Relationship,Sex & Health Education (RSHE)
ACHIEVE - LEARN - FLOURISH
The Aspire Learning Federation is made up of two schools - Elm Park Primary School and R J Mitchell Primary School in the London Borough of Havering.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
and Health Education
Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education supports children’s lifelong learning about wellbeing and, more particularly, physical, moral, emotional and cultural development. RSE is about understanding the importance of loving and caring relationships and focuses on the teaching of sexual health, sexuality, healthy lifestyles, diversity and personal identity. RSE involves a combination of sharing information, and exploring issues and values. RSE is not about the promotion of sexual activity.
Research demonstrates that good, comprehensive Relationship and Sex Education does not make young people more likely to become sexually active at a younger age.
Aims and Objectives for Relationship, Sex & Health Education
The aim of RSHE is to provide children with age appropriate information, explore attitudes and values and develop skills in order to empower them to make positive decisions about their health related behaviour. This should take place with consideration of the qualities of relationships within families.
The objectives of Relationships, Sex and Health Education are:
● To provide the knowledge and information to which all pupils are entitled;
● To clarify/reinforce existing knowledge;
● To raise pupils’ empathy, self- esteem and confidence, especially in their relationships with others in all contexts, including online;
● To help pupils understand their feelings and behaviour (including sexual feelings), so they can lead fulfilling and enjoyable lives and also know how to take care of themselves and receive support if problems arise;
● To help pupils’ develop skills (language, decision making, choice, assertiveness) and make the most of their abilities;
● To develop pupils personal attributes including kindness, integrity, generosity, honesty, perseverance and resilience;
● To develop pupils’ confidence to be participating members of society and to value themselves and others;
● To develop pupils’ skills for a healthier, safer lifestyle;
● To support pupils’ development and use of skills including communication skills and assertiveness skills to cope with the influences of their peers and the media;
● To teach pupils respect and care for their bodies;
● To prepare pupils for puberty and adulthood and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene.
● To allow pupils to develop a positive, inclusive attitude towards all types of family relationships, including same-sex or relationships which include transgender people.
RSHE is taught within the personal, social, health education (PSHE) curriculum. Biological aspects of RSHE are taught within the science curriculum, and other aspects are included in religious education (RE). Pupils also receive stand-alone sex education sessions delivered by a trained health professional.
Relationships education focuses on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships including:
● Families and people who care for me
● Caring friendships
● Respectful relationships
● Online relationships
● Being safe
Primary Sex Education will focus on:
● How a baby is conceived and born
All pupils must be taught the aspects of Sex Education outlined in the primary science curriculum – this includes teaching about the main external parts of the human body, how it changes as it grows from birth to old age, including puberty, and the reproductive process in some plants and animals.
However, the school is free to determine whether pupils should be taught Sex Education beyond what is required of the national curriculum.
Coverage
The content covered as part of each year group can be seen in the Changing Me part of our PSHE curriculum. The grid can be viewed in our RSHE policy.
Parents’/carers’ right to withdraw
Parents do not have the right to withdraw their child/ren from Relationships Education.
Parents have the right to withdraw their child/ren from the non-statutory or non-science components of Sex Education within RSHE, this is one lesson in Year 5 and one lesson in Year 6.
Requests for withdrawal should be put in writing using the form found in Appendix 2 of the federation’s RSHE policy and addressed to the Head of School.
Alternative work will be given to pupils who are withdrawn from Sex education.
We have tailored our PSHE (Jigsaw) curriculum to meet the needs of the children that attend R J Mitchell Primary School. Each year group receives ‘Changing Me’ lessons which will cover the following:
● Year R - Growing up: how we have changed since we were babies
● Year 1 - Boys’ and girls’ bodies; naming body parts
● Year 2 - Boys’ and girls’ bodies; body parts and respecting privacy (which parts of the body are private and why this is)
● Year 3 - How babies grow.
● Year 4 - Having a baby, responsibilities of having a baby
● Year 5 - Puberty for boys and girls, and conception
● Year 6 - Puberty for boys and girls and understanding conception to birth of a baby
For more information about our RSHE curriculum, see Appendix 1 of the federation’s RSHE Policy.