Relationship Health Education
What do we want for our children?
Our Relationship Health Education is a focussed strand in our PSHE curriculum. It follows the statutory guidance: Relationships, Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, Department for Education 2020. Health Education is compulsory in all state-funded schools in England. In all primary schools the focus is on Relationships Health Education and in secondary school it is Relationships and Sex Education. Parents are not able to withdraw their children from these lessons.
Our Relationships Education curriculum covers a variety of topics to support children maintain, build and understand respectful relationships. The focus is to teach children fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, in particular, friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and adults.
At Preston Park Primary School, we want every child to feel safe and happy at school as this supports learning outcomes for all learners. We understand the importance of a curriculum that prepares pupils for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. A key part of this relations to relationships and health education. Relationship Education focuses on providing pupils with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships, and to build their self-efficacy.
Health education focuses on equipping pupils with the knowledge they need to make good decisions about their own health and well-being. We understand our responsibility to deliver a high-quality and age-appropriate relationships and health curriculum for all our pupils. Our Relationship and Health Education will be delivered through our integrated curriculum approach in PSHE, computing, science and PE lessons.
How do we deliver this effectively?
Our PSHE curriculum covers a range of topics such as; healthy relationships, respectful relationships, families and friendships in all contexts including online relationships. We teach Relationship, Health Education through our personalised PSHE curriculum through a variety of teaching strategies, such as; class/group discussions, active participation and writing tasks. We evidence all our learning in our lovely PSHE floor books, from Reception to Year 6. In the Autumn term, across the school we focus on the topic ‘Recognising and Maintaining Relationships.’ During this term, children learn about different types of relationships and healthy relationships, alongside different feelings and emotions and balanced friendships. In Upper Key Stage 2, children will learn about different types of relationships, marriages and different types of abuse (Child on Child Abuse). Children across the school will learn about families, friendships, bullying, positive relationships and how to seek help when needed.
What does this look for our children?
The Statutory Guidance for Relationship Health Education states that high quality, evidence-based and age-appropriate teaching of RHE can help prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
In EYFS, our PSED (Personal, Social, Emotional Development) Curriculum covers the topic ‘Building Relationships.’ This is statutory from the EYFS Framework, in this topic children are encouraged to work and play cooperatively, take turns, share and form positive attachments to peers and adults. This is consistent through our learning in Early Years, adults are always encouraging children to learn how to play with each other through visuals, stories and modelled adult play.
Key Stage 1 (Years One and Two)
In Key Stage One and Two children learn about the qualities of a friend, reflect on what family means to them and learn about bullying (strategies to resist). Children are also taught different methods to make friends and how to recognise when someone is being unkind.
Key Stage 2 (Years Three – Six)
In Key Stage 2, pupils will learn about different types of relationships, healthy relationships, unhealthy relationships, seeking for help, balanced friendships and online relationships.
In Year 5, children will learn about ‘child on child abuse’ and what this means. The topics will cover; physical, sexual abuse, verbal abuse and using social media safely e.g. snapchat, TikTok.
Progression in Skills and Understanding
How does our RHE curriculum contribute to and develops our 21st Century learner?
At Preston Park, by the end of their academic journey, the children will demonstrate confidence and awareness about relationships in an independent and safe way. Learners will develop a good understanding about safety and risks in relationships. They will be prepared for the physical and emotional changes they undergo during puberty. RSE will promote learner’s wellbeing and will prepare learners for the challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities of adult life.
