Intent

As of September 2020, all secondary age children are taught Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE). These subjects are designed to equip young people with knowledge to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships (in all contexts, including online) as well as preparing them for a successful adult life. We intend to deliver a high-quality curriculum that is adapted to the fast-changing world we live in.   

Due to technology advancement, young people have a wealth of information at their fingertips. The intent is to ensure that they are equipped with investigative skills, so that they can: know how to use different types of sources of information and understand which sources are reliable to make informed positive choices.  This will enable our pupils to manage risk and challenge, to be safe and healthy as well as to be successful in managing their academic, social and personal lives in a positive way.

Our intention for RSHE curriculum is to create a culture of excellence that provides transparency and equality for all our pupils. This will cultivate well-rounded and informed members of the local and global community in all aspects of their lives to aid them to make constructive positive contributions in society.

We are equipping pupils with information so, that they can make INFORMED DECISIONS for themselves, and support others, now and in the future.

Implementation

Our RSHE programme is an integral part of our whole-school Student Development Curriculum and Enrichment provision (Personal Development) and will cover the statutory requirements for the Relationships, Sex, and Health Education as well as contextual elements we deem appropriate for our school context.

RSHE is delivered twice a week, for every year group across all three key stages 3-5. Key stage 5 follow a similar programme using aspects of RSHE and economics, preparing them for their next steps into the wider world of University, Apprenticeship or work. Our programme is inclusive and responsive to our pupils needs via feedback from termly teacher and pupil surveys. RSHE is also delivered through three whole-school Drop-Down Days, where pupils are off scheduled timetabled lessons to complete various workshops delivered mainly by external providers. In addition, there are ad-hoc workshops delivered throughout the course of the academic year to further enrich pupils’ understanding and/or introduce them to new concepts.

The tutor sessions are approximately twenty minutes, with a range of activities to support pupils understanding such as YouTube clips, group/peer/individual tasks and class discussions. Baseline assessments are used to identify pupils starting points and misconceptions. Tutor sessions are age appropriate and build on knowledge from Key stage 3-4. Tutor sessions are planned to revisit, reinforce and consolidate previous learning as well as introducing new concepts, knowledge and skills: we firmly believe and have evidenced at our school that, by repeating information our pupils are retaining information in their long-term memory. Therefore, increasing the likelihood that our pupils can remember and use the information in the wider world, if necessary, to help themselves and/or others.

RSHE themes:

• Term 1: Wellbeing
• Term 2: Physical wellbeing, fitness and eating well
• Term 3: Online and the media
• Term 4: Discrimination and the law
• Term 5: Relationships, friends and communities
• Term 6: Being Safe

Pupils are provided with folders containing knowledge organisers so that they have access to the key terminology, and language to understand RSHE and use these skills across the curriculum. Pupils are also provided with and encouraged to use oracy cards to speak appropriate standardised English, when engaging in class or pair discussions.

Every two/three weeks, pupils are encouraged to use their reflection booklets to evaluate their learning, how they may help others and suggest ways to progress further.

There are a range of skills that our pupils may draw upon during discussions, including: empathy, evaluation, application, reflection, analysis, synthesis, investigative skills by asking relevant questions as well as discernment skills by developing insights into people’s motives, actions and consequences. Use of these skills can be rewarded through the implementation of golden tickets as part of the schools’ behaviour system.

We pride ourselves on being transparent with our stakeholders – therefore, letters/texts for termly themes, Drop-Down Days and ad-hoc workshop are sent to parents and promoted on our website and social media.

Our staff are highly trained in safeguarding topics, such as county lines, gangs, exploitation - further training on additional topics is provided as part of our continual professional development. In the meantime, external providers enrich students’ understanding through their tailored workshops.

Impact

  By the time our pupils leave secondary school they will be equipped to:

• Approach a range of real-life situations and apply their skills and attributes to navigate themselves through modern life
• Develop positive, healthy relationships (in all contexts) throughout their adult life
• Appreciate different views, perspectives and diversity
• Determine the reliability of sources of information
• Be a respectful citizen in both the local and global community
• Look after their mental and physical wellbeing as well as supporting others
• Understand the physical aspects of different types of relationships
• Recognise and apply aspects of British values of democracy, tolerance and mutual respect
• Know where to go for support for themselves and/or others when needed

This is built on our shared belief that it is important that pupils:

 Contact:

• Ms M Bennett – Associate Assistant Head Teacher – RSHE and Careers Lead 
• RSHE@langdonpark.org