New RSHE guidance: what schools and colleges need to know

The Department for Education has published updated statutory guidance on Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE). It comes into force on 1 September 2026 but schools can, if they wish, follow it from September this year. 

Background

All state-funded secondary schools have been required to teach RSHE since 2020. In 2023, the previous government brought forward the first review of the curriculum following reports of pupils being taught inappropriate content in some schools. It sought to introduce prescribed age limits on when schools can teach certain subjects which would have left little discretion for schools to decide when to take these. 

The new government has taken a slightly different approach. Fixed age limits have gone but the curriculum has been expanded to cover new topics.

The problem

The DfE has made changes to the guidance to help schools and colleges tackle the growing online risks that children are facing today. It's particularly concerned about pupils' misogynistic attitudes and unhealthy views about relationships. 

New research shows just how widespread exposure to misogyny or harmful online content has become. When asked about just the past week, over a third of pupils aged 11-19 had heard comments that made them worry about girls' safety, and more than half witnessed comments they would describe as misogynistic. 

Research also found that over one in five girls aged seven to 10 had seen inappropriate images online, with the average age for exposure to pornography being 13.  

The guidance aims to help teachers navigate these problems and support children to develop positive attitudes.

Guiding principles

The guidance introduces seven core principles for developing a school curriculum on RSHE. These are: 

• Engagement with pupils. An inclusive and well-sequenced RSHE curriculum should be informed by meaningful engagement with pupils to ensure that the curriculum is relevant and engaging. 
• Engagement and transparency with parents. Schools should engage with parents on the content of RSHE and be transparent about all materials used. All materials should be available to parents and they have a right to request that their children are withdrawn from sex education. Schools should ensure parents are aware of sex education content within lessons in advance. 
• Positivity. Schools should focus on building positive attitudes and skills, promoting healthy norms about relationships, including sexual relationships where relevant, and about health, including mental health. Schools should avoid language which might normalise harmful behaviour among young people – for example gendered language which might normalise male violence or stigmatise boys. 
• Careful sequencing. Schools should cover all statutory topics, recognising that young people can start developing healthy behaviour and relationship skills as soon as they start school. Schools should sequence teaching so that pupils are supported and equipped with the knowledge to navigate different experiences in a positive way before they occur, and to prevent harms. 
• Relevant and responsive. Schools should develop the curriculum to be relevant, age and stage appropriate and accessible to pupils in their area, where appropriate working with local partners and other bodies to understand specific local issues and ensure needs are met. 
• Skilled delivery of participative education. The curriculum should be delivered by school staff or, where schools choose to use them, external providers who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to create a safe and supportive environment and to facilitate participative and interactive education which aims to support and not to alarm pupils. Staff should be trained in safeguarding and offering support, recognising the increased possibility of disclosures. 
• Whole school approach. The curriculum is best delivered as part of a whole school approach to wellbeing and positive relationships, supported by other school policies, including behaviour and safeguarding policies.

Online safety and technology

Many of the updates relate to addressing online risks particularly in respect of the influence of online misogyny, deepfake pornography, and toxic narratives around gender and consent. Secondary schools will be expected to teach pupils about incel culture, the impact of online content on sexual ethics, and the links between pornography and misogyny. Teaching must also cover the fact that using AI to generate sexual imagery is a crime.

There’s also a new emphasis on helping boys identify positive male role models and challenge harmful stereotypes - without stigmatising them. This reflects a broader ambition to equip all children with the tools to build respectful, healthy relationships from an early age.

Teaching pupils about the law 

There is also specific guidance on teaching about the law, including the legal age of consent, coercive control, and the rights of individuals in relationships. Schools are expected to ensure pupils understand the legal framework surrounding relationships and sexual behaviour and to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

Pupils should learn about all protected characteristics by the end of their secondary education. Schools should ensure that they cover all the facts about sexual health, including STIs, in a way that is relevant for all pupils, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or gender questioning.

Pupils should also be taught the facts and the law about biological sex and gender reassignment. This should recognise that people have legal rights by virtue of their biological sex which are different from the rights of those of the opposite sex with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. Pupils should also be taught to recognise that people with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, as with the other protected characteristics, have protection from discrimination and should be treated with respect and dignity.

Schools are told to be ‘mindful’ of the significant debate about the issues of gender identity and biological sex and ‘should be careful not to endorse any particular view’. For example, ‘they should not teach as fact that all people have a gender identity’. Schools should also ‘be mindful to avoid any suggestion that social transition is a simple solution to feelings of distress or discomfort’.  

In terms of external resources, schools shouldn't use materials that use cartoons or diagrams that oversimplify the topic. 

New subjects to be covered

The government has added the following subjects to the curriculum, and provides advice about how to teach these: 

• Suicide prevention 
• Sexual harassment and sexual violence, including fixated and obsessive behaviours such as stalking 
• Loneliness 
• The prevalence of 'deepfakes’ 
• Healthy behaviours during pregnancy, as well as miscarriage 
• Illegal online behaviours including drug and knife supply 
• The dangers of vaping  
• Menstrual and gynaecological health including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and heavy menstrual bleeding. 

What does this mean for schools?

This is not just a curriculum update—it’s a cultural shift. Once the guidance is in force, schools must follow it unless there are exceptional reasons not to. Schools that depart from it will need good evidence to substantiate their approach.

To prepare shools will need to:

• Review their RSHE policies and ensure they reflect the new statutory requirements.
• Update teaching materials and resources to include the new content.
• Provide staff with training to deliver sensitive topics confidently and appropriately.
• Engage governors and trustees in overseeing implementation and ensuring accountability; and 
• Consult with parents about changes to the curriculum.

Our newsletters

We publish monthly employment and education newsletters. If you'd like to be added to the mailing list, please let me know.