What teachers need to know
Secondary schools in England are now required to teach Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). Primary schools have the option to teach Sex Education. This means there are new statutory requirements for teachers; we help by providing teachers and schools with resources for delivering inclusive RSE.
When I have taught RSE in the past, several students opt out, or say they aren't allowed to do this sort of thing. That means they have to go somewhere else.”
Teacher, Sheffield
Secondary schools in England are now required to teach Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). Primary schools have the option to teach Sex Education. This presents challenges:
- Schools are required to communicate with parents about the RSE they plan to teach.
- Parents have the right to withdraw under-16 year old children from Sex Education.
- Relationships and sex can be difficult to talk about, especially for students from some cultural or religious backgrounds.
- Teachers in both primary and secondary schools have reported being less confident in engaging students of faith in RSE compared to the rest of the class.
We have designed these resources with busy teachers in mind. We recognise that for many teachers, RSE is not your primary subject, and it can be challenging to keep up with the changing curriculum. We have made these resources user-friendly, with teaching activities that can be adapted quickly.
Before designing these resources, we conducted research with teachers and schools, parents of faith, and young people in faith communities. You can read about this research, conducted by a team based at The University of Sheffield, educational consultancy Learn Sheffield and faith community organisation Faithstar.