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An evaluation report from Together for Childhood in Plymouth

Publication date November 2025
The EMPOWER project: Giving young people a voice in their sex and relationships education An evaluation from Together for Childhood, Plymouth

The EMPOWER project was developed as part of Together for Childhood in Plymouth, a place-based approach to child sexual abuse prevention.

EMPOWER provides young people in secondary school with a voice in shaping their sex and relationships education (SRE). 

It uses a quality assurance framework that was informed and designed by young people, for students to assess the content and delivery of their sex and relationships lessons and make recommendations to teachers for improvements.

EMPOWER was piloted in eight secondary schools in Plymouth and evaluated through:

  • a focus group with young people who took part in the project
  • interviews with teachers in participating schools
  • interviews with Together for Childhood practitioners.

The evaluation considered the process of developing and implementing EMPOWER and the benefits for young people and schools in listening to and valuing youth voice.

Our findings can help educators to learn about a participatory approach to creating an effective, relevant and inclusive SRE programme.

Authors: Alexandra Burgess and Dr Claire White

The EMPOWER project: giving young people a voice in their sex and relationships education
Download the report (PDF)

Key findings

Creating an effective and inclusive SRE programme is vital for ensuring young people’s wellbeing and the development of healthy relationships. Driven by relationships and shared ownership, EMPOWER steers away from passive learning, putting young people in the driving seat to have a stake in how their sex and relationships lessons are shaped and delivered, harnessing their voice to communicate complex and sensitive topics in ways that are relevant to them.

The key findings from this research are outlined below.

The EMPOWER project can be applied flexibly to a range of educational contexts

Participants thought the EMPOWER sessions and quality assurance framework were versatile and adaptable tools which could be used across a variety of education contexts, including mainstream, alternative provision and schools working with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), additional support needs (ASN) and additional learning needs (ALN).

The framework provided a structured starting point for teachers and students to work in collaboration to quality assure their sex and relationships education and tailor this to their own setting.

EMPOWER supports teachers to make lessons more relevant whilst providing opportunities for deeper learning and engagement in sex and relationships education

The evaluation found EMPOWER helped tackle the issues highlighted by young people and teachers about the delivery and quality of SRE. Through EMPOWER, teachers could ensure resources were relevant and engaging. Young people’s engagement in EMPOWER enhanced their understanding of SRE and enabled them to confidently share their insights and learning with their peers, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

The inclusion of young people’s voice throughout EMPOWER benefited young people and enhances teaching practices

Young people care about their sex and relationships education and are motivated to have a stake in improving it. EMPOWER enhanced teachers’ reflective practice and they reported feeling more confident delivering sex and relationships sessions knowing young people had quality assured them.  

“...opening up those avenues for the student voice I think has been great. …Even silly things like putting the signposting at the front, just these obvious little things, but it has all come from the EMPOWER project.”

Teacher

Citation

Please cite as: Burgess, A. and White, C. (2025) The EMPOWER Project: giving young people a voice in their sex and relationships education: An evaluation report from Together for Childhood Plymouth. London: NSPCC.

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