RSE for Pupils with SEND: Practical Approaches That Work

I was running a session on healthy relationships in a special school in Oxfordshire a couple of years ago. I’d planned it carefully, adapted my resources, used clear language. About ten minutes in, a pupil put his hand up and asked me a question so direct and so honest that it completely reframed how I thought about the session. He didn’t need the nuance stripped out. He needed it presented differently.

That’s the thing about RSE for pupils with SEND. The content matters just as much — often more. It’s the delivery that needs to change.

Why this matters more, not less

The DfE’s RSHE statutory guidance, July 2025, which has applied in England since 1 September 2026, reaches these settings on the same terms as every other school. “School” there means “all schools, whether maintained, non-maintained or independent schools, including academies and free schools, non-maintained special schools, maintained special schools and alternative provision, including pupil referral units” (paragraph 7, printed page 3), and PRUs, AP academies and free schools and independent AP schools “are required to make provision for relationships education, RSE and health education in the same way as mainstream schools” (paragraph 10, printed page 3). Teaching “should be developed to ensure these subjects are accessible for pupils with SEND and prepare pupils for adulthood” (paragraph 75, printed page 37), and schools “should be aware that pupils with SEND may be more vulnerable than their peers to harmful sexual behaviour, sexual abuse, exploitation and violence, bullying and other issues” (paragraph 76, printed page 37).

That is not the same as saying nothing can be withdrawn, and it is worth being precise with a parent about which part is which. Parents “do not have the right to withdraw their pupils from relationships and health education, nor can they be withdrawn from topics taught as part of the science curriculum, including science topics related to puberty or sexual reproduction” (paragraph 21, printed page 6). Sex education is the one part a parent can ask about, and SEND does not change how the request is handled: in primary the head teacher “must automatically grant” it other than for science content, and in secondary they “can refuse a request in exceptional circumstances” (paragraph 18, printed page 6). The right to withdraw covers how that plays out in each phase.

What the guidance leaves to you is the delivery. Schools “should develop the curriculum to be relevant, age and stage appropriate and accessible to pupils in their area” (paragraph 15e, printed page 5), and that’s where the practical challenge lies.

What actually works

The Oxfordshire RSE framework for pupils with SEND, developed by practitioners from special schools across the county, is the best resource I’ve come across. It’s built around key safeguarding themes and uses activities, visual resources, and concrete language that work for pupils with a range of needs including autism, moderate learning difficulties, and attachment disorders.

Use concrete, literal language. Abstract concepts like “respect” or “boundaries” need to be anchored in specific, observable behaviours. Instead of “respect someone’s personal space,” try “stand an arm’s length away unless they say it’s OK to be closer.” Pupils with autism in particular benefit from this specificity.

Repetition is your friend. In mainstream settings, you might cover a topic once and move on. In SEND settings, the same concept needs revisiting across multiple sessions, in different contexts, using different examples. The Oxfordshire framework builds this spiral approach into its structure.

Visual resources do heavy lifting. Social stories, comic strip conversations, and visual scales for emotions give pupils concrete reference points they can return to. One school I work with uses a traffic light system for physical contact — green for handshakes and high fives, amber for hugs with permission, red for touches that aren’t OK — and it’s become part of the school’s shared language.

Teach private and public explicitly. The distinction between what’s appropriate in private and what’s appropriate in public is something many pupils with learning difficulties need taught directly and repeatedly. This isn’t about shaming. It’s about giving young people the social knowledge they need to stay safe and navigate the world.

Managing disclosure

SEND settings can have higher rates of disclosure during RSE sessions, partly because the teaching itself helps pupils recognise and name experiences they hadn’t previously understood as harmful. Staff need to be prepared for this. Have clear, practised protocols. Know who your DSL is and how to make a referral without disrupting the session for other pupils.

The emotional impact on staff shouldn’t be underestimated either. Delivering RSE in settings where vulnerability is high can be draining. Make sure staff have access to supervision and debrief time.

Trusted resources

• Relationships Education and Sex Education framework for pupils with SEND and/or additional needs, Oxfordshire County Council, updated July 2022. Activities and resources organised by safeguarding theme, written by practitioners from special schools across the county.
• Safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people, NSPCC Learning. Risk and vulnerability factors, safeguarding procedures, and direct work.
• Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, DfE, July 2025. Which schools it applies to at printed page 3; pupils with SEND at printed page 37; withdrawal at printed page 6.
• The DfE publication page, which confirms the version in force in England.

If your school needs support adapting your RSE programme for pupils with SEND, get in touch.