Preparing for the new RSHE 2026 Guidance: promoting healthy masculinity and helping boys thrive

From September 2026, the government’s updated Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) Guidance will become legally binding for all schools in England. Among the most significant updates is a new expectation that schools will teach pupils to recognise and act against misogyny and to learn from positive male role models.

This update follows growing concern over online misogyny, with one in five UK males aged 16 to 29 reportedly holding positive views of Andrew Tate’s content - a trend highlighted earlier this year in Netflix’s Adolescence  as evidence of the need for education on healthy, respectful masculinity.

For schools, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity: to refresh how they teach relationships, gender and respect in their PSHE curriculum content, and to strengthen their approach to Ofsted’s “personal development” criteria.

At Voicebox, we’ve already supported more than 50,000 young people and 200 schools and organisations to explore healthy masculinity and positive gender relations. Below, we'll break down what the new RSHE guidance means for your school, and how to start preparing now.

What's important about the RSHE 2026 guidance on masculinity and misogyny?

The new guidance clearly highlights that respectful relationships are not just one part of RSHE, they are its foundation.

• For primary schools: The focus is on helping children develop the skills and knowledge that underpin positive relationships, supporting them to grow into kind, caring adults who know how to keep themselves and others safe.
  

• For secondary schools: Pupils should learn “How stereotypes, in particular those based on sex, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation, can cause damage… and how to recognise misogyny and other forms of prejudice.”

They should also explore how subcultures and online influences (including “incel” movements and certain social media figures) can distort ideas about masculinity, respect, and consent.

In short, this guidance expects schools to equip young people with the empathy, critical thinking and emotional literacy they need to navigate living in a digital world full of conflicting messages.

What challenges are schools currently facing?

Over the past two years, schools we’ve partnered with have raised the same recurring concerns, all of which the new RSHE guidance seeks to address.

1. “Pack mentality”

Many teachers tell us that, individually, many of the boys they work with are wonderful, kind, empathetic young men. But when they're in a group with other boys, they behave in ways that are inconsiderate, or downright harmful to themselves and others.

Often, these groups discourage vulnerability or individuality. When young people are performing harmful masculinity for each other, it can be difficult to break through a “performative masculinity” that prizes dominance over empathy. 

2. Misogyny

Misogynistic attitudes often emerge early and can escalate quickly, especially when ideas are influenced from online trends and influencers. Staff often feel underprepared to stay in-the-know and challenge this confidently and constructively. 

Almost every school we speak to mentions that boys respond differently to female staff than they do male staff. 

3. Disengagement from RSHE

Schools find that often, boys view PSHE or RSHE sessions as “not for them”. This is especially the case when attempting to discuss feminism, gender equality and masculinity. 

We often hear that boys disengage, disrupt, or become resentful during these conversations. Without tailored engagement, content can fail to connect and further boys' disengagement.

4. Social media influencers

Online influencers promoting rigid or harmful views of manhood have huge reach. Schools are seeing an evident impact in pupils’ attitudes, language, and behaviour with new phrases and terms popping up in classroom conversations (refer to our free glossary for guidance on Gen Z and Gen Alpha terms).

5. Positive role models

A lack of visible, diverse male role models in schools and online can limit boys’ sense of what masculinity can look like to narrow, regressive, or harmful versions of masculinity. This may be especially true if they have a lack of male role models in their personal/family life.

6. Homophobia and gender stereotypes

'Humour' grounded in homophobia, and often fuelled by an inherent fear of anything feminine or "looking/acting like a girl", undermines school's efforts towards inclusion and wellbeing for all pupils.

7. Cultural differences

Teachers are balancing complex cultural and religious expectations around gender and behaviour, and often need extra support to approach these conversations sensitively.

Meeting Ofsted’s Personal Development expectations

The most recent Ofsted inspection handbook outlines four key areas under “personal development” where schools can excel, all of which align directly with the RSHE 2026 guidance.

Schools are expected to:

• Develop pupils’ character - nurturing integrity, reflection, and cooperation.
  

• Promote equality and diversity - ensuring all pupils understand that difference is a positive.
  

• Encourage active citizenship - helping pupils become respectful, responsible members of society.
  

• Support readiness for the next phase of education - equipping pupils with confidence, empathy and respect as they transfer either from primary to secondary, or from secondary to further education.
  

