R.S.H.E

Intent

At Drake Primary School, good relationships are fundamental to our ethos and our success in being a school where a world of opportunities awaits. Relationships, Sex and Health Education (R.S.H.E) is lifelong learning about relationships, emotions, looking after ourselves and sexual health. We aim for the children in our school to grow kindness, love, courage, trust, respect and friendship.

Implementation
 

At the moment, R.S.H.E is taught as discrete lessons in addition to the teaching of  Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) and science. R.S.H.E is also embedded in other areas of the wider curriculum and day-to-day life of the school. R.S.H.E is organised into 6 key areas: My Feelings, My Body, My Relationships, My Beliefs, My Rights and Responsibilities, and Asking For Help which thread throughout EYFS through to Year 6. For example, in Reception, they have been learning about basic hygiene and our feelings while Year 5 and Year 6 have been looking at how we develop and what happens during puberty. Using IT and our computing skills, across the school we have created Google Slides to showcase our learning of Mental Health and promoting our wellbeing.

Children are taught by their class teacher to facilitate constructive and supportive discussions around sensitive topics, in a safe and secure environment. Staff have received high-quality CPD to support them, while LSAs will be receiving their training during the Summer term. This will aid in responding to the needs of individual children and to support pupils with any questions or concerns they may have. If staff feel uncomfortable or unsure when delivering the R.S.H.E curriculum or dealing with individual pupil needs, they will seek support from another member of staff.  

At Drake, we use a range of different approaches where high-quality teaching is promoted and small group teaching with reflection opportunities are the norm. Teachers are caring, respectful and create a safe environment for children to learn. In line with school policy, staff do not answer personal questions during lessons to safeguard both teacher and pupil.

The R.S.H.E curriculum has been mapped out using the RSE Solution from Educator Solutions.  It is set out in the curriculum overview for PSHE and R.S.H.E. This map ensures that all key areas of R.S.H.E are covered. The teaching resources are in the Owens PPA room and kept digitally on the School Drive. 

At Drake Primary School we want to ensure our school values are at the heart of everything we do. We have high expectations of promoting positive behaviour and interpersonal relationships, and of demonstrating respect and tolerance of others. This reflects the British Values we wish to uphold in both our community and the wider world. The talking partner approach allows children to work with others, just like in the wider world and develop resolution skills but also respect and an understanding of other’s views. 

Impact

The impact of our curriculum offer will be that the standards of attainment across the school will meet or exceed those which are expected of our children nationally. We will continuously assess the implementation and impact of our R.S.H.E curriculum to achieve the highest outcomes possible across all year groups and ensure we provide the support that is necessary for all children to have a good understanding of the complexities of relationships and sexual matters and secure knowledge and skills base to navigate their way through these, now and in the future.

Assessments will be undertaken at various stages of the teaching of R.S.H.E. Pupils will be offered opportunities to ask questions before a lesson so teachers can have a baseline of where their pupils are at. This enables teachers to modify and adapt their planning based on the preconceptions and development levels of their pupils. The R.S.H.E team will monitor the teaching and learning of R.S.H.E and conduct pupil voice and teacher's voice at various points during the year to gauge progress and development of the subject. 

For formative assessment, we will be using Plickers for on the spot, mid-lesson learning stops to gauge the understanding of pupils to adapt the teaching and learning. In addition to using Plickers, R.S.H.E will also be assessed using the Boxall Profile tool which identifies areas of well-being and is used to adapt the learning to the individual child or cohort. Teachers will also use the visualiser or mid-lesson learning stops to showcase good understanding or common misconceptions in children’s work for talking partners to discuss. 

Additionally, R.S.H.E is within the scope for Ofsted inspection where they will take consideration of pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, and also their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. 

Our specialist sports coach develops the skills learnt during R.S.H.E lessons through additional sports-based wellbeing groups. This help enhances the learning of body confidence and identity and encourages children to realise how special and important they are. As a result, there has been increased confidence in all children, either with their mental health or their own body identity. 

Through our R.S.H.E curriculum, we can enhance children’s education and help them become confident individuals who have positive body awareness and in-depth knowledge of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They will, through respect, tolerance and understanding, forge and maintain positive relationships with a diverse range of family and friendship groups.

Frequently asked questions

What are the aims of RSHE in our school?

Depending on the age of the children and the lessons in their particular year group, we want RSHE to:

•    develop the confidence to talk, listen and think about feelings and relationships
•    develop friendship/relationship skills
•    develop positive attitudes, values and self-esteem
•    provide knowledge and understanding about puberty and the changes that will take place
•    provide knowledge and understanding about reproduction and sexuality
•    address concerns and correct misunderstanding that children may have gained from the media and peers
•    develop skills to help children protect themselves against unwanted sexual experience
•    empower pupils to understand their bodies are amazing and they have a right to talk about keeping safe and consent in a manner of situations not just those linked to sexual intimacy
•    know where and how to seek help
•    to empower children with the confidence to talk about their bodies and their feelings.

What are the different topics in the RSHE curriculum at Drake Primary School?

•    My Relationships
•    My Body
•    My Rights and Responsibilities 
•    Asking for Help
•    My Beliefs 

Can you explain the school’s RSHE morals and values framework?

RSHE follows the school’s agreed aims, values and moral framework which is sensitive to the needs and beliefs of pupils, parents, carers and other members of the school community. RSHE will be delivered within the school's agreed policy and in line with the Equality Act 2010; our teaching will be inclusive. 

RSHE will support the importance of marriage or stable relationships for family life and bringing up children. Care is taken to ensure children are not stigmatized according to their different home circumstances and all families will be discussed as part of a diverse community.

Families sometimes look different from a child’s own family; children need to understand that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care.

Pupils will be encouraged to understand that thinking about morals and values also includes:

•    respect for ourselves and others 
•    commitment, trust and love within relationships
•    an understanding of diversity in relation to religion, culture and sexual orientation
•    an honesty with ourselves and others
•    self-awareness
•    exploration of our rights, duties and responsibilities.

Misunderstandings about RSHE

Schools have an important role to play in RHE/RSHE.

There is sometimes concern that RSHE in school might promote sexual activity or cause confusion about an individual’s sexuality. The research on quality RSHE points to a more positive outlook: 87 programmes from many countries were examined by UNESCO in 2009. This led to the conclusion that if RSHE has an effect it is a positive one: ‘sexuality education can lead to later and more responsible sexual behaviour or may have no discernible impact on sexual behaviour’.

Secretary of State Foreword 2020:

‘Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way’.
(See www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education)