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2w ago

Government Finalizes RSHE Guidance to Normalize Worry and Curb Self-Diagnosis

Effective September 2026, schools must build resilience by teaching that worry is a normal emotion rather than a disorder.

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Updated RSHE guidance is designed to help equip young children with the tools they need to handle low moods or anxiety
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Overview

  • In July 2025 Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson finalized RSHE guidance aimed at tightening earlier drafts and responding to surging NEET rates and mental health–related worklessness.
  • The guidance instructs schools to teach that feelings of worry and low mood are normal experiences and not symptoms of a mental health disorder.
  • Teachers must avoid encouraging pupils to self-diagnose everyday emotions as conditions such as anxiety or depression.
  • The curriculum still requires factual lessons on the characteristics and prevalence of serious mental health conditions alongside resilience approaches.
  • The measures, effective from September 2026, build on a May 2025 youth mental health strategy to expand NHS support in schools and reduce long-term absence.