Developing respect and understanding: The quality and impact of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools and pupil referral units: government response

This thematic report is written in response to a request for advice from the Welsh Government in their remit letter to Estyn for 2025 to 2026. 

The report focuses on the teaching and learning of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools and pupil referral units (PRUs). The aim of the report is to provide an insight into the strengths and areas for improvement in how schools plan and teachers RSE. It highlights examples of effective practice in the schools and settings visited and provides recommendations to improve the provision for RSE as part of Curriculum for Wales.

The report presents a broadly positive picture of RSE across Welsh schools and PRUs. Strong leadership, inclusive values and effective safeguarding arrangements mean that most pupils feel safe, respected and supported. However, we note that the quality of provision is not yet consistently strong. A key challenge relates to improving progression across age groups, building staff confidence in teaching sensitive topics, and evaluating the actual impact of RSE on pupils rather than simply monitoring curriculum coverage.

The report highlighted a few areas for reflection and consideration, which include:

Strong Culture of Well-being and Inclusion

Most schools and PRUs have a strong culture of well-being, respect and inclusion, with RSE often embedded in wider safeguarding and well-being approaches.

Positive Learner Experiences

Most pupils benefit from age-appropriate learning and inclusive environments that promote equality, diversity and respectful relationships.

Effective Partnership Working

Many schools use partnerships with health, police and third-sector organisations to strengthen support and respond to issues such as online safety, misogyny and exploitation.

Strengthening Progression Across the Curriculum

While many schools map RSE topics across year groups, few have secured clear progression from ages 3 to 16, with limited primary-secondary collaboration affecting continuity.

Inconsistent Staff Confidence

Practitioner confidence remains variable, particularly when teaching sensitive topics such as sexuality, gender identity, misogyny and harmful gender norms.

Limited Coverage of Sensitive Topics

Topics relating to sex, gender and sexuality are not always covered consistently or in sufficient depth, leading to variation in learners’ experiences.

Evaluation Focused on Delivery Rather Than Impact

Schools often monitor delivery rather than evaluating the impact of RSE on learners’ knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and decision-making.

Capacity and Resource Constraints

Time, funding, specialist professional learning and variable local authority support can limit schools’ ability to build sustainable RSE expertise.

Recommendations for schools and pupil referral units

Recommendation 1

Strengthen curriculum planning to secure coherent and developmentally appropriate progression in relationships and sexuality education (RSE) from ages 3 to 16.

Recommendation 2

Improve the quality and consistency of RSE teaching through targeted, subject-specific professional learning that builds practitioners’ confidence and pedagogical expertise. 

Welsh Government response:

While local authorities are responsible for local school improvement arrangements, Welsh Government will continue to support national consistency through the Curriculum for Wales grant funded programmes that support schools and PRUs to strengthen curriculum planning, secure coherent progression in RSE from ages 3 to 16 and build practitioners’ confidence and pedagogical expertise.

Dysgu will also play an important role in supporting high-quality professional learning and the continued development of effective RSE practice.

Recommendations for Local authorities, school improvement partnerships and Dysgu

Recommendation 3

Ensure consistent access to specialist support and high-quality professional learning related to pedagogy for RSE for all schools and PRUs.

Recommendation 4

Facilitate effective collaboration between primary and secondary schools to support coherent and developmentally appropriate progression in RSE.

Welsh Government response:

Local authorities are responsible for school improvement services. The Welsh Government recognises the importance of consistent access to specialist support and high quality professional learning to strengthen RSE pedagogy across all schools and PRUs.

Through the Curriculum for Wales Grant Support Programme, the Welsh Government has invested £4.2 million in Stori’s Addysg Cwtch, a three-year national programme providing targeted support across local authorities to help practitioners and leaders deliver high-quality RSE and promote healthy, respectful relationships through a whole-school approach.

We will continue to work with local authorities, school improvement partnerships and Dysgu to support a coordinated approach to these recommendations, building on existing Curriculum for Wales grant funded activity. This will help strengthen practitioner confidence, share effective practice, and support collaboration between primary and secondary schools so that learners experience coherent and developmentally appropriate progression in RSE.

Recommendations for the Welsh Government

Recommendation 5

Strengthen national guidance to support progression and the evaluation of impact in RSE.

Recommendation 6

Ensure sustainable funding to support professional learning, leadership capacity and partnership working.

Welsh Government response:

We accept these recommendations and recognise the importance of clear national support to help schools and PRUs support RSE implementation.

We will work in partnership with local authorities and we also recognise the importance of working closely with Dysgu as their remit for RSE develops.

Through the Curriculum for Wales Grant Support Programme, the Welsh Government is investing £4.2 million in Stori’s Addysg Cwtch, a three-year national programme providing targeted support across local authorities to help practitioners and leaders deliver high-quality RSE and promote healthy, respectful relationships through a whole-school approach.

National support focusses on:

• delivering consistent, confident, and measurable relationships and sexuality education (RSE), equipping practitioners with cross-curricular knowledge and understanding needed to embed it effectively
• enhancing RSE understanding among governors, parents and carers, clarifying its content, methodology and positive impact on learners
• ensuring learner voice remains central to curriculum development and implementation

The Welsh Government will continue to work collaboratively across Government on the preventative agenda to safeguard learners, promote healthy and respectful relationships, and ensure that schools are supported to deliver high-quality RSE as part of Curriculum for Wales.

We will continue to use existing guidance, professional learning and partnership arrangements to support schools, PRUs, local authorities and partners to build confidence, strengthen practice and respond effectively to emerging risks.

We will also continue to consider how national support for RSE can help schools evaluate the impact of their provision on learners’ knowledge, well-being, attitudes and decision-making, while sustaining professional learning, leadership capacity and effective partnership working.

Further work in this area includes the wider programme of safeguarding reform, which is informed by the findings and recommendations of Our Bravery Brought Justice. This work is focused on strengthening national arrangements, improving consistency across education settings, and supporting effective identification, reporting and management of safeguarding concerns.

We are reviewing and updating national safeguarding guidance to provide clearer expectations for education settings, local authorities and partners. This includes arrangements for recognising and responding to concerns, escalating professional challenge, recording and sharing information appropriately, and ensuring safeguarding responsibilities are clearly understood by staff and leaders.

Alongside this, we are strengthening professional learning, including support on grooming, abuse of trust, coercive and controlling behaviours, and the maintenance of appropriate professional boundaries. This will support practitioners and leaders to identify relevant indicators, respond appropriately to concerns and apply safeguarding procedures consistently.

The full report can be accessed on Estyn’s website, and was published on 01 July 2026.