The updated RSHE guidance for 2026 is now in effect, bringing important changes to safeguarding, online safety and wellbeing. Has your school fully addressed the new requirements?

Before the 2019 statutory guidance came into force, my diary was full of RSHE work, with schools needing support to ensure that their curriculum balanced compliance, best practice and encouraged parental engagement.

Whilst the changes introduced by the updated RSHE guidance are smaller in number, I have still been surprised by the lack of national educational press covering the issue in depth. This is a life curriculum to provide our citizens of the future with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves and their communities safe, healthy and thriving.

I think partly the lack of news is because the actual changes in the guidance were less than had been suggested in the draft version for consultation, which had been received as being more “controversial”; therefore, the actual guidance was a bit of a relief!

I am left wondering whether silence on the issue means settings have quietly added the new changes to their curriculum to ensure basic compliance, or whether the seemingly subtle additions to content have been truly assessed to include age- and stage-appropriate content? Have staff teaching RSHE been adequately trained in how to address subject matter?

An example may be teaching about grief – several pupils in any one class likely have experienced this, but is it being taught consistently with care and compassion by all teachers, and is this in line with school policies and approaches?

There are some huge safeguarding crossovers too for some topics – online safety sections have been overhauled to include newer dangers such as harm caused through AI, and there are expectations to teach about personal safety and more detailed violence against women and girls content. These changes also have important links to the wider safeguarding responsibilities outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE). Again, what staff training is there to ensure topics are taught in a meaningful and in-depth way?

That’s why I wanted to write this blog, to remind colleagues in schools of the requirements and the importance of the new RSHE guidance for 2026. From a school leadership perspective, the changes are less about a complete rewrite and more about new safeguarding content, digital risks, wellbeing and violence prevention.

So, what are the RSHE guidance main changes that should have been implemented?

What are the Key Updates in the RSHE Statutory Guidance?

The updated RSHE guidance introduces six key areas for schools to review, including violence against women and girls, online safeguarding, personal safety, mental health, puberty education and family structures.

With the revised guidance now in effect, the focus shifts from preparing for these changes to reviewing how they’ve been implemented in schools.

School leaders should assess how these changes are reflected in their curriculum, staff training and wider safeguarding practices.

1. Misogyny and Violence Against Women and Girls

This is probably the most significant shift in secondary RSHE and closely reflects safeguarding concerns and government priorities around VAWG. Schools are now expected to address:

• misogyny and sexist behaviours
• harmful gender stereotypes
• toxic online influencers and “manosphere” content
• violence against women and girls
• the impact of pornography on attitudes and relationships
• healthy boundaries, consent and respect

Leadership implication: Have you reviewed lessons around consent, relationships, online influence and respectful behaviour?

2. Online Wellbeing and Digital Safeguarding

Previous “online safety” content has broadened considerably and explicitly recognises that technology-related safeguarding risks have changed significantly since the RSHE guidance in 2019. The new areas include:

• AI and deepfakes
• online manipulation
• scams and fraud
• financial harms
• gaming addiction and monetisation
• sextortion
• harmful online communities
• privacy, personal data and location settings
• critical evaluation of online content

Leadership implication: Schools should check that RSHE, computing and safeguarding curricula are aligned and not leaving any content unaddressed.

3. New Personal Safety Requirements

A completely new area of statutory content which did not appear as a separate strand in the previous statutory guidance.

Pupils should learn about:

• recognising and managing risk
• road safety
• rail safety
• water safety
• personal safety in public spaces

Leadership implication: Schools might need to map where this is taught, as it is often covered in assemblies or enrichment days/with outside visitors rather than detailed in the planned curriculum. It’s also critical to understand local geography and areas of higher risk.

4. Mental Health, Grief and Loneliness

The updated RSHE guidance expands expectations on what is taught about pupil wellbeing. New references include:

• grief and bereavement
• change and loss
• loneliness
• emotional resilience
• understanding a range of emotional responses

Leadership implication: RSHE schemes should include planned opportunities for discussing grief, transitions and emotional wellbeing. This is a proactive approach, rather than a reaction to events that occur.

