New RSHE guidance - one year for implementation

The new content positions RSHE as key to the prevention of violence against women and girls, and this includes a focus on building relationship skills from the start of primary.

• Updated content on staying safe online to cover the risks around exposure to pornography and misogynistic influencers, and a range of other related risks that young people face.
• New content on teaching about suicide prevention, making it clear that schools should have a plan for addressing it safely with secondary school pupils, including ensuring that staff have the knowledge and skills to do this safely before addressing suicide prevention directly with pupils. 
• The section on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender content has been updated to be clear that primary schools are encouraged to include same sex parents when talking about different types of families.
• It is also clear upfront about the difference in rights based on sex and gender reassignment, to reflect the Supreme Court ruling on the interpretation of the Equality Act in the For Women Scotland case. It acknowledges that beyond the facts and the law about biological sex and gender reassignment, there is significant debate, and schools should be careful not to endorse any particular view or teach it as fact. See our article on the impact of the judgment here.
• The guidance is also clear about the need to avoid language and activities which repeat or enforce gender stereotypes, which is in line with the conclusions of the Cass Review (2024).

We will soon publish a detailed analysis on the new RSHE guidance. Please join us for our free Back to school webinar covering all new statutory guidance and how this affects schools. 

For more information or advice, please contact Victoria Guest in our Academies and Maintained Schools team.