How the new RSHE Guidance fails young people with SEND

In this blog, Dr Helen Dring-Turner, Brook’s Neurodivergence Lead, explores what the new RSHE government guidance means for young people who experience a label of SEND and why it’s not enough.   

Few changes, some minor improvements 

In reference to children and young people who experience a label of SEND, the guidance hasn’t changed a lot. Schools are reminded that they should adapt teaching to “ensure these subjects are accessible for pupils with SEND” (although the previous guidance did say “must” instead of “should”). 

The idea of preparing young people for adulthood, bringing the RSE guidance alongside the SEND Code of Practice is also mentioned in the updated guidance. This is some progress in reinforcing the idea that young people with a label of SEND need to develop the knowledge and skills in RSE that will take them into healthy, happy, adult relationships. 

A part of the previous guidance that young people with a label of SEND often disliked was the idea that “some pupils are more vulnerable to exploitation, bullying and other issues due to the nature of their SEND”. The young people we spoke to often felt that, at best, this part of the guidance patronised them and, at worst, made it sound like they should expect to be exploited. The updated guidance has rephrased this part, clarifying that young people with a label of SEND can be more vulnerable to sexual exploitation, harassment and abuse, but also that this makes RSHE especially important for these young people, highlighting that good RSE can help to empower young people. 

Where the guidance falls short 

There are some dots throughout the guidance that simply aren’t joined up.  

The updated guidance rightly adds suicide prevention to the curriculum. However, statistics have shown consistently that Autistic people are more at risk of suicide than the general population – with up to 66% of Autistic people having thought about suicide and up to 35% having attempted it – but the guidance misses the chance to highlight the particular importance of addressing mental health and suicide prevention with neurodivergent young people.

The guiding principles for RSHE offered in this guidance give great tips for schools in developing a well-sequenced, participative curriculum backed up by a whole school approach. One thing I would love to have seen – and an approach we use at Brook – is specific reference to a spiral curriculum. That is, the idea of revisiting topics often to allow young people to consolidate their knowledge. For young people who are neurodivergent, have a learning disability or have a disability or other reason that might mean they miss more school than their peers, it’s especially important that teachers aren’t just covering a topic once and then moving on. 

The huge gap in this guidance, the previous guidance and, generally, the conversation around RSE, is the complete lack of reference to physically disabled young people. We know that disabled young people can often find it difficult to find good, reliable information about sex and how it interacts with their medical conditions, that they are seen as less sexual and that often, it is assumed that if sex is physically difficult for them, they probably just don’t want to have sex. 

If the goal really is to prepare young people for adulthood, and, as the guidance says, equip them with “knowledge and skills that will enable them to make informed and ethical decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships”, then we need to make space for conversations that include disabled young people, that recognise that they also want to have healthy, happy sexual relationships and to equip them with the knowledge and skills they may need to have conversations about their disabilities and sexual needs with their medical teams. 

It’s great that young people with SEND are still referenced in this guidance, and that RSE is highlighted as being essential to addressing vulnerability to abuse, but I would love to see some more joined up thought between topics that disproportionately affect the neurodivergent community, like mental health and suicide, and greater emphasis on physical disabilities.

Really, if we want all young people to be able to have great relationships, we at least need to mention that they exist in the RSE guidance. 

Where do we go from here 

At Brook, it’s our mission to make sure high-quality RSE is accessible and inclusive of all young people. The lack of guidance and support for teachers around delivering RSE for young people experiencing SEND is concerning – leaving them with RSE that isn’t best suited to them.  

To address this, we’ve produced RSE lessons in consultation with Autistic young people and with funding from the Boshier Grant Fund by the National Autistic Society. The RSE for All lesson pack contains nine lessons covering Years 7, 9 and 11. While these lessons were designed in consultation with Autistic young people, they are suitable, and often highly effective, for a much wider range of neurodivergent learners experiencing SEND or with additional needs.

RSE For All: Autism and SEND Inclusive Lessons

RSE For All is a pack of nine inclusive RSE lessons produced in consultation with Autistic young people and featuring bespoke, easy read images.

Access your free taster lesson