5. Teaching About Bodies and Puberty

The revised guidance has a safeguarding focus to ensure children can talk about their concerns using unambiguous language, giving greater clarity around:

• correct anatomical vocabulary to teach
• bodily changes
• puberty education
• teaching about menstruation before the onset of puberty

Leadership implication: Primary schools should check sequencing and ensure content is taught before children are likely to experience bodily and emotional changes during puberty.

6. Recognising Modern Family Structures

The guidance is far clearer about representing that diverse family circumstances can represent stable, loving families, including:

• single-parent families
• adoptive families
• foster families
• kinship carers
• grandparents as carers
• same-sex parents

Leadership implication: Some schools in 2019 found that parental understanding of the intent behind teaching about family life in Modern Britain was lacking. Working closely and openly with parents about the intent behind the curriculum (that introducing same sex parents in families is not sex education, for example) and sharing resources in advance is a priority.

How Can Schools Review Their RSHE Compliance?

Reviewing RSHE compliance involves more than updating curriculum content. Schools should also consider parental engagement, policy requirements, staff training and how governors are informed about changes.

Following from the previous paragraph, the new guidance reinforces the expectation that parents are informed about RSHE content and that information is shared with them about what materials will be used, in advance of sessions.  It’s also really important to share your current RSHE policy on your website and have clear procedures to handle and document any parental concerns that arise.

Equally, you need to make your governing body aware of the changes implemented, so they have assurance that policy and procedure are in line with statutory expectations and that staff are trained on pedagogy and content. Governors should be informed of how parental engagement has been implemented.

RSHE Support and Training for Schools

If this blog has resonated and you would like any support with any elements of your RSHE or Safeguarding curriculum, SFE’s skilled Education Advisers can offer bespoke consultation, support and training to your leaders, governors or staff.  Contact us at hello@servicesforeducation.co.uk or visit our website to find out more.

If you found this blog useful, you may also be interested in reading the following blogs:

What the New Statutory RSHE Guidance Means for Your School – Insights from our in-house RSHE expert Education Adviser

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RSHE Curriculum: How Your School Can Prepare Pupils for Life in Modern Britain

By Jo Perrin

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RSHE – What Has Happened to the Momentum for Change?

Towards the end of the previous government’s tenure, a draft version of updated R(S)HE guidance...

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Our expert advisers provide bespoke RSHE and PSHE consultancy, including curriculum audits, policy development and staff training. We can work with your school to review how the updated statutory guidance has been implemented and identify areas where additional support may be needed. Get in touch today to discuss your school’s requirements.

  About the Author

Jo Perrin - Head of School Support, Adviser, Services For Education

Jo Perrin is a seasoned Education Adviser with a strong background in safeguarding. She has held key roles as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, secondary school teacher and pastoral lead in the education sector. Facilitating training to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working directly with children and young people is her passion.

With a wealth of experience in teaching PSHE and expertise in childhood trauma from her time as a foster carer, Jo is dedicated to supporting organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults on safeguarding issues.

She is actively involved in professional safeguarding groups in the West Midlands and is currently collaborating on a research project with colleagues from the University of Birmingham focusing on FGM awareness within communities. Jo has worked as a West Midlands' Adviser for national PSHE resources, presented at the Sex Education Forum National Members' Event and authored an advertorial for PSM magazine, and articles for both SEND magazine and SecEd.

Jo's expertise extends to training on topics such as Safer Recruitment and Mental Health at Work. She is also a facilitator for the nationally recognised NPQSL and NPQ SENCO qualifications, supporting senior leaders in education. Her contributions to publications and development of resources for RSE provision have been well-received by schools nationally and internationally.

With her extensive experience and dedication to professional development, Jo Perrin is a highly respected figure in the field of education. Her guidance on safeguarding, mental health awareness, personal development, and relationships education is highly valued within the industry.