Three topics you need in your RSE Curriculum

In this blog, we explore three key areas every secondary school should review as part of its curriculum planning to meet the new guidance – and in turn help students develop the practical skills, critical thinking and confidence they need to build healthy relationships, stay safe online and make informed decisions throughout their lives.

The new RSHE guidance came into effect in September – and one of the main changes is about making sure students are prepared for experiences before they happen. Instead of one-off lessons or responding to issues as they arise, high-quality RSE should be based on early intervention and harm prevention that develops in depth.

With this in mind, the new RSHE Guidance includes new topics that are based on the challenges that young people experience today. In order to be compliant, schools need to review their current curriculum and embed new topics and lessons. Below are three lessons you should make sure your Secondary RSE curriculum includes to meet the new Guidance – all of which are included in Brook’s new RSE Curriculum.

1. Practical relationship skills

Teaching how to recognise and get support for an unhealthy relationship isn’t enough. Young people need practical skills to develop and maintain healthy relationships, and education that develops as they mature, beginning with friendships and progressing to intimate relationships as they mature.

To equip students for life beyond the classroom, lessons on relationships should allow students to explore and practice skills such as:

• Ending friendships or relationships with kindness, and how to manage the difficult feelings a breakup can bring
• How to navigate disagreements or sensitive conversations with respect
• Recognising and responding appropriately to the needs and boundaries of others
• How to get support and overcome barriers to getting support when things become unsafe

View the Positive Relationships Lesson Bundle

2. Online wellbeing and literacy

The digital landscape has changed significantly since the 2019 guidance was published, and the updated guidance reflects this. The previous guidance section named “Online Safety” has expanded now to “Online Wellbeing” – recognising that the online world is a significant part of our lives, and covers topics such as respectful online relationships, recognising harmful online behaviour, and protecting mental health online. Key topics that students should learn about are:

• AI literacy and deepfakes
• Incel ideology and online misogyny
• Sextortion and online exploitation
• Critical thinking skills about the content we see online
• Understanding how pornography can shape expectations and behaviours
• How to recognise trustworthy information from misinformation

Young people often encounter these issues long before adults realise they’re happening and much earlier than people expect. A robust spiral curriculum ensures students have the age-appropriate information and critical thinking skills they need before they face these situations, not afterwards.

The digital world will only continue to grow, so we while can’t safeguard young people from online harms that don’t exist yet, we can provide them with the skills to critically analyse new technologies, online trends and digital experiences as they emerge.

View the Online Safety & Wellbeing Lesson Bundle

3. Consent and respect – beyond the law

Discussions around consent, boundaries, and respect should start long before young people start dating. Learning how to listen to others, communicate clearly, respect boundaries and respond when somebody says “no” or changes their mind are skills that help young people navigate friendships, family relationships and online interactions as well as future romantic or intimate relationships.

By introducing these concepts early and building on them as students mature, students will already have a solid understanding of consent, respect, and boundaries when the topic of sexual consent is introduced. Conversations should no longer be limited to just not breaking the law, but instead how to ensure a partner is feeling respected and included.

The new guidance recognises that sex can and should be enjoyable. This is clearly not about encouraging young people to become sexually active but instead to shift the conversation away from the bare minimum of preventing harm, and towards a deeper understanding of ethical behaviour in relationships.

Young people should understand that positive sexual relationships involve more than gaining consent. They involve kindness, empathy, care for each other’s wellbeing, and an awareness of how power and vulnerability can affect people’s choices.

View the Consent & Boundaries Lesson Bundle

The updated guidance reinforces something we have long championed.

Effective RSE is about more than providing information, it is about equipping young people with the skills to build fulfilling relationships, navigate the world (both online and off) safely, and make informed decisions that affect their sexual health.

As you review your curriculum, consider whether students are only learning about these topics, or if they are actually developing practical skills they will need to build positive relationships and overcome challenges throughout their lives.

Save time with Brook’s RSE Curriculum

With 30 lessons across 6 key topics for Years 7-11, our new RSE Curriculum and lesson plans are ready-to-teach and includes everything you need for a high-quality spiral curriculum.

Explore the Curriculum