‘God, you can’t teach sex education in a Catholic school’: Exploring the lived experiences of statutory Relationships and Sex Education for young women in English Catholic schools from a feminist perspective.

Gilsenan, Abby ORCID: 0000-0001-9936-1233 (2025). ‘God, you can’t teach sex education in a Catholic school’: Exploring the lived experiences of statutory Relationships and Sex Education for young women in English Catholic schools from a feminist perspective. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Like all English secondary schools, faith schools have been required to adhere to the statutory RSE guidance since 2021. However, the guidance includes the stipulation that faith schools are permitted to deliver mandatory content from a ‘distinctive faith perspective’ (Department for Education, 2019a). Historically, sex education in England has been shown to uphold potentially harmful discourses of gender and sexuality, which in turn, shape societal understandings and experiences of girlhood. The delivery of statutory RSE from distinct faith perspectives sees secular sex education narratives intersecting with theological sexual values, the impact of which on young women is yet to be explored. The Catholic Church has historically upheld stringent sexual ethics which prohibit same-sex relationships, contraception, and pre-marital sex, and has in recent years explicitly contested progressive sex education agendas (Congregation for Catholic Education, 2019). In turn, the ability of Catholic schools to deliver RSE that adequately meets and reflects the needs of young women in relation to sexuality and relationships emerges as a pertinent question.

This thesis employs a feminist, qualitative methodology to explore the lived experiences of young women (n=11) and their teachers (n=3) in relation to statutory RSE provision across two Catholic secondary schools in England. This research employed semi-structured focus groups and interviews, combined with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to yield rich insight into the implementation and impact of Catholic RSE. Findings demonstrated that the teachers’ experiences of intersecting Catholic values with statutory requirements were shaped by their broader lived experiences and identity in relation to faith, sexuality and relationships, and teaching. The young women reported facing complex socio-sexual landscapes, yet their needs and lived-experiences were seldom addressed adequately within RSE provision. Across both schools, the participants reported often feeling disengaged, alienated and frustrated with RSE content. Issues in RSE engagement were not solely tied to the Catholic lens adopted in both schools, however, the teaching of Catholic sexual ethics was seen to compound failings in content relevance and attainability.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):