This page has been established by the Public Health PSHE Lead to support PSHE subject leaders, teachers, and other professionals in delivering high-quality PSHE education to our pupils in Buckinghamshire.

This distinct curriculum subject is vital in supporting all pupils to manage their online and offline lives and provides protective and preventative education that safeguards children and young people. Dedicated to health and well-being, a key outcome for PSHE education is that children and young people know when, where, and how to access support if they need help.

PSHE is a key element in schools’ SMSC, Community Cohesion, Equalities, and the Personal Development strand within the new Ofsted Framework.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) gives children and young people the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, safe, successful and purposeful lives. When taught well, PSHE education helps pupils to achieve their full academic potential and supports them to leave school equipped with the skills they will need throughout later life. A recent evidence review by Pro Bono Economics highlights ‘very strong evidence’ that high-quality PSHE learning ‘has a positive impact on academic attainment’. 

A holistic and curriculum-focused approach to PSHE in schools gives pupils the skills to manage their own on and offline lives and successfully navigate new experiences and challenges. Research from the PHSE Association states ‘Pupils agree that PSHE education is a vital part of their preparation for life, with 92% of those who have been taught the subject believing all young people should receive high-quality PSHE lessons.’  

It is an exciting time for PSHE:

• The Children's Social Work Bill (April 2017) made relationships education (primary) and relationships and sex education (RSE) in secondary compulsory in all schools in England from September 2020. This has resulted in most of PSHE becoming statutory for school-aged pupils in state-funded schools.
• The Green Paper addressing children and young people’s mental health (December 2017) highlighted the need for more to be done to address mental health in schools, and it is proposed that all schools will have a mental health lead by 2021.
• Careers guidance has also been in the spotlight, and schools will now use the Gatsby benchmarks and provide at least 7 opportunities for secondary students to meet with employment providers and have a trained Careers Lead by 2021
• The need to educate children and young people to keep safe and successfully manage their online lives is being addressed in the statutory aspects of PHSE.
• Whilst PSHE has not achieved statutory status across the board, Health and Relationship Education (Primary) and Relationships, Sex and Health Education (Secondary)are statutory for years 1 – 13.
• The updated KCSIE (1^st September 2025) contains several references to statutory RHSE and provides protective and preventative education that safeguards children and young people.
• All state-funded schools are required to follow the current guidance published in 2019 Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education guidance
• New statutory RSHE guidance was published on 18^th July 2025, and schools are invited to begin implementing the changes from 1^st September 2025. All schools will be required to comply with this new guidance from 1^st September 2026. Visit RHSE (gov.uk) 
• The new Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance for 2025 builds on the previous guidance, providing updated content and a skills-based approach. There is a greater focus on personal safety, mental health, and online safety, including new safeguarding risks related to technology. The guidance also addresses misogyny, violence against women and girls, and the harmful effects of pornography. 

This information was updated in August 2025.