The Department for Education has announced new guidance for RSHE, which it intends to make statutory in 2026. Lots of educators have questions about what the new guidance is, and what it means for their practice. This blog discusses the update, and shares how Picture News resources can be a helpful addition to support RSHE coverage. The new RSHE guidance The announcement includes changes to support children in navigating digital literacy, misogyny, healthy relationships, and mental wellbeing. Some new changes include: Age-appropriate, not age limits After political debate over introducing age limits within RSHE, there’s now an emphasis on age-appropriate learning, in that topic coverage shouldn’t be limited, but instead adapt to meet the age and stage of pupils. The DfE stresses the importance of prioritising communication with parents and carers when navigating age-appropriate learning within RSHE. “On balance, we think it is important not to restrict schools from being able to use their professional judgment over when topics should be taught for the benefit and safety of pupils,” the DfE says. LGBT learning When learning about families and healthy relationships, primary schools are instructed to include same-sex parents in their teaching, highlighting different family structures, underscored with an emphasis that happy family life means everyone feels loved and cared for. At the secondary level, LGBT learning content will be integrated into RSHE sessions. Pupils are still required to learn the facts about the Equality Act 2010 and the 9 Protected Characteristics, including Sex, Sexual Orientation and Gender Reassignment. Teachers need to maintain the message that nobody should be discriminated against based on these characteristics. In relation to the teaching of gender reassignment, the DfE adds, “Schools should avoid language and activities which repeat or enforce gender stereotypes. Schools should be mindful to avoid any suggestion that social transition is a simple solution to feelings of distress or discomfort.” More guidance from the DfE on supporting gender-questioning children will follow. Misogyny At a time when incel culture has made headlines, the update includes guidance for safely learning about online misogyny and deep fake content, with a continued emphasis on consent and recognising sexual abuse. The advice for how these issues are dealt with differs between primaries and secondaries, in line with the focus on age and stage appropriate learning. Mental health and suicide prevention There’s a focus on recognising and distinguishing mental health issues. The DfE outlines that “worrying and feeling down are normal, affect everyone at different times, and are not in themselves a sign of a mental health condition”, but explains these feelings can be indicative of mental health problems if experienced persistently and severely, which children should be aware of. The curriculum will see developments including a focus on resilience, emotional regulation and coping methods. Transparency with parents In reference to the new updates, the DfE advises schools should maintain positive, open communication with parents and carers about the RSHE content pupils are expected to learn. Suggestions include bringing families into school for meetings, whilst “supporting parents in managing conversations with their children about RSHE topics”, and sharing “representative sample of the resources” to be used in school with parents/carers. We recommend spending time reading the report directly to discover all proposed changes, thinking about what it means for your school’s RSHE policy, and implementing the necessary changes. Using Picture News to support the new RSHE update Here are some key ways Picture News resources and current affairs learning can support pupils’ understanding of the issues explored within RSHE. Highlighting real-world issues Covering examples of people, places and situations in the news creates ample opportunities to explore real-world demonstrations of the issues outlined in the RSHE update, whilst highlighting examples of positive role models and actions (making a positive difference, treating others with empathy etc). Through our weekly resources, this exploration is facilitated in an age and stage appropriate way, whilst promoting productive and respectful conversation between pupils and their teachers. Developing and embedding media literacy In the digital age, children’s media interactions are amplified – something which the new report responds to. 9 in 10 children own a mobile by age 11; 64% of 3-17-year-olds use social media; 94% of people in the UK have encountered misinformation on social media. Picture News resources tackle this reality by facilitating stage and age appropriate media exploration. Through a weekly, purpose-built Media Literacy resource, Picture News supports teachers to equip children with relevant skills to make sense of content: discussing accuracy of visual content, exploring context, examining interpretations rather than avoiding topics. Building emotional literacy The RSHE update includes extensive focus on mental health – building emotional resilience, coping mechanisms, distinguishing wide-ranging emotions, and mental health issues. To start – children need support to recognise, identify and express emotions. Every Picture News resource includes emotion grids alongside news stories and open questions, so support children to articulate their feelings and responses to what’s happening. As well as aiding positive introspection, this focus opens up feelings-based dialogue amongst peers, helping children to be well-versed in emotional literacy. Supporting home-school links As schools build on transparent connections with families around their RSHE coverage, our supportive resources also prioritise communication. Each Picture News pack includes a Take Home resource to share what news and big question children have been learning from and discussing. Picture News schools also benefit from parent newsletters, offering advice about dealing with pressing news and events at home. Explore the latest Picture News weekly resource here. Useful links Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education July 2025 Report, Department for Education. New RSHE guidance: What it means for sex education lessons in schools, Gov UK
