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Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education

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Further support

What is PSHE, and why is it important?

Personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) education equips pupils with the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to stay healthy and safe, while also preparing them for life and work in the future. When taught effectively, PSHE helps pupils reach their academic potential and leaves them equipped with lifelong skills. High-quality PSHE can also strengthen a school’s safeguarding culture.

Statutory guidance for quality PSHE delivery

The statutory guidance sets out what schools should do and the legal duties they must comply with when teaching Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), and Health Education. The guidance also emphasises that while an established PSHE curriculum is necessary, lessons should be adapted to meet the needs of local communities and responsive to pupils’ individual needs.

The introduction of statutory RSHE focuses on mandatory education in these areas:

  • Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco
  • RSE
  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Safety, including online safety and addressing internet harms
  • Physical activity

For more information, visit the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education guidance.

For support with understanding the statutory guidance, the PSHE Association has developed practical guidance.

News and updates

We encourage school staff to subscribe to the PEP bulletin for weekly term-time news and updates. Please email [email protected] to be added to the mailing list.

For any queries related to PSHE delivery, please contact Portsmouth City Council’s Public Health team at [email protected].

Further support

PSHE Association
A trusted source for approved lesson plans on various PSHE topics. The PSHE Association also offers a curriculum builder and an audit tool to help schools assess their PSHE provision and implement improvements.

All schools in Portsmouth should have a membership—please contact PCC Public Health if you are a PSHE lead and need access.

School Zone (Department of Health and Social Care)
School Zone provides curriculum-linked, PSHE Association-accredited teaching resources for primary and secondary schools, including lesson plans, wellbeing tools, and assembly resources.

Sex Education Forum
The Sex Education Forum is a charity focused on ensuring young people have access to high-quality RSE by sharing best practices, monitoring RSE provision, and identifying gaps.

All schools in Portsmouth should have a membership—please contact PCC Public Health if you are a PSHE lead and need access.

  • Portsmouth Education Partnership includes other webpages on topics related to PSHE, including anti-bullying, anti-racism and inclusion. The PEP bulletin also provides weekly updates.
  • PSHE network (termly meetings) – please contact PCC Public Health if you are a PSHE lead interested in local networking.
  • Safe4me – Hampshire Constabulary resources for educators, service providers and parents to help keep children and young people safe.
  • Portsmouth Sexual Health Service – access RSE resources and support via Let’s Talk About It, including inset training day offers.
  • Portsmouth Young Parent Care Pathway – outlining what services are available for pregnant young people.

Since the introduction of statutory PSHE in schools, parents have the right to request to withdraw their child from sex education delivered as part of RSE in secondary schools. This right should generally be granted up to three terms before their child turns 16. After that, if the child wishes to receive sex education, the school should make arrangements for this during one of the three terms before they turn 16.

There is no right to withdraw from Relationships Education at either primary or secondary school, as topics like family, friendship, and safety (including online safety) are vital for all children to learn.

Schools invest considerable time in communicating with parents, recognising the importance of strong, constructive, and open dialogue. The Department for Education has published guidance on engaging parents with RSE.

We recommend promoting Wessex Healthier Together and Family Assist to empower parents and carers in having supportive and informed conversations with their children about PSHE topics.

The National Governors’ Association (NGA), in partnership with the PSHE Association, has developed specific guidance for governing boards related to PSHE. They emphasise the crucial link between PSHE, safeguarding, and wellbeing in schools.

The national RSHE guidance outlines statutory requirements and provides recommendations for governing boards or management committees.

NGA members can access additional information on relationship education and RSE.

The Key for School Governors also provides guidance on how to:

External providers can add valuable expertise to PSHE lessons. However, educators should take care when selecting providers, ensuring their content is accurate, appropriate, and aligns with statutory guidance.

Best practice guidance from the PSHE Association can be found here.

Key considerations when working with external providers:

  • Ensure they comply with statutory guidance, and the content is age appropriate.
  • Critically appraise providers—establish their agenda and motives, and review lesson plans beforehand.
  • Ensure teachers are present in the room when external providers deliver their sessions.

Beyond the PSHE Association, there are many organisations creating reliable content which can be used in PSHE lessons. These can be found by joining the national PSHE network, which acts as a platform for sharing materials, responding to emerging issues, and asking questions. The knowledge hub can be accessed here.

Here are some examples of reliable sources of information:

Physical health

Mental health and wellbeing

Safeguarding

Sexual health

Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco

LGBTQ+

This list is not exhaustive. Educators should always critically assess the credibility of any information source before incorporating it into their lesson plans.