This House of Commons Library briefing sets out the rules relating to the provision of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in England, as well as statutory health education from 2020
Personal, social, health and economic education in schools (England) (502 KB, PDF)
The PSHE Association defines personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) as:
PSHE is a non-statutory subject, but the Government expects all schools to make provision for it.
The Department for Education guidance on PSHE makes clear that it is largely up to schools to determine what is taught, with teachers “best placed to understand the needs of their pupils.”
The Government provides funding to various bodies, principally the PSHE Association, to support the teaching of PSHE.
In March 2017, the then Education Secretary, Justine Greening, announced her intention to put Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) on a statutory footing. She also announced her intention to create a power to make PSHE statutory in future, following further work and consultation.
The Children and Social Work Act 2017 provides for PSHE to be made statutory at all schools in England through regulations. The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019 provide for statutory health education in schools from September 2020. Schools were encouraged to adopt the new curriculum early, from September 2019.
Guidance on physical health and mental wellbeing education is included as part of the statutory guidance for Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education.
In July 2020 the Department for Education announced that, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the start of teaching in many schools might in practice be delayed, but that schools should be teaching the new material, at least in part, by summer term 2021.
Personal, social, health and economic education in schools (England) (502 KB, PDF)
This briefing paper looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools and pupils. It largely focuses on England, and has been updated following the Prime Minister's February 2021 announcement of the wider reopening of schools in England from 8 March 2021.
This briefing paper details what is known at present about the Turing Scheme, which will replace the Erasmus+ programme in providing funding to participants in universities, colleges, and schools to go on study and work placements across the world from September 2021.
This House of Commons Library briefing sets out the system of support for children and young people in England aged 0-25 with special educational needs (SEN). The briefing provides an overview of the new system introduced in 2014, the transitional arrangements, and how the new system differs from that which preceded it. It also includes a brief history of the movement towards reform that preceded the 2014 changes, and information on the impact of the new system available to date.
