Positive relationship education

Guidance, resources and information when considering your response to reports of sexual violence and sexual harassment

Our press statement was issued 30 March 2021 in response to the ongoing media activity surrounding the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ website.

Members may also find these resources helpful when considering your response to situations arising from reports of sexual harassment and for planning lessons on RSHE.

Statutory guidance for schools on safeguarding
DfE, Keeping Children Safe in Education
Key DfE advice on Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges

Parliamentary reports
House of Commons, Women and Equalities Committee Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools (third report of session 2016-17)

RSHE curriculum
The RSHE curriculum provides the opportunity to build a culture of healthy relationships from the very start of a child’s educational journey.

RSHE implementation guidance from ASCL, NAHT, NEU, the PSHE Association and the Sex Education Forum to support schools with statutory relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education (RSHE) curriculum requirements.

Resources for tackling online sexual harassment
In 2020, ASCL worked with the School of Sexuality Education to produce the following resources:

Online Sexual Harassment: Comprehensive guidance for schools: a comprehensive understanding of online sexual harassment for anyone working in secondary schools in England. Including the relevant laws, evidence-base and best-practice approaches to understanding, preventing and managing young people’s experiences of online sexual harassment.
Online Sexual Harassment: School policy: designed to support school leaders to implement the approaches and recommendations laid out in the Online Sexual Harassment: Comprehensive Guidance document (above), including a policy checklist
Online Sexual Harassment: Guidance for students: guidance for young people on what online behaviours constitute sexual harassment, and what to do if they experience any form of online harm.
RSHE Policy Guide and Template: intended as a guide for use in English secondary schools as a guide for school leaders when developing their organisation’s RSHE policy

Managing reports of child-on-child assault and harassment
ASCL Premier Partner Browne Jacobson has provided advice here.

PSHE Association guidance
PSHE Association guidance on teaching about pornography (includes a research briefing on the impact of pornography)
PSHE Association guidance on teaching about consent

Teaching resources with the PSHE Association Quality Mark

Alice Ruggles Trust: Relationship Safety resource (focused on stalking and harassment)
Disrespect Nobody: teaching resources preventing teenage relationship abuse
Home Office: Something’s not right (focused on reporting abuse)
University of Exeter: Working out relationships
Medway: Managing healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviours (member only)

Other resources
Brook - advice and help for young people
Digital Awareness UK - resources for schools, colleges, students, and parents on using tech safely (and including the Tech Control campaign delivered jointly with HMC)
National Police Chiefs' Council and Vulnerability Knowledge & Practice Programme - Covid-19 sitrep calls (reporting routes during Covid-19)
The Rap Project - information for teenagers, parents, and teachers
University of Bedfordshire Contextual Safeguarding Network
Beyond Referrals
Harmful sexual behaviour in schools: a briefing on the findings, implications and resources for schools and multi-agency partners
Student engagement sessions