NEW GUIDANCE ON RSE, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW….
The DfE published revised statutory guidance—“Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education”—updated today, July 15, 2025, and scheduled to take effect on 1 September 2026 .
Key updates and implications
1. Tackling online harms—with a sharpened focus on misogyny
Reinforced focus on online safety, including:
Misogyny, “incel” culture, deepfakes, AI chatbots, pornography, online scams .
Secondary students will explore:
Spotting fake accounts
Understanding extremist narratives and online sexual ethics
Recognizing indecent images as crimes
These changes respond to alarming stats: 54 % of 11–19 year-olds reported hearing misogynistic comments at school, with 37 % expressing concerns about girls’ safety .
2. Lessons on digital literacy and AI
New guidance includes how data and AI chatbots shape online behavior, along with tools to spot and critically evaluate misinformation .
Schools—including Oak National Academy—are supporting this with free lesson materials from autumn 2025 .
3. Promoting sexual ethics & resisting harmful culture
The curriculum addresses “manosphere” myths, encouraging:
Awareness of incel culture
Promotion of positive male role models, not stigmatizing boys .
Emphasizes sexual consent, clarifying that harassment or violence are never victims’ fault .
4. LGBT+ representation & age appropriateness
LGBT+ subjects remain central—64 % of consultation respondents opposed limiting content .
Teaches Equality Act protected characteristics, same-sex families in primary, and integrated LGBT+ coverage in secondary.
No fixed age thresholds—for example, no mandatory “no content under age X”—but requires age-appropriate delivery decided by schools .
5. Mental health & safeguarding
Builds upon existing mental health provisions with additional support on self-harm, suicide awareness, and using mental health professionals in teaching ().
Reinforced duties for schools—policies must be legally compliant, publicly available, and regularly reviewed ().
Why this matters
In a world where young people face online misogyny, AI-driven manipulation, and evolving gender identities, this refreshed guidance equips schools to prepare students to navigate complex modern challenges.
Safety & resilience: Empowering students to spot deepfakes, incel rhetoric, and manipulative content.
Ethical understanding: Promoting consent, respect, and positive relationship role models.
Inclusivity: Fully inclusive and age-appropriate LGBT+ learning.
Transparency & trust: Strengthened engagement with parents fosters community confidence.