RSHE Guidance- what to think?
On Tuesday (15th July ‘25), the Department for Education released its long awaited RSHE guidance. Lizzie Harewood gives a brief summary and ‘first take’.
First Impressions
I haven’t done a full deep-dive yet, but at first glance the revised guidance contains a mix of welcome clarifications and disappointing omissions.
On the positive side, some helpful protections remain. Schools are still expected to respond positively to parental requests to see materials, and copyright clauses can’t be used to block transparency — that’s important for parental trust and accountability.
However, a number of the key safeguards that had been proposed under the Conservatives have been watered down or removed.
The previous draft guidance had proposed firm age restrictions for teaching certain sensitive topics — these have now been dropped. Instead, schools must ensure their curriculum is “relevant, age and stage appropriate” — a phrase that potentially leaves far too much room for interpretation.
The most significant shift is the removal of an explicit ban on gender identity teaching. The updated guidance now says:
“Schools should be mindful that beyond the facts and the law about biological sex and gender reassignment, there is significant debate and they should be careful not to endorse any particular view or teach it as fact.”
It also says schools should, for example, “not teach as fact that all people have a gender identity”, and that they “should be mindful to avoid any suggestion that social transition is a simple solution to feelings of distress or discomfort.”
Although these clarifications suggest a more cautious tone, they still leave the door open for gender identity to be discussed and for social transition to be presented as a legitimate, albeit complex, option. That’s a softening from earlier proposals which would have more clearly excluded it from the curriculum.
A further change appears in the section on LGBT content in primary schools. The original draft said schools had discretion over whether to teach about same-sex families. The final version now says schools are “strongly encouraged” to teach about healthy, loving relationships “and to include same-sex parents along with other family arrangements when discussing families” and “illustrate a wide range of family structures in a positive way'”
That’s a hard one to navigate. Christians will need to approach these discussions with great sensitivity and care, and may find it challenging to present such relationships in a way that aligns with Biblical values.
It is good, however, to see an acknowledgement that schools with a religious character may teach their distinctive faith perspective on relationships, and that “balanced debate may take place about issues that are contentious. For example, the school may wish to reflect on faith teachings about certain topics.”
In practice, I suspect little will change on the ground. Some of the more controversial materials (like the “Genderbread Person”) may quietly disappear, but others will take their place. The range of topics for inclusion has ballooned exponentially! Outside agencies with particular agendas are still likely to provide teaching content — covering new topics like incel culture, misogyny, and suicide prevention - and schools will be left to navigate a very wide and complex curriculum without firm boundaries.
Please pray for Christian teachers and school leaders in this moment. We need great wisdom, courage, and compassion as we seek to be salt and light and navigate this sensitive topic. May we help our schools to show and tell a better story — one rooted in truth, dignity, and genuine care for the wellbeing of every child.
You can find the full guidance here