What we do

The Sex Education Forum is a charity that works to ensure that all young people can get high-quality Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).

We bring together a range of professionals and organisations to make sure the RSE young people get is right for them and is the best it can be. We do this by training educators and sharing research with teachers, school leaders and politicians.

We believe quality RSE should be factual, based on what has the most positive impact on young people, and give young people the skills and knowledge to form healthy and respectful relationships. RSE should meet the needs and challenges young people experience and be part of lifelong learning. Lessons should be engaging and inclusive for all young people. For RSE to be most impactful, it should be delivered by confident, knowledgeable educators in a safe learning environment which rejects prejudice, discrimination and bullying.


Convening

We bring together our partners and wider stakeholders to share best practice, research, monitor the provision of RSE, explore and respond to new themes and identify gaps. Working together with our partners, members and wider stakeholders is central to everything we do.

Training and advising

We support educators with high quality specialist training, resources and a membership scheme, so they can be competent and confident providers of RSE, in partnership with parents, carers, children and young people.

Using the evidence to inform policy and practice

We gather international evidence about effective RSE and use this to inform policy and practice and to increase public understanding of the benefits of RSE.  Established in 1987, the Sex Education Forum has a long history of influencing policy, that is grounded in the latest research and evidence, and supporting educators with resources and advice.

Join our RSE community

For schools, educators, researchers and other professionals involved in RSE, the Sex Education Forum is an indispensable source of knowledge and support - we hope you will consider joining us.

  • Join as a member if you are a school, educator or other professional involved in RSE
  • Become a partner if you are an organisation or individual working in the field of RSE or a wider stakeholder with a policy, practice or research interest
  • Sign up for our updates to stay in touch
     

Our values and principles 

Our commitment to high quality RSE in schools is summarised in the 12 principles displayed in this poster, which also demonstrates how we work with partners to unify voices in support of evidence-based RSE.   

We constantly welcome new partners and new educators to join us. If you would like to sample our free information it is simple to sign up for our free newsletter.  

All our partners are in agreement with a set of 10 values. These apply to RSE across a range of settings, including schools. We believe that quality RSE should:

  • Be accurate and factual, covering a comprehensive range of information about sex, relationships, the law and sexual health, in order to make informed choices. In schools this should be part of compulsory curriculum provision;
  • Be positively inclusive in terms of gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, culture, age, religion or belief or other life-experience particularly HIV status and pregnancy;
  • Include the development of skills to support healthy and safe relationships and ensure good communication about these issues;
  • Promote a critical awareness of the different attitudes and views on sex and relationships within society such as peer norms and those portrayed in the media;
  • Provide opportunities for reflection in order to nurture personal values based on mutual respect and care;
  • Be part of lifelong learning, starting early in childhood and continuing throughout life. It should reflect the age and level of the learner;
  • Ensure children and young people are clearly informed of their rights such as how they can access confidential advice and health services within the boundaries of safeguarding;
  • Be relevant and meet the needs of children and young people, and actively involve them as participants, advocates and evaluators in developing good quality provision;
  • Be delivered by competent and confident educators;
  • Be provided within a learning environment which is safe for the children, young people and adults involved and based on the principle that prejudice, discrimination and bullying are harmful and unacceptable.

If you agree with these values and principles why not become a partner or member of the Sex Education Forum.