RSE supporting belonging, mental wellbeing and attendance

11 June 2026

A recent piece of research from the University of Manchester, involving 25,000 young people in Years 8 to 10, found that if pupils had a sense of belonging within school and strong relationships with staff this could protect mental health and reduce school absence (Cheng, 2026).

The study has 3 recommendations which high quality, inclusive Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) can help facilitate. By instilling positive values and developing key social and emotional skills through engaging, inclusive, participatory RSE lessons and building a spiral curriculum which is relevant and responsive schools can develop students understanding and acceptance of others, build individuals self-worth and foster connection and community. Read on to find out more about how RSE links to the reports’ recommendations.

Recommendation 1: Foster a sense of belonging across the school community

The RSE curriculum, which is covered by the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance (2025), is where the skills for healthy relationships are taught therefore a culture where belonging matters needs to include valuing RSHE – allocating enough lesson and planning time, investing in resources and training for staff. Ensuring all staff understand the positive inclusive values being taught through RSE and then consistently modelling these through everyday interactions across the whole school helps build a strong sense of belonging.

Discussions in RSE around how bodies, boundaries, communication styles, sensory experiences and values differ and impact on social interactions, friendships and intimate relationships are crucial in building acceptance and inclusion. At the same time, as educators, we must avoid making assumptions about pupils’ views or behaviours in RSE based on their faith, racial or cultural background, disability, gender or other characteristics. By ensuring LGBT+ identifies and relationships are represented in RSE lessons about healthy relationships, for example, not only will the LGBT+ students in the room engage more and feel included, but we know positive LGBT+ representation reduces bullying, improves mental health and helps all students to feel safer.

These inclusive approaches contribute to building young people’s self-esteem, helping them feel recognised, respected, and confident as part of the school community. However, for inclusion to be genuine and effective it needs to involve the pupils in the school community in shaping their community. Carrying out pupil voice activities to inform RSE can lead to insights that not only improve RSE provision but are relevant to wider aspects of school life. When pupils are asked for their views a response should also be provided as this signals that their voices matter and will be acted on. Marginalised young people are more likely to be absent from school and/or missing from RSE lessons for a variety of reasons, so hearing from these pupils is important as their voices may hold the key to stronger belonging.

Recommendation 2: Build supportive relationships between staff and students

This relies on creating a culture where pupils feel heard, respected, and involved. This starts with teachers positioning themselves not as the sole expert or authority, but as a facilitator of learning, working alongside young people to explore ideas. This approach requires staff that are comfortable with the RSE content, are well-trained and have the time to plan alongside sufficient time in lessons to address RSE topics thoroughly.

Our Safe Uncertainty event explored this in more detail.

Young people tell us that the most important quality of an RSE teacher is being non-judgemental (SEF, 2025). Both in RSE lessons and more widely, schools can reflect on how many of the daily interactions between teachers and pupils are based on curiosity, support and respect vs judgement. Has it been explained clearly and explicitly to students what respectful communication looks like in the context of lessons and wider interactions? This is particularly important for neurodivergent learners, for example young people with Autism often say their directness in communication gets mistaken for rudeness, which leads to being disciplined and shamed in front of peers which can lead to alienation.

Taking a non-judgmental approach doesn’t mean that ‘anything goes’. RSE is a subject discipline that should be developing and modelling critical thinking skills, where staff consistently address offensive comments and challenge stereotypes in the moment, helping pupils understand the impact of language and assumptions, as well as encouraging pupils to consider and question different influences.

Giving pupils choice and ownership over their learning—such as opportunities to shape discussions, ask questions, or explore relevant topics—further strengthens trust. This approach not only increases pupils’ sense of safety but also builds their confidence to engage, contribute, and reflect on their own experiences.

Recommendation 3: Identify emotional difficulties early before they lead to disengagement

Curiosity from staff is key here. When staff are curious about changes in behaviour and where this might be coming from they can address potential concerns earlier. Staff then need the training and support to address those concerns effectively.

It’s also about teaching pupils the social-emotional skills they need to identify and manage their own emotions and reactions. Helping students to recognise where feelings such as hurt or anger may be stemming from, to understand the impact their behaviour has on others and building empathy by sharing different experiences and points of view, are all skills laid out in the new guidance The RSHE guidance also lists core skills for supporting mental health, such as recognising discomfort in self, setting boundaries, managing difficult feelings and seeking help.

The insights and skill-set of those who teach RSE complement staff with pastoral, SEND, attendance and safeguarding roles, but it’s only when the subject is properly valued and invested in that the benefits for the whole school community are realised.

Sex Education Forum believes that investment and valuing of RSE and RSHE should be a joint effort by schools and Government, and we’re calling for a clear action plan from Ministers for long-term improvement in the subject.

Want some more ideas about how to develop evidence-based RSE pedagogy and how to ensure the principles of RSE are firmly embedded throughout your school?

  • Browse our calendar for training courses for new and established RSE teachers.   

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