Inspectors will visit schools later this month and early October as part of a Welsh Government review of peer-on-peer sexual harassment in education settings.
The review, ordered by Education Minister Jeremy Miles, comes after reports of sexual abuse and harassment were made at almost 3,000 schools in the UK - including 91 schools in Wales, in testimonies online.
Everyone’s Invited, an online forum for survivors of sexual abuse, added it feared some students have been “silenced” by their schools and headteachers.
The schools were named by former pupils who posted testimony about the abuse they suffered on a website called Everyone’s Invited that is collating the experiences of the victims of what it calls “rape culture”.
Read more: Sexual harassment is becoming 'normalised' for schoolchildren
Under the Welsh Government review Estyn inspectors will look at the incidence of peer-on-peer sexual harassment and how schools’ safeguarding culture “encourages and empowers” pupils to stand up to their peers and report all forms of sexual harassment.
A report of their findings will be published in December.
Everyone’s Invited said in June that it had received a total of 16,554 anonymous testimonies from survivors of abuse in educational institutions.
In a statement, the group added: “The schools we should be worrying about are the schools not mentioned on Everyone’s Invited.”
The Welsh Government said its review visits will be made to a representative sample of secondary and independent boarding schools across Wales. These schools will not be named in the report. Inspectors will meet with headteachers, senior leaders, teachers, support staff and pupil focus groups and ask pupils to complete a short questionnaire.
Interviews with agencies that work with children and young people and support schools will also be carried out.
There will also be “a comprehensive review of research, guidance, toolkits available to support victims, perpetrators and school staff."
Inspectors from Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) will also contribute to visits to independent schools with boarding provision.
The Education Minister asked Estyn to review “the culture and processes at maintained and independent secondary schools to protect and support young people” in June shortly after the testimonies across the UK came to light.
Announcing the visits the Minister said: “Any form of sexual harassment is completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated. It remains a priority across the Welsh Government that every child and young person is supported, and that they feel able to report any concerns they may have.
“Estyn inspectors will visit schools during the autumn term, and we will await the conclusions outlined in their review.”
He added: “The outcome of the review will guide our work as we look to do more to keep children and young people safe – including the statutory addition of Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) to the new Curriculum for Wales, from 2022.”
The review will consider:
- The incidence of peer-on-peer sexual harassment in schools in Wales
- How schools’ safeguarding cultures encourage and empower pupils to stand up to their peers and report all forms of sexual harassment
- Existing guidance and support for schools and other relevant agencies who work directly with children and young people
- Effective practice seen by inspectors during visits to help schools as they prepare for the new curriculum - especially for relationships and sexuality education (RSE).
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