LGBTQ+ sex education will be compulsory in secondary schools from this month.

All secondary schools are now required to teach pupils about sexual orientation and gender identity, and it is also compulsory for primary schools to teach about different families, which can include LGBT families. 

Nicola Longworth-Cook, founder of Worcester’s LGBT+ charity Out2gether, said: “We welcome the new requirements. This is something that is long overdue in our opinion.

“I’m sure it’s a mixed picture and some schools in the area are good at supporting their LGBT+ pupils.

"However in the recent ‘Healthwatch Worcestershire Report on the Experiences of LGBT+ People Accessing Health and Care Services’ it was found that, 81% of the young people who responded to our survey told us they had experienced negative attitudes from others relating to sexuality or gender identity.

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“Many felt they were not able to talk about this with staff at school, health professionals and in some cases their families.

“Making inclusivity part of the school environment needs to be a priority. Outside of school there also needs to be an increase in the provision for LGBT+ youth groups.”

In 1988 a law which banned "the promotion of homosexuality" came into force - section 28. However, this September LGBT-inclusive relationships and sex education (RSE) will become a legal requirement in every secondary schoolchild's education in English schools.

LGBT charity Stonewall said with the new changes, "it’s almost like [section 28] has been flipped on its head."

The Department for Education says it wants the new guidance to "support all young people to be happy, health and safe.”

One of the most significant changes to the curriculum is the inclusion of LGBT relationship teaching - a move that faced backlash at a primary school in Birmingham after it was introduced there.

The Department of Education said there have been "common misconceptions" about the RSE curriculum. It said: "Pupils should be taught about the society in which they are growing up."

Adding: "Pupils should receive teaching on LGBT content during their school years.

"Teaching children about the society that we live in and the different types of loving, healthy relationships that exist can be done in a way that respects everyone.”

For older pupils, the department says secondary schools "should cover LGBT content" as relationship and sex education "should meet the needs of all pupils".

The guidance applies to all schools in England, including independent schools and faith schools.