What’s New in the 2025 RSHE Guidance?

In July 2025, the Department for Education (DfE) released its updated statutory guidance for Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), building on a draft version published earlier in the year. The final guidance represents a significant evolution from the previous 2019 framework, particularly for secondary schools. While the general structure remains familiar, the revised curriculum dives deeper into contemporary challenges, reflects cultural shifts and offers greater flexibility in how and when sensitive topics are introduced. For staff, it provides a more comprehensive and realistic toolkit, and for students, it offers the knowledge and confidence to form safe, respectful and meaningful relationships.

A More Responsive and Realistic RSHE Curriculum

One of the most important shifts in the 2025 guidance is the removal of rigid age brackets. Schools now have the discretion to introduce topics "at the right time" based on the maturity of their pupils, rather than sticking to fixed year groups. This gives us as educators more autonomy while maintaining a strong expectation that all core content is delivered by the end of secondary school.

Addressing Modern Misogyny and Harmful Subcultures

A standout feature of the new guidance is its robust approach to misogyny and the influence of toxic online communities. While the draft version introduced the concept of "misogynistic influencers," the final guidance takes this further by explicitly naming "incel culture" as an area for discussion in classrooms. Pupils are expected to learn how such ideologies can normalise harmful behaviours and how to critically challenge them.

In an effort to counteract negative stereotypes, the curriculum now includes explicit content on identifying and learning from positive male role models. The aim is to help boys understand that respect and kindness are the norm, not the exception, which is a welcome focus on promoting healthy masculinity.

Consent: More Than Just "Yes" or "No"

The updated RSHE curriculum deepens the conversation around consent. It moves beyond the legal definition to emphasise ethical relationships rooted in empathy, care and mutual respect. For instance, pupils are taught that true consent is undermined by coercion or peer pressure and that it can be withdrawn at any time (even after it has initially been given).

This nuanced approach helps pupils navigate complex situations with greater emotional intelligence and fosters a culture of genuine respect in intimate relationships.

Online Safety, Pornography and Emerging Tech Threats

In an era of rapidly evolving digital risks, the guidance significantly strengthens its focus on online harms. The final version introduces a comprehensive section on the impact of pornography which highlights how it can distort expectations, encourage disrespect and feed into misogynistic attitudes.

Newly included in the curriculum are pressing issues such as:

• AI-generated explicit content and deepfakes with an emphasis on how to identify them and understand their consequences.
• Sextortion and online sexual exploitation giving pupils tools to recognise manipulation and understand the legal landscape.
• Illegal digital behaviours including non-consensual image sharing, upskirting and online harassment.

These additions mark a much-needed update, recognising the realities of what teens are exposed to online.

Violence, Safety and the Importance of Boundaries

Another vital update is the curriculum’s clearer approach to personal safety and sexual violence. The 2025 guidance explicitly names a range of threats, from rape and domestic abuse to stalking and FGM, ensuring pupils understand both the legal context and the importance of seeking help.

A particularly notable addition is the clear guidance on choking or strangulation in sexual contexts. The final document firmly states that any act involving pressure to the neck is a serious safety concern and not to be normalised through media or peer influence. This specific inclusion seems to reflect growing concerns around violence linked to online pornography.

Ethical, Respectful Relationships

Throughout the updated guidance, there's a consistent thread: relationships should not only be legal and consensual, but also ethical. Qualities like integrity, honesty and kindness are highlighted as essential to healthy partnerships. This broadens the scope of RSHE from compliance to character-building, aiming to equip pupils with the values they need to navigate adult relationships with maturity and care.