From September 2026, schools will be expected to implement the updated Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance. Often shortened to RSHE – and commonly referred to as RSE – this sits within the wider subject of PSHE.

The government’s review of the 2019 guidance was designed to ensure the curriculum keeps pace with children’s lives today – strengthening expectations around parental transparency, providing clearer boundaries for primary content, and updating areas such as online safety and personal safety.

The good news is that you don’t need to make immediate changes. Schools have a full year to prepare, giving time to review, consult and adapt in a way that works for pupils, staff and parents.

At Kapow Primary, we’re already ahead of the curve. Our team has been reviewing the new guidance and we’re refreshing our entire RSE & PSHE scheme of work to make sure it’s fully aligned. The updated scheme will be ready to use from September 2026, with new resources starting to roll out from May – so you’ll have everything you need in place, in plenty of time.

In this blog, we’ll outline:

• Key updates to the guidance
• What they mean for primary schools
• How Kapow is supporting you with a refreshed scheme 

What has changed in the 2025 RSHE guidance?

The overall picture for primary schools hasn’t shifted dramatically – relationships and health education remain compulsory, while sex education stays optional. But teachers need to be aware of some important clarifications and stronger expectations:

• Greater transparency with parents

Schools must be open with families about what is being taught and when. From September 2026:

• Parents should be able to view any RSE materials used in class.
• RSE policies should clearly explain how parents can access resources. 

This isn’t new, but the expectation for transparency is now sharper.

• Clearer boundaries for primary content

The guidance emphasises teaching children how to:

• Set and respect personal boundaries.
• Recognise unsafe online or offline relationships.
• Seek help when something feels wrong.

This is about safeguarding children with age-appropriate skills and knowledge. By giving children the tools to recognise risk and manage safe decisions, both now and in the future, schools play an important role in helping them navigate a world where social norms, online behaviours and pressures are constantly shifting.

• Specific vocabulary and puberty guidance

Teachers now have explicit direction on terminology:

• Pupils should learn the correct names for body parts (including penis, vulva, vagina, testicles, nipples, scrotum).
• These terms should be taught within the context of privacy, boundaries and respect. 

Menstruation should be introduced before pupils are likely to experience it – the guidance suggests starting from Year 4 – and teachers are encouraged to use clear, accessible language such as “period pads” and “menstrual products” instead of outdated terms. 

This greater clarity should give teachers confidence when planning and communicating with parents. 

• Online safety in today’s context

Since the 2019 guidance, the online world has changed a lot, and the new guidance ensures that teaching keeps up with it. Updates include: 

• Age limits for social media
• Risk around image-sharing and online pressure
• Privacy and location settings
• Online gaming safety
• Critical thinking about online wellbeing
  

• Personal safety and first aid

New content has been added to help children recognise and manage risk, including: 

• Rail and water safety
• Peer influence and pressure
• Updated first aid guidance – with an emphasis on reporting incidents rather than filming them

• Families and representations

As before in the 2019 guidance, teaching should reflect the diversity of family life – from same-sex parents to kinship carers – so that all children feel recognised and respected. This means careful consideration in the use of content (images, videos, stories) to respect and represent diverse families.

What should schools do next?

The updated guidance sharpens the “how” more than the “what”. To stay compliant, schools should: 

• Refresh your RSE policy

Consult with parents and review your policy in light of the new expectations. Ask: 

• Does anything need updating?
• Have all stakeholders been involved?
• How and when will changes be communicated?

• Update resources and terminology

Check that your scheme of work uses the correct vocabulary (e.g. for body parts and menstruation) and that content is sequenced appropriately across year groups.

• Strengthen parent communication

Decide how you’ll share materials with parents, both proactively and on request. Consider:

• When and how to show sample content.
• How families will access resources.
• How to communicate any changes to planned content.
• The procedure to follow if a parent requests that their child is withdrawn from sex education.

• Support staff through CPD

Identify where staff feel least confident and provide training in areas highlighted in the new guidance, such as online wellbeing, personal safety and managing parent engagement.

How will Kapow Primary support you?

At Kapow Primary, we’re already updating our RSE & PSHE scheme of work in response to the 2025 guidance. Updates will begin rolling out from May 2026, with full coverage ready for September – so if you’re a subscriber, you can feel confident that you’re covered.

The updated statutory guidance gives us an opportunity to make the current scheme even better – building on what works while adding new features to help you stay compliant with confidence, communicate easily with parents and feel fully supported.

How will the new RSE & PSHE scheme of work support you?

• Aligned and progressive from EYFS to Year 6

Our refreshed scheme is being designed to ensure progression across every year group. From the Early Years onwards, strands such as self-regulation, managing self and building relationships are woven through to Year 6, alongside statutory and non-statutory content like financial literacy and citizenship.

• Fresh content, written with experts

We’re creating new lessons, pupil videos and interactive presentations in consultation with specialists – including nutritionists, dentists and RSE experts. Diverse characters and real-life scenarios will help children connect with the material and see themselves represented.

• Support for teachers and leaders

Teacher support sits at the heart of the refresh. Resources will come with mapping documents, FAQs and parent guides, while CPD is built into lessons through training videos and knowledge sections. Webinars will give extra support on trickier topics.

• Easy parent communication

The updated guidance strengthens expectations around openness with families. From September 2026, parents will be entitled to view all RSE resources used in lessons on request, and school policies must explain how this access will be provided.

Our current scheme already includes materials for sharing with families, but in the refreshed scheme this will be a bigger priority. We’re building simple tools to make lesson content easy to share – helping you meet the new requirements, build trust with parents and keep workload low.

The refreshed scheme is being created with teachers, children and parents in mind – updated content, clear progression, built-in support and simple ways to engage families. Our aim is to take care of the updates, so you can focus on what you do best: teaching.

The 2025 guidance doesn’t change the core of primary RSE and Health Education – it clarifies how it should be taught, communicated and kept up to date.

If your policy, curriculum mapping and parent communications reflect those principles, you’re already most of the way there. The rest is about what you do best: delivering well-sequenced, inclusive and engaging lessons that put children’s wellbeing at the heart.

Transforming teaching isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about giving teachers the confidence to inspire children, giving them the knowledge and skills to thrive.