Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) became mandatory in all secondary
schools in England in September 2020. Prior to this, delivery of RSE was neither
compulsory nor consistent across England, meaning student experience differed
widely. Added to this is a climate of prohibitive legislation surrounding the teaching of homosexuality, leading to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) young people to often be excluded from RSE. Special schools were also often behind mainstream schools in their delivery of RSE curricula, causing a disparity between disabled and non-disabled young people (OFSTED, 2013).

This thesis takes as its starting point the idea that comprehensive RSE should
allow all young people to ‘interact with each other as equals’ (Fraser, 2000, p. 36). Through a Critical Discourse Analysis, it analyses its representation of young LGBT+ people who are disabled and neurodivergent or neurodiverse at a text level. A series of phenomenological interviews examine previous experiences of young people who did not benefit from the statutory curriculum to offer a case for the need for inclusive RSE. These two elements are then combined into suggestions for practice for teachers and facilitators delivering the curriculum.

This investigation makes an original contribution to research through its
examination of how Relationships and Sex Education and its inclusivity contribute to young adults’ experience of participatory parity and their ability to interact with each other as equals. The findings have implications for curriculum design, social representation, and classroom practice.

Keywords: Relationships and Sex Education, Disability, Curricula, Critical Discourse
Analysis.