The education secretary has said parents will not have a "veto" on relationships and sex education in schools.

Writing to the general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), Damian Hinds said he has "found the reports of teachers feeling intimated very concerning" during the ongoing row over lessons about LGBT relationships that have prompted protests outside schools in Birmingham.

Andrew Moffat, an assistant headteacher at Parkfield Community School in Birmingham, wrote the No Outsiders programme that teaches children about equality and diversity.

He told Sky News he had received a death threat and had been given advice from the police about travelling to and from work.

Parents at Parkfield, where more than 98% of pupils are Muslim, object to their children being told it is okay to be gay.


Image: Parkfield School in Birmingham

Campaigner Amir Ahmed told Sky News: "This is converting children with a heterosexual background towards believing that homosexuality is fine.

"That's socially divisive because it's changing the moral position of family values."

Protests have spread to other schools in the city, including Anderton Park Primary School, where headteacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson had urged the education secretary to come to Birmingham and see what is going on.

In his letter, Mr Hinds said: "I recognise that the issues we have seen in Birmingham in recent weeks are ones that people feel very strongly about, and building consensus is not always easy."

He said he believes in school autonomy and it is up to teachers to decide what is appropriate.

Image: Damian Hinds has written to support LGBT lessons

Mr Hinds wrote: "We have been clear that pupils should receive teaching on LGBT relationships during their school years - we expect secondary schools to include LGBT content.

"Primary schools are enabled and encouraged to cover LGBT content if they consider it appropriate to do so."

From September 2020, all schools in England will be required to teach relationships and sex education (RSE) and Mr Hinds said schools "might want to start consulting" with parents.

But he added: "I want to reassure you and the members you represent that consultation does not provide a parental veto on curriculum content."

'We are far from homophobic'

Mr Moffat told Sky News that his lessons are about teaching children it is okay to be who they are.

He said: "I would say that I am very clearly following British law. The equality act is very clear that you can have different race, religion, disability and sexual orientation. We can't pick and choose bits of the equality act that we are comfortable with."

Responding to the letter from Mr Hinds, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, wrote: "We are pleased to see the secretary of state making his views known and reaffirming the expectations that the Equality Act places on schools. It is important for the secretary of state to show leadership and provide clarity.

"There is clearly more to be done in Birmingham and in other areas where protests and disagreements have happened. We are encouraged by this letter that the secretary of state has taken a direct interest in bringing the protests to an end and restoring a calm teaching environment for all pupils and staff as quickly as possible."