Jono's end of year update 2023/24

Transcript

Hello and congratulations on reaching the end of another busy school year. We know this year won’t have been without its challenges for you and your colleagues, but we hope you’ve also had your share of successes, breakthroughs and rewarding moments along the way. 

Back in September of last year, we set out key policy developments and projects to look out for, including the much-anticipated draft statutory RSHE guidance — the consultation period for which ended on Thursday last week.

We and others in the sector, including leading safeguarding, child protection, violence against women and girls organisations, teaching and leadership unions and others have deep concerns that this draft RSHE guidance is not fit for purpose. Suggested age restrictions on content, for example, would leave children and young people at increased risk and defies evidence. We outlined these concerns in greater detail in our analysis of the draft guidance and in our consultation response.

But such is the level of our worry that we and over 100 other organisations have supported a joint statement of concern that calls for the draft guidance to be discarded. Visit rshe.uk for the full statement, which outlines specific concerns in relation to safeguarding, wellbeing and inclusion. We remain hopeful that the new government will take these concerns seriously.

For now, the current guidance, introduced in 2020, remains in place. Though not perfect, it is based on robust evidence and widespread consultation. Improvements in RSHE under this current guidance are the beginning of a success story with young people noting significant improvements since it became statutory. We want any update to build on what’s already been achieved.

We also want PSHE education, and those of you who teach it, to be championed for improving safeguarding and wellbeing rather than demonised as a problem to be solved, and for any future review to approach the subject from this constructive perspective. Because you deserve better. And so do the children and young people you teach. 

Elsewhere, there have been more positive policy developments.

We welcomed the findings from the Education Select Committee financial education inquiry, which recommended, among other things, that the economic and financial elements of PSHE education should be made statutory. This is an area of PSHE education that many of you are already doing well, but we want all children and young people to benefit.

As we know, there are still too many pupils missing out on learning about budgeting, saving and developing the financial literacy to avoid fraud and other complex financial harms — especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. That’s why we’re launching a new lesson pack later this year on child financial harms, and continuing our work with partners in the sector to highlight these important and often overlooked issues and keep the ‘E’ in PSHE. Watch this space.  

Now, despite compelling evidence and widespread support for the subject, there’s sometimes a lack of understanding, or a misunderstanding, of what the PSHE education curriculum actually covers, and why. Responding to this, we launched a new reference tool bringing together the evidence base for the importance of PSHE education, using prevalence statistics and impact evidence showing how PSHE education can help keep young people happy, healthy and safe. Use PSHE education: what it covers and why it works to help you explain the rationale behind PSHE education, and specific topic choices in your school’s curriculum with colleagues, inspectors and parents and carers.

We’ve also published a range of articles, video-essays and podcasts via Fully Human, our research and development arm – on everything from misogyny and the manosphere to speaking machines and attentional wellbeing. Look out for more fresh perspectives on TikTok, objectification, consent, ed-tech, and more, coming next year. Subscribe to Fully Human (for free) to see where we go next.

Thanks again for all your support during the year. We are here to help over the summer and look forward to working together with you again in the new school year.

In the meantime, from all of us at the Association, enjoy your summer break. We’ll see you on the other side.