Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)
Relationships and Sexuality Education Progression Framework
RSE helps children and young people acquire age-appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills, and develop attitudes, beliefs and values about relationships, sexual identity and intimacy.
Effective RSE, which is taught in a sensitive and inclusive manner, encourages children and young people to value themselves as individuals and to make responsible and well-informed decisions about their lives.
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is a statutory part of the curriculum under the following Areas of Learning:
- Personal Development and Mutual Understanding in the Foundation Stage;
- Personal Development and Mutual Understanding at Key Stages 1 and 2;
- Personal Development and Home Economics statements of requirement for Learning for Life and Work at Key Stage 3; and
- Personal Development strand of Learning for Life and Work at Key Stage 4.
The RSE Progression Framework provides a non-statutory progression pathway in RSE from the Foundation Stage to post-16. It shows how the different themes cover the following priority areas of RSE:
- consent, what it means and its importance;
- developments in contraception;
- domestic and sexual violence and abuse;
- healthy, positive sexual expression and relationships;
- LGBTQ+ matters;
- menstrual wellbeing;
- safe use of the internet;
- social media and its effects on relationships and self-esteem; and
- teen parenting.
The themes and associated content covered across the key stages in the framework build on the statutory requirements and are aligned to international evidence-based frameworks. These include UNESCO’s International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education and the UK Council for Internet Safety’s Education for a Connected World framework.
For primary (Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2), the themes are:
- Relationships;
- My Body and Development (Health, Growth and Change); and
- Safety and Wellbeing (Self-Awareness, Feelings and Emotions).
For post-primary (Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and post-16), the themes are:
- Self-Awareness;
- Relationships; and
- Health.
Further support is available in our primary and post-primary RSE guidance for schools.