Why 16–18-year-olds need better RSE in further education
Young people in England must continue in education or training until at least their 18th birthday. Yet relationships and sex education is still not mandatory for every student under 18 in a further education college. The government has committed to changing this and is considering how mandatory provision should be introduced.
At 16 to 18, many young people are navigating greater independence, intimate relationships, digital spaces and new social pressures. Every student should have access to inclusive, evidence-based education about consent, healthy relationships, coercive control, sexual harassment and where to find support.
For educators: Download Our Streets Now’s free KS5 RSE lesson plans, or enquire about a sixth-form and further-education workshop.
What is RSE?
RSE (relationships and sexuality education) or RSHE (relationships, sex and health education) refer to the teaching of a statutory curriculum set out by the UK government for children and adolescents. The RSE curriculum varies by country, and for primary school and higher education, but overall covers healthy relationships, safety (including online), sexual intimacy and puberty.
My personal school RSE education experience
I was 21 when I first learned about consent in a mandatory class in an educational setting. My RSHE provision until that point consisted of some basic anatomy learning, an hour on contraception, and an extremely memorable (and harrowing) video of childbirth…
It wasn’t until my Masters that I attended a workshop addressing consent, sexual violence and healthy relationships. This was only mandatory due to the hard work of student campaigners who were fed up with the lack of provision and organised themselves to deliver workshops to the entire student body.
What are the changes to RSHE?
Luckily things have got much better in the past 8 years. RSHE provision for secondary schools has been totally rehauled, and whilst it isn’t perfect, it is finally being given the time and space the subject deserves. Young people in UK schools can now expect to learn about healthy relationships, consent, sexual violence, gender stereotypes and online safety before the age of 16.
This is brilliant, except that’s where it stops.
RSHE is not mandatory in further education, and young people deserve better
Despite 16 year olds being at such a critical age for exploring sex and relationships, and being in mandatory education for a further two years, there is no obligation for educational settings to provide RSHE beyond year 11.
The Make It Mandatory campaign was launched five years ago by an incredible group of young people who knew that they deserved better. Their award-winning founder, Faustine Petron, experienced relationship abuse in her early teens and noticed the lack of education around warning signs, coercive relationships and consent there was for over 16s.
After five years of campaigning and pointing out this crucial gap in the curriculum, the campaign had a huge win when the government made a public commitment to the campaign in their December 2025 Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy.
The campaign for mandatory RSE
We’ll be supporting Make It Mandatory in holding the government to account on this commitment, and in the meantime we’ve been busy refreshing our Key Stage Five RSE resources, for teachers looking to fill the gap in the curriculum.
The government has also produced statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education.
Free RSE lesson plans and sex education resources for KS5
In our one hour lessons, we cover topics including a deeper look at consent and the ways in which gender stereotypes and cultural attitudes impact it, laws around consent, intersectional experiences of public sexual harassment and more. We use case studies, videos and interactive activities to bring these lessons to life and to engage over 16s on these important topics.
Download the free KS5 lesson plans for practical, ready-to-use activities on consent, public sexual harassment and healthy relationships.
Workshops for sixth forms and colleges
Our Streets Now also delivers interactive workshops and talks for sixth forms and further education settings.
The Cultures of Sexual Harassment workshop explores consent, gender stereotypes, objectification and the everyday attitudes that can normalise harassment. Our Sixth Form Talk uses media and film examples to examine victim-blaming, pressures on men and boys, and the role every student can play in challenging harm.
Sessions can support existing RSE, safeguarding and enrichment provision while giving students space to discuss difficult issues with experienced facilitators.
Further Education RSE - FAQs
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RSE stands for relationships and sex education. RSHE means relationships, sex and health education. Both terms describe education that can cover healthy relationships, consent, sexual health, safety and harmful behaviour.
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RSE is not yet mandatory for every under-18 student in an FE college in England. The government has committed to exploring how to make it mandatory, while school sixth forms are already covered by statutory RSE requirements.
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Post-16 RSE should be age-appropriate and inclusive. It should address consent, healthy relationships, coercive control, sexual harassment, image-based abuse, online safety, gender stereotypes, sexual health and routes to support.
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Yes. Our Streets Now offers workshops and talks for sixth forms and further education settings, alongside CPD-accredited training for staff.
