Almost 70% of teachers surveyed by the National Education Union in 2018 felt that the staff in their school were not adequately trained to deliver high quality PSHE or RSE. This is despite the fact that 92% of parents surveyed by YouGov in 2016 believed PSHE lessons needed to be improved for pupils and 99% of young people agreeing that RSE should be mandatory in schools, according to Terrace Higgins Research, 2016.

As a result of these worrying statistics, the government launched a consultation in December 2017 to establish how pupils should be taught RSE. Consequently, from September 2020, RSE will become mandatory in all schools. Draft guidance published in July 2018 proposed the content that teachers would be required to teach, including the concept of consent and how to recognise it, sexual exploitation, grooming and domestic abuse. In addition to this, Health Education will also become compulsory in schools, following on from the Childhood Obesity Plan and the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Paper. Much of the content covered will be integrated into PSHE teaching, promoting learning around the benefits of a healthier lifestyle and building mental resilience and wellbeing. Alongside this, there has been a growing call for PSHE as a whole subject to become mandatory in all schools, with many policy leaders, including the PSHE Association, advocating this cause.

With the status of RSE becoming mandatory from September 2020, it is worrying that over a quarter of respondents in the National Education Union feel unprepared to deliver the new subject. In light of recent statistics revealing that a shocking 1 in 10 children and young people between the ages of 5 and 16 are classified as having a mental health problem, it is imperative that schools are able to meet the requirements set out by the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision Green Paper and promoting greater mental health in their PSHE lessons.

With a variety of statutory requirements now placed on schools and a greater pressure to teach age appropriate RSE, better promote online safety and support pupil mental wellbeing, the onus now falls on schools to ensure that they are delivering effective and informative PSHE teaching.

This one day forum will provide the opportunity to examine innovative and effective PSHE teaching and learning techniques. Participants will discuss with leading policy figures the future shape of the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum following the statutory requirement to teach Relationship and Sex Education (RSE). Subject specialists and best practice case studies will share methods for teaching age-appropriate PSHE, embedding it across the school curriculum and delivering informative content that meets inspection requirements.

Key speakers include:
• Jenny Barksfield, Deputy CEO, PSHE Association
• Dr Eleanor Draeger, Senior Trainer, Sex Education Forum.

Don't forget to quote 'IGEdCentral20' when booking to claim your exclusive 20% discount!

There are three ways to register: call: 0203 770 6580; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; or click the link below to visit the event website.