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Relationships and sex education: handling objections from parents

You may receive complaints from parents about your school's RSE curriculum due to the sensitive nature of the topics taught. Learn when it's your board's job to step in and how to handle the most common complaints with confidence.

Last reviewed on 17 June 2024See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 36812
Contents
  1. Your headteacher will handle the vast majority of complaints
  2. The complaints process
  3. Reassure parents that their views were respected during the consultation period
  4. Explain that parts of the RSE curriculum are mandatory
  5. Explain parents' right to withdraw
  6. Handle faith-based or cultural objections sensitively but firmly
  7. Direct parents to resources from the DfE
  8. Assure parents that you'll maintain oversight
  9. Recognise when to end the conversation

The current relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education guidance came into force in September 2020. 

Although your school should have consulted parents on your RSE curriculum and changes to your RSE policy, you may continue to receive objections. This could happen, for example, when new pupils and parents/carers join your school.

Your headteacher will handle the vast majority of complaints

But there may be occasions where parents or carers don’t feel they’re being heard. They may:

  • Be unhappy with what the curriculum teaches
  • Believe their child is too young for the curriculum
  • Not want their child learning about certain things on religious grounds 

Ultimately, it might be that they find no amount of reassurance from the headteacher satisfactory.

In those cases, the headteacher (or a governor, if approached) should refer the parent or carer to your school’s complaints policy. Members of your board will be involved in parts of the complaints process that follows. 

The complaints process

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