Relationships, Sex and Health Education

Why is RSE important?

Relationships, Sex and Health Educations is fully embedded in our curriculum at all levels and key stages, and as such the delivery is carefully mapped across a range of mediums to ensure outstanding provision that supports the development of confident, healthy, happy children who are equipped to make a positive contribution to the community. This includes taught lessons, enrichment days, Acts of Collective worship, small group workshops delivered by local service providers and half-termly form tutor sessions, all planned by subject specialists. Parent voice and feedback as well as student voice has been sought and informs the development of this curriculum for 2021-22 and will continue to guide our provision each year.

High quality RSE helps create safe school communities in which students can grow, learn, and develop positive, healthy behaviour for life, and for the following reasons:

RSE plays a vital part in schools fulfilling their statutory duties to protect and safeguard their students. Ofsted is clear that schools must have a preventative programme that enables students to learn about safety and risks in relationships.

Schools maintain a statutory obligation under the Children Act (2004) to promote their students’ wellbeing and under the Education Act (2002) to prepare children and young people for the challenges, opportunities and responsibilities of adult life. A comprehensive RSE programme can have a positive impact on students’ health and wellbeing and their ability to achieve, and can play a crucial part in meeting these obligations.

Technology is evolving at a tremendous pace. The need to protect children and young people from inappropriate online content, cyber-bullying and exploitation is a growing concern. A comprehensive RSE programme can support in addressing these issues.

Documents and Links

RSE Summary

RSE Survey

Our priorities for Relationship, Sex and Health Education

Our approach to Relationships, Sex and Health Education is underpinned by our commitment, as a Church of England School, to values, care and achievement and our absolute belief in our Christian values of Justice, Forgiveness, Compassion and Trust. As such our curriculum is further underpinned by the core Church of England Values of Educating for Dignity and Respect and Educating for Community and Living Well Together and as with all areas of school life, we seek to abide by the message in John 10:10 ‘I have come so that they shall have life and have it to the full’. We want our students to be happy, respectful, tolerant young people with the tools and understanding to respect themselves and others. We want to help develop confident, healthy, happy students who can make a positive contribution and are confident expressing their views and challenging discrimination in all its forms.

Enrichment of the RSE Curriculum

Our RSE curriculum is enriched in a number of ways – through Acts of collective Worship and Chapel, through small group intervention, through form time seminars and through external speakers. A key area of feedback for us from both parent and student voice was the request to engage with more external groups where appropriate (and possible). Planned for 2022-23 are:

• Big Talk with Year 10
• Straight Talking workshops with Year 10,12 and 13
• IDAS with Year 9
• Community Support Police Officer with Year 8 and 9

Useful links