufficient official guidance for schools on how to deal with allegations of sexual harassment and violence, according to a Tes survey.

The results follow the outpouring of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse in schools unearthed by the website Everyone’s Invited.

The findings also come after school staff have revealed “concerning” levels of sexual harassment and misconduct in both secondary and primary schools in separate Tes survey findings.

The survey asked: “Do you feel that there is sufficient official guidance for schools on how to deal with allegations of sexual harassment and violence?”

Nearly half of the 2,093 teachers surveyed (49 per cent) said “no”. Just over a quarter (27 per cent) responded “yes”, and 24 per cent said they didn’t know.

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Some teachers said they would welcome help in addressing peer-on-peer abuse. One secondary teacher said there was “very little training about peer-to-peer sexual abuse, even though it is a common form of child abuse”.

Fears over sexual harassment in schools

Another said: “More realistic guidance needed on how to achieve uninterrupted education alongside keeping alleged victims and perpetrators separate.”

Others wanted guidance on tackling deep-rooted attitudes towards women. One said: “I have never received any training or acknowledgement to the issue of misogyny and sexual abuse in schools.”

Rosamund McNeil, assistant general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said the figures highlight a “confidence gap” among teachers.

’‘These issues are really complex and so training is important because teachers can have a varying understanding of what thresholds require what responses,” she said. “We’ve got to create more time for staff to talk about the sexist attitudes and behaviours they’re hearing and seeing among students, and to plan whole-school responses. 

“These new figures reveal a confidence gap in how to respond to incidents of sexual harassment and so more is needed to support schools.”

And Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, told Tes that some members are reporting that schools are not taking the issue seriously enough. “Our members are telling us that in too many schools instances of sexual harassment are being swept under the carpet or dismissed as ‘banter’ or ‘teenage hormones’,” he said.

“Schools have an important role to play in educating young people about respect, appropriate boundaries and in challenging all forms of harassment and discrimination. 

“A failure by some schools to take seriously the issue of pupil-on-pupil sexual harassment undermines the right of children and young people to feel safe at school, prevents them from focusing on their learning and sends a dangerous message to pupils that harassment and abuse is to be tolerated or even expected.

“Schools need greater advice and support in tackling incidents of sexual harassment and on educating pupils so that such abuse can be eradicated.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL school leaders’ union, said: “Strong safeguarding policies and practices are absolutely at the heart of what schools and colleges do, and there is a huge focus on this in all education settings.”

“Specific Department for Education guidance has been drawn up and circulated in recent years” on approaches to addressing and preventing sexual harassment and sexual violence between children, he said.

But the survey showed that “this has either not fully filtered through to all staff, or does not sufficiently address the issues they are facing.”

Ofsted is carrying out a review of safeguarding practices in schools with the aim of presenting “a picture of good and poor practice across the country”.

A DfE spokesperson said: “It is vital that any allegations are dealt with properly, and we are determined to make sure the right resources and processes are in place across the education system to support victims of any form of abuse.

“The important work Ofsted is doing will look carefully at the safeguarding measures schools and colleges have in place, as well as assessing whether extra support is needed for teaching about sex and relationships.

“Crucially, Ofsted will work with representatives from social care, police, victim support groups, education leaders and the Independent Schools Council to ensure a wide range of expertise inform their work.”