‘RSE’ means Relationships and Sex Education

• ‘Parent’ means a parent, carer or other legal guardian of a child at our school.

• ‘PSHE’ stands for Personal, Social, Health and Economic. PSHE Education is a school subject through which children develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepared for life and work.

• ‘PSHE Coordinator’ is a teacher specially trained to provide support and leadership on PSHE matters in school

• ‘DSL’ stands for Designated Safeguarding Lead. The DSL is a teacher specially trained to provide support and leadership on safeguarding matters in school. He or she may be assisted by Deputy DSLs.

• ‘Key Stages’ refers to the way education is organised by the Government into blocks of years for purposes of assessment. The relevant Key Stages for primary schools are:

• Early Years Foundation Stage (nursery and reception)
• Key Stage 1 – ages 5 to 7 (years 1 and 2)
• Key Stage 2 – ages 7 to 11 (years 3 to 6)

Definition of RSE

• RSE is about the emotional, social and cultural development of pupils, and involves learning about relationships, healthy lifestyles, diversity and personal identity, sexual health and sexuality.

• RSE involves a combination of sharing information and exploring issues and values.

• RSE is not about the promotion of sexual activity.

Delivery of RSE

We have developed our school curriculum taking into account the age, needs and feelings of pupils. If pupils ask questions outside the scope of the curriculum, teachers will respond appropriately so that pupils are fully informed and therefore less likely to seek answers online.

We consider RSE to be an integral part of our curriculum. As such, it is taught through various subjects: PSHE and Citizenship, Physical Education, Science, Computing and, at times, Religious Education, where pupils may reflect on family relationships, different family groups and friendship. Pupils may also learn about rituals and traditions associated with birth, marriage and death and talk about the emotions involved. Typically, RSE is taught within the PSHE education curriculum. However, biological aspects of RSE may also be taught within the science curriculum, such as life cycles and the changes as humans develop to old age. Other subjects may also provide opportunities for links to be made, meaning that teaching across subjects is integrated at times.

Our school places a high importance on creating a supportive and secure environment where pupils can develop the confidence needed to talk, listen and think about relationships, health and change. In order to do this, teachers will:

• Establish clear rules

• Emphasise the importance of mutual respect

• Require no open disclosures in a class setting

• Establish the importance of privacy within the sessions

• Establish the importance of age-appropriate discussions 

• Where necessary, provide for anonymity so that pupils can ask the questions they need to ask.

Throughout the RSE curriculum, pupils will develop the language needed to talk about their bodies, health and emotions. Where possible, teachers look for opportunities to draw links between different subjects and integrate teaching when appropriate. Teachers’ knowledge of the needs of the pupils in their classes mean that the delivery and content of all lessons will be made accessible to all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). In curriculum terms, we can look at RSE as comprising the two main elements, Relationships education and Sex education, and a third, related element, Health education.

Relationships education

Relationships education focusses on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships including:

• Families and people who care for me

• Caring friendships

• Respectful relationships

• Online and media

• Being safe

• Preparing children for the changes that adolescence brings

We aim to offer pupils a carefully planned programme on relationships; the primary focus of this will be on the teaching of fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive, healthy relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships and relationships with other children and adults. Part of learning about relationships will involve learning about what a relationship is, what a friendship is, what family means and who the people are that can support pupils. When learning about relationships, pupils will also be taught about respect for others in an age-appropriate way. The teaching of positive relationships will also be applied to the teaching of online relationships so that online safety and appropriate behaviour can be taught in a way which is relevant to the age of the pupils. When learning about families, teachers will use their knowledge of pupils and their circumstances so that content is taught in a sensitive and well-judged manner.

The Relationships education element of RSE provides an opportunity for pupils to be taught about positive emotional wellbeing, including how friendship can support mental wellbeing. In learning about relationships, there are also opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding of selfrespect and self-worth as well as other positive personal attributes such as honesty, integrity, courage, humility, kindness, generosity, trustworthiness and a sense of justice. Through the teaching of relationships, pupils will also be taught the knowledge they need to recognise and report abuse. In our school, this will be delivered by focusing on boundaries and privacy.

Sex education

Sex education is tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of pupils. Sex education in primary school is designed to prepare children for the changes that adolescence brings. Sex education classes are usually delivered by the pupils’ class teacher or a teacher that is familiar to the class. 

Our RSE policy can be found here