RSHE
RSHE (Relationships, Sex, Health Education)
Our personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme alongside our relationships, sex education (RSE) programme promote children’s personal, social and economic development, as well as their health and wellbeing. It helps to give children the knowledge and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy and independent lives and to become informed responsible citizens. We believe it is the duty of our school to give our children the learning that will enable them to live safe, fulfilled and healthy lives. This includes giving them all the skills they will need to survive and thrive in the modern world. We aim to meet the learning objectives as set out in the Relationships & Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019. The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019, made under sections 34 and 35 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, make Relationships Education compulsory for all pupils receiving primary education.
Intent
At Red Oak Primary School, good relationships are fundamental to our ethos and our success in being a happy, nurturing and safe school. Relationships, Sex and Health (RSHE) is lifelong learning about relationships, emotions, looking after ourselves, different families, sexuality and sexual health. We aim for the children in our school to acquire the appropriate knowledge, develop their skills and form positive beliefs, values and attitudes. RSHE has a key part to play in the personal, social, moral and spiritual development of our children.
Implementation
RSHE is taught as explicit lessons through the Educator Solutions programme, PSHE and science curriculums but is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum and day-to-day life of the school. In PSHE, RSHE is specifically covered in the units ‘Relationships’ and ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and in science ‘Animals Including Humans’ and ‘Living Things and Their Habitats’ also cover the statutory requirements; other elements are also covered in the Religious Education curriculum. Children are taught by familiar adults who they have a good rapport with, in order to facilitate constructive and supportive discussions around sensitive topics in a safe and secure environment. Staff have received in-house CPD to support them in responding to the needs of the individual child and support children with any questions or concerns they may have. If staff feel uncomfortable or unsure when delivering the RSHE curriculum or dealing with individual pupil needs, they know where to seek advice and support. Our high expectations of behaviour, interpersonal relationships, respect and tolerance of others reflect the British Values upheld in both our community and the wider world. Through our rigorous and progressive curriculum, children develop key skills and are prepared for the wider world beyond primary school, a world in which they can keep themselves safe and healthy and thrive with the support of the positive relationships they forge with those around them.
Impact
Children demonstrate and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual Respect, Rule of Law and Liberty. They demonstrate a healthy outlook towards school and this is evident in the good behaviour seen across the school. As a result of this, the standards of attainment across the school will meet or exceed those which are expected of our children nationally. Teachers assess pupils’ progress using the Educator Solutions assessment grids and pupil voice is used to measure children’s understanding. Furthermore, the impact of our PSHE program can be seen in the children’s social interactions, after-school club attendance, school council, anti-bullying ambassadors, mental health ambassadors and road safety officers.
NO OUTSIDERS
No Outsiders (Equality Act 2010)
As part of the PSHE & RSE taught in school we have a duty to discuss all nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. These are age, disability, chosen gender, marriage/civil partnership, race, religion/belief, biological sex, sexual orientation and pregnancy/maternity. Under this provision, schools cannot discriminate against pupils, staff or visitors due to these characteristics. Red Oak Primary will always take positive actions to deal with particular issues within the school environment, including ways to foster healthy relationships between peers. We embed these discussions into our PSHE and RSE lessons, teaching them as part of our wider curriculum rather than as discrete lessons. We also cover topics such as anti-bullying, racism, terrorism, online safety and safeguarding, as detailed in their own individual policies. These are also covered using the Equality Act to ensure everyone is included in the discussions.
Teaching within these areas is integrated into the wider curriculum and not just taught as stand-alone aspects. As a school, we use the story books, which are part of the No Outsiders project, to educate our children about the characteristics protected by the equality act 2010. You can find out more about No Outsiders here: https://no-outsiders.com/