Online pressure and the choices facing sixth-form students

From recognising pressure to considering a response

England’s revised RSHE guidance came into effect in September. Schools now need to consider how students use what they learn about emotions, relationships and peer pressure. School sixth forms sit within the school context. FE colleges, sixth-form colleges and 16 to 19 academies are outside these statutory requirements, subject to the guidance’s specific exception for some provision for students aged 14 to 16.^[1]

For sixth-form leaders, one practical issue is the influence of comparison on decisions. Students are considering courses, work and adult relationships while seeing other people present confident accounts of their progress. Teaching can help them recognise an influence, examine the assumption behind it and consider a response before the pressure settles the choice for them.

Our full RSHE implementation feature examined sequencing, materials and safe teaching. Here, the focus is on decisions facing students aged 16 to 18: how comparison affects a choice and what they can practise before pressure settles it for them. Our October belonging analysis gives the wider context of recognition and relationships.

What the online evidence can tell schools

Ofcom’s May 2026 report offers useful background, rather than a new November finding. Among young people aged 16 to 17, 44% thought their screen time was too high. Among parents of that age group, 51% said being online helped their child build or maintain friendships. Those measures use different respondents and questions; neither explains the needs of an individual student.^[2]

Schools can take both experiences seriously. A friendship can be valuable while a particular interaction feels demanding. A student can enjoy being online and want greater control over how comparison affects their choices. Listening to those distinctions gives a fuller picture than assuming all online experience is harmful.

Teaching should also leave room for the point at which ordinary pressure becomes a concern requiring adult action. Asking students to think through a response does not transfer responsibility for bullying, exploitation or harm onto them. The route to appropriate help belongs alongside the learning.

Adult expectations shape the choice too

In his founder Q&A, Will Phillips identifies three influences he wants young people to understand: social media, peers and adults. Edited accounts of other lives can leave someone feeling behind. Friendships can support or restrict self-expression. Well-meaning adults can also steer a young person towards somebody else’s preferred future.^[3]

That last observation deserves attention in a sixth form. The conversation about pressure should include the institution’s own language about success. If students repeatedly hear one route celebrated more loudly than others, what conclusion might they draw about their own ambitions? Leaders can examine that question without assuming that every student interprets the message in the same way.

Will’s programme outline also distinguishes confidence from self-worth. A student may be able to announce a plan while feeling that choosing differently would diminish their value. That distinction encourages staff to look beyond an assured contribution and consider the young person’s reasoning and sense of worth.^[3]

Make the decision concrete

Consider this School Connection illustration. Several students in a group chat are discussing university offers. One is interested in an apprenticeship but assumes their friends will see that as falling short. They feel tempted to announce a university plan they have not properly considered. This is a fictional teaching scenario for local adaptation, not a reported incident or a supplied Reset exercise.

Begin with what the student knows and what they have assumed. What evidence supports the belief about their friends? What accurate information would help them compare routes? Which aspects of the decision matter to them personally? Who could help them think it through without choosing on their behalf?

Then explore communication. Students might suggest ways to explain an interest, acknowledge uncertainty or ask for time. Different considered responses can be valid. Staff can focus on whether the reasoning recognises the pressure, uses relevant information and respects the people involved.

This is where personal development and careers provision can reinforce each other. Students need sound information about routes and opportunities. They also need space to consider what matters to them and language for discussing a choice. Keeping those conversations connected makes the practical purpose of the learning clearer.

Put support around the discussion

The Reset Schools Programme addresses self-awareness, confidence, communication and decisions through four teacher-supervised sessions. Will’s briefing stresses that reflection may feel personal and that staff must be available. Whenever teaching invites students to examine pressure, they need to know whom to approach if the discussion touches their own life.^[3]

Choose a scenario that suits the cohort, allow different ways to respond and avoid requiring personal disclosure. Staff can review the reasoning students offer and decide what needs further teaching. They should also explain the relevant support route and follow the setting’s procedures if a concern arises.

The practical next step is a short teaching plan: one fictional decision, a few reasoning questions, accessible ways to participate and an agreed adult response. Leaders can discuss that plan with their team or with Will. Our feature on supported delivery examines the people and arrangements students can turn to afterwards.