The Department for Education (DfE) has updated the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance:
- You must follow the new guidance from September 2026, but you can begin implementing it earlier if you wish (this is laid out on page 4 of the DfE's consultation outcome, and was confirmed to us by a DfE representative)
- The old RSHE guidance is still in force, and you can choose to follow it until 31 August 2026. Find out the requirements of the old RSE guidance here
This article sets out the requirements of the new guidance.
You can see a summary of the headline changes to the guidance here.
Your school's requirements
All schools with a primary phase (including all-through and middle schools) need to provide:
- Relationships education
- Health education
This is set out on page 2 the DfE's new RSHE guidance.
Primary schools aren't required to provide sex education, but the DfE recommends that schools teach sex education in years 5 and/or