Education - delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood: draft statutory guidance - consultation report

Section 3: Conclusion and next steps

This is first time the statutory RSHP guidance has been subject to public consultation.

While the basis of the revised guidance is to provide teachers with the necessary support to deliver relevant, engaging and meaningful RSHP education, it is important parents and carers are aware of and have the opportunity to offer their thoughts and suggestions on the revised guidance.

The same is true for the young people engagement consultation, as the comments and suggestions come from those who are the beneficiaries of RSHP education from their teachers.

The responses indicated a range of differing perspectives about the role and value of RSHP education. The findings of this analysis will be used to inform revisions to the draft guidance. Work to amend the revised guidance will be taken forward by the Core Review Group who supported development of the draft that was subject to public consultation over the course of 2025.

The Cabinet Secretary has already committed^[6] to addressing concerns raised around changes to or deletion of text on faith/denominational schools to allow them to continue to teach RSHP education within their faith by reinstating agreed text relating to the provisions for non‑denominational schools.

Taking account of the themes raised within the online consultation and the young people engagement exercise, the following areas have been identified as in need of further development/clarification:

Status of guidance: clarify the status of the guidance as mandatory or advisory.

Age appropriateness: provide further clarity and guidance around the use of professional judgement to determine age and stage appropriateness.

Faith and belief: clarity on how to manage conflicting beliefs within discussions, including religious beliefs of teaching staff.

Technicality of language: simplifying language where appropriate, and providing clearer definitions for terms used within the guidance such as ‘sound values’.

Communication with parents and carers: clarify expectations of when and how to engage with parents and carers on RSHP curriculum and approach, and processes and procedures for disclosure of confidential information.

Option of withdrawal: clarify extent of RSHP education withdrawal, considerations relating to parental and young person’s options, and provision of alternative educational provision.

Third Party Organisations: clarify the rights of schools and local authorities to make decisions about how best to implement the guidance within their local context and how to engage with parents and carers.

Whole School Approach: Clarify expectations for how RSHP education should be embedded in a whole school approach and delivered through other curricular areas.

Healthy relationships: clarify how practitioners can deliver learning and teaching on healthy relationships in an age and stage appropriate way, particularly when considering concepts of consent.

VSC/DSD/Intersex: consider how best to support schools to meet the needs of VSC/DSD and intersex young people.

LGBT inclusive education: clarify distinctions between RSHP education and LGBT inclusive education.

Young people with additional support needs: clarify how the needs of children and young people with additional support needs should be met when delivering RSHP education.

Co-design of RSHP curricular learning: clarify considerations of when and how to involve children and young people co-designing the curriculum were made in the consultation.

Gender inclusive language: clarify how practitioners can deliver gender inclusive education on topics which at present retain gendered dynamics.

Online harms: clarify how RSHP education can take account of the changing nature of relationships, particularly online relationships.

Resources: consider the suitability of the listed resources and additional suggestions.