{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1996/section-404",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1996/section-404.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1996/56",
  "legislation_title": "Education Act 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1996",
  "path": "section/404",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "404",
  "heading": "Sex education: statements of policy.",
  "text": "(1) The governing body of a maintained school shall—\n(a) make, and keep up to date, a separate written statement of their policy with regard to the provision of sex education, and\n(b) make copies of the statement available for inspection (at all reasonable times) by parents of registered pupils at the school and provide a copy of the statement free of charge to any such parent who asks for one.\n(1A) A statement under subsection (1) must include a statement of the effect of section 405.\n(1B) In subsection (1) the reference to sex education does not include sex education given as part of statutory relationships and sex education (and accordingly subsection (1) does not apply at all in relation to a school at which sex education is only given as part of statutory relationships and sex education).\n(2) In subsection (1) “maintained school” includes, in relation to pupils who are provided with secondary education, a community or foundation special school established in a hospital.\nIn this section—\n“maintained school” includes, in relation to pupils who are provided with secondary education, a community or foundation special school established in a hospital;\n“statutory relationships and sex education” means education required to be provided at a school in England under section 80(1)(d) of the Education Act 2002.\n(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 404(1A) inserted (1.11.2000 (E.), 1.9.2001 (W.)) by 2000 c. 21, ss. 148(6), 154 (with s. 150)); S.I. 2000/2559, art. 2(2), Sch. Pt. II; S.I. 2001/1274 art. 2(2) Sch. Pt. II"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 404(1B) inserted (E.) (1.9.2020) by The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/924), reg. 1(2), Sch. para. 3(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 404(2) substituted (E.) (1.9.2020) by The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/924), reg. 1(2), Sch. para. 3(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 404(2) substituted (1.9.1999) by 1998 c. 31, s. 140(1), Sch. 30 para. 103(a) (with ss. 138(9), 144(6)); S.I. 1999/2323, art. 2(1), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 404(3) repealed (1.10.1998) by 1998 c. 31, s. 140(1)(3), Sch. 30 para. 103(b), Sch. 31 (with ss. 138(9), 144(6)); S.I. 1998/2212, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 404 applied (with modifications) (E.) (1.9.2005) by The Education (Pupil Referral Units) (Application of Enactments) (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2039), reg. 1(1), Sch. 1 para. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 404 applied (W.) (23.4.2007) by The Education (Pupil Referral Units) (Application of Enactments) (Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1069), reg. 1(1), Sch. 1 para. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 404 applied (E.) (1.2.2008) by The Education (Pupil Referral Units) (Application of Enactments) (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2979), reg. 1(1), Sch. 1 para. 3"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/404",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:29:40.627017+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}