Embedding the principles of healthy masculinity - respect, kindness, self-awareness and equality - directly supports these Ofsted goals.

In short, preparing for the 2026-27 academic year now will not only ensure compliance but could also strengthen your school’s Ofsted inspection outcomes.

How to prepare for the RSHE 2026 guidance on positive masculinity

Here are five practical steps your school can take this year to embed the new expectations and create a lasting, positive impact.

1. Build the foundations in primary education

An understanding of healthy masculinity needs to start early. Primary schools are uniquely positioned to shape how children understand empathy, fairness and respect.

Voicebox’s KS2 workshops for Years 5 and 6 help pupils:

• Explore and challenge gender stereotypes.

• Reflect on societal pressures.

• Prepare emotionally and socially for the transition to secondary school.

This directly supports Ofsted’s goal of building character and readiness for the next phase of education.

2. Make space for genuinely safe conversations

Boys need to talk, and they need to know they can do so without judgement. Often boys will disengage from a conversation if they think they're going to get in trouble when saying what they really think. 

Schools that provide genuinely safe spaces for open discussion around masculinity, where the adults in the room won't reprimand, will see better engagement and improved behaviour.

Voicebox’s KS3 and KS4 workshops give young people a platform to explore:

• What masculinity means to them.

• The pressures they experience from peers and online spaces.

• How respect, empathy and equality strengthen relationships.

  
  

By fostering judgment-free dialogue, schools can help boys develop a more confident, thoughtful understanding of both themselves and others, laying the groundwork for lasting and positive change.

3. Invest in staff confidence and training

Teachers want to help, but they often feel unsure how to respond to misogyny when they see it without escalating tension.

Voicebox’s Staff Training provides the tools, understanding and confidence to act. Designed for teachers, youth workers and support staff across primary and secondary settings, it helps teams:

• Understand the lived experience of boys today.

• Explore how social media shapes identity and masculinity.

• Recognise and respond effectively to unhealthy attitudes.

• Promote empathy, equality and respect in daily practice.

This training also supports Ofsted’s expectation that staff contribute to pupils’ wider development beyond the classroom. When staff model these principles, they embed them throughout the school culture.

4. Engage with parents and guardians proactively

The new RSHE guidance calls for schools to “proactively engage with parents” about curriculum content. Building transparency around what’s taught helps secure parental trust and reinforces learning at home.

Practical ideas include:

• Hosting parent information sessions or Q&As about RSHE content.

• Sharing lesson overviews and key discussion points.

• Providing take-home resources that encourage family dialogue.

Voicebox's Parent Sessions offer parents and carers practical tools to understand and respond to the messages boys and young people receive about masculinity today.

5. Gather and showcase impact evidence

When Ofsted inspectors ask about RSHE and personal development, they’re looking for evidence of intent, implementation and impact.

You can demonstrate this by:

• Gathering pupil voice data to track engagement and attitudes.

• Mapping where healthy masculinity themes appear across PSHE, assemblies, and pastoral work.

• Recording staff CPD that links to RSHE priorities.

• Highlighting partnerships with external experts such as Voicebox.

By showing a clear, proactive approach, schools can evidence that they are ahead of the curve on RSHE 2026.

How Voicebox can support your school

At Voicebox, we specialise in helping schools bring these conversations to life. We offer:

• Workshops for Year 5 and Year 6 - Age-appropriate sessions that help pupils explore kindness, respect, and "inner strength" while challenging early gender stereotypes and preparing students for the transition to secondary school.

  
  

• KS3 - KS5 workshops - Interactive workshops that give young people space to reflect on masculinity, peer pressure, and online influences in a judgement-free, fun and collaborative environment. 
  

• Staff Training that equips teachers and youth workers to challenge unhealthy masculinity and foster positive change.
  

• Parent Sessions which support parents and carers by giving them practical strategies to understand and respond to the messages shaping boys’ and young people’s ideas about masculinity today.

All our sessions are interactive, evidence-based and built around creating genuinely safe spaces for questions, thoughts and ideas. 

By updating your RSHE curriculum now, your school can:

• Lead confidently on RSHE and personal development.

• Empower boys to thrive and reject harmful stereotypes.

• Equip teachers and parents to support meaningful change.

• Help boost your Ofsted rating.

Find out more about Voicebox's services here.