Teachers need better training in delivering relationship and sex education (RSE) lessons, according to data shared with Tes.
Nearly one in four (23 per cent) RSE teachers do not feel sufficiently trained to teach the subject effectively, according to a poll by the SafeLives charity.
The complexity of RSE, added to “a notable lack of training, resources and time” means that delivery of RSE is “patchy and inconsistent”, a report published by the charity today states.
For England’s state secondary schools, teaching sex and relationships material was made compulsory at the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year.
Figures from a government poll conducted by the British Educational Training and Technology show in December 2019 found that, at that time, 61 per cent felt prepared to cover the RSE requirements.
However, SafeLives reports that teachers and experts surveyed still experience time, resource and school prioritisation issues that prevent effective delivery.
This leads to “large inconsistencies” in how schools prioritise the RSE curriculum, which impacts the quality of the teaching, it says.
The report contains research based on a survey of 63 RSE teachers, consultation with subject experts, a survey of more than 1,000 school students, as well as focus groups based across seven schools.
A quarter of RSE teachers said they were selected to teach the subject based on capacity and less than four in ten (39 per cent) were in a dedicated role.
One teacher surveyed said: “I love it, but wish it were taken more seriously by my school, they get two hours a year in an assembly format.”
‘No additional funding’
Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said the report highlighted the expectation versus reality of the government’s statutory RSE requirements and actual lessons being delivered.
She said: “Quality training is integral to ensuring teachers are able to deliver the RSE programmes with confidence and as the subject is a rapidly evolving one, specialist training is key to ensuring RSE remains relevant and recognises the lived experience of the pupils being taught.
“It is therefore disappointing that no additional funding has been made available for training since RSE was made a statutory requirement in 2020.”
She added: “It is another example of growing expectations being placed on schools without them being given the resources to help meet them.”
Just over half (52 per cent) of students surveyed said RSE classes give them a good understanding of toxic and healthy relationships, while less than half (46 per cent) said they feel confident about who to talk to if they or someone they know is experiencing abuse.
When asked which topics they thought were taught well, there were no topics that more than half of all students agreed were taught effectively.
The topics taught the best were sexual health and safe sex (48 per cent) and consent and how to communicate it (46 per cent), according to students.
Everyone’s Invited
Issues around sexual harassment, sexual violence and the wider topic of consent have been the focus of increased scrutiny since the revelations of the Everyone’s Invited movement.
Since being set up in the summer of 2020, the site, which documents anonymous submissions of sexual harassment and assault from school pupils, has received over 50,000 submissions.
The website and its submissions drove Ofsted to launch a review of sexual abuse and schools and colleges last year, culminating in the publication of statutory relationships education guidance.
In the report, around half (47 per cent) of students said that they want their RSE classes to frame “more relevant examples” and four in ten (42 per cent) said they desired more regular classes.
One student told researchers: “We’re being taught this stuff too late and, at this point, I feel like...the information that we have, either we learned it from our parents or we learned it on the internet because the school really doesn’t do much to help us with these types of topics.”
Regarding gender issues, the majority of LGBT+ students surveyed (61 per cent) disagreed that LGBT+ relationships are being threaded throughout RSE, as is legally required by the guidance.
Additionally, only half (52 per cent) of young people surveyed say they have been taught about gender roles and gender equality.
Recommendations
The report recommends “comprehensive training” for a “distinct pool” of RSE teachers in schools, based around delivering skills-based and practical learning.
It also suggests that teachers should work with students through surveys, consultation and other regular engagement to ensure the pupils’ needs are being met.
Suzanne Jacob, chief executive of SafeLives, said that the findings show “glaring gaps” in the current RSE provision given to state school pupils.
She said: “RSE should be equipping young people, often engaging in their first intimate relationships, with the support, knowledge and confidence to navigate relationships safely and healthily.
“Instead, students feel let down and that they should be getting much more out of these classes.”
Ms Jacobs added that there cannot be “a school lottery” with regard to which institutions deliver RSE effectively: “We want to see schools across the country embedding a whole-school approach to RSE, where all members of a school community - students, staff, parents and governors - ensure RSE is prioritised and teachers are provided with the resources and time they need to build trust with their students.”
The DfE has been contacted for comment.
