How the 2025 National Curriculum review affects RSHE and PSHE in primary schools in England

A major review of the national curriculum has just been published. The review takes an in-depth look at what is working well and what needs to change in schools in England. Reading the recommendations for the first time, we are feeling positive about many of the potential changes.

Here is what the changes mean for PSHE and RSHE in primary schools

Developing Life Skills: RSHE, PSHE and Citizenship in the 2025 National Curriculum Review

The review talks prolifically about a curriculum that needs to respond to social and technological changes, ensuring that children have the necessary skills to thrive in modern society.

Recommendations have been made to ensure that Citizenship content at primary becomes statutory. Evidence has shown that Citizenship education leads to better outcomes for children as they move to adulthood, allowing them to foster more positive attitudes towards civic participation (Association for Citizenship Teaching, 2022). Citizenship education, the review shows, also plays an important role in developing children into kind, reflective and empathetic adults.

Under the banner of Citizenship education, the review highlights a number of key topics including financial education, law and rights, democracy and government, media literacy, climate education, and skills linked to oracy. If these recommendations are confirmed, the topics will form part of the primary curriculum from 2027.

We were particularly pleased to see these subject areas linked with children’s ability to express opinions, listen, disagree respectfully and understand others’ points of views. We see these skills as a vital part of children’s development and with them playing an important role in The Story Project curriculum already, we were delighted to see them highlighted so keenly.

In fact, oracy recommendations form a large part of the review. According to the National Foundation for Educational Research, communication skills and English language skills are in the top 20 skills employers look for (NFER, 2024).

While the review seems to suggest that oracy will sit as a stand-alone framework. We think it has great benefits and practical application within RSHE, PSHE and Citizenship education.

It is also encouraging to see that the review recommends a streamlining of the current non-statutory programme of study for Citizenship, which has some overlapping areas with the new 2025 RSHE guidance. We hope this eases the pressure on the volume of content in this area.

Reflecting our Changing Society and Inclusion for All

The review places great emphasis on ensuring that the new National Curriculum is inclusive and diverse, reflecting our society and exposing children to the many different cultures, backgrounds and lives in our societies.

The recommendations also look at how the curriculum can be adapted for all learners and made more accessible for SEND students. We were pleased to see that the review recommends that teachers be given more support to use adaptive teaching practices.

We have seen evidence in our work with The Story Project that children need to be reflected in lesson content. This view was mirrored by evidence in the review; “Young people have told us that not seeing themselves in the curriculum, or encountering negative portrayals, can be disempowering and demotivating…Representation must go hand in hand with broadening horizons; it should not mean limiting children and young people to narrow frames of reference based on their background.” (Curriculum and Assessment Review, 2025).

This recognition paves the way for more diverse and inclusive practices and content, suggesting that the new curriculum will have a much greater emphasis on authentic and positive representation.

This aligns neatly with The Story Project‘s ethos and views of inclusivity in the PSHE/RSHE curriculum, so it is a change we are delighted to see. We feel that diversity and inclusion can be explored to great effect in PSHE teaching, as it provides an opportunity for discussion, opinion sharing and empathy building.

A Timeline: When Will Schools Start Teaching the New National Curriculum?

Thankfully, we have some time to digest the changes and prepare for its implementation. The DfE has suggested the following timeline for the new National Curriculum:

Spring 2027 – new National Curriculum published

September 2028 – first teaching of the revised National Curriculum

September 2029 – first teaching of some GCSEs, with others to follow by 2030

Our Thoughts on the 2025 National Curriculum Review

At The Story Project, we are delighted to see the changes detailed above, from financial literacy and oracy skills, we believe that these recommended changes will have a positive outcome on children’s wellbeing, mental health and academic outcomes.

Giving young people the skills they need to lead happy, fulfilled and safe lives has to be the priority for education.

While maths, English, science and other core subjects all remain vital, it is the life skills and PSHE knowledge that support children’s personal development and allows them to make positive choices. The introduction of statutory Citizenship education and an oracy framework will provide these much needed life skills, developing children in to rounded citizens equipped for modern society.

How The Story Project Can Support Your School

Feeling unsure about how the recommended changes will impact RSHE/PSHE at your school? Don’t worry, we are here to help!

We are already working away behind the scenes to keep updated on any new changes. As a not-for-profit, teacher-led organisation we really care about getting it right for your children.

In fact, our book-led PSHE curriculum already meets all the current RSHE statutory requirements for primary (2025) as well as many non-statutory elements too. Our curriculum covers many of the review’s recommended topics; financial literacy, digital education, sustainability, democracy and law. Using our curated collection popular children’s stories, we unpack these areas in an engaging and inclusive way. What’s more, our lesson plans include discussion and oracy skills as standard!

Are you ready to get ahead of the game and join a growing community of school doing PSHE differently?