Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
Through the teaching of relationships and sex education (RSE) we aim to develop students’ understanding of the importance of healthy, respectful and nurturing relationships in all different aspects of life and of all kinds, including home, school, work and within the community.
We want students to be able to make well-informed decisions about the choices they make in their lives. Through relationships and sex education we aim to improve students’ self-confidence, self –esteem and emotional well-being in a safe and supportive environment.
We encourage pupils to develop their personal attributes of honesty, courage, trustworthiness, kindness, humility and integrity as well as understand the importance of self-worth and self-respect. We also will develop students’ knowledge about the facts surrounding the law to do with sex, sexuality, sexual health and gender-identity and we will support pupil’s knowledge and understanding of safe and healthy intimate relationships at the appropriate time.
The education we give students through RSE underpins our values of Respect for All, Achievement for All as well as ‘Love Your Neighbour’. It works with our anti-bullying policy, as well as our statement of pastoral intent to ensure students are well supported in their own life choices.
RSE is taught through one lesson per fortnight for years 7-9.
Year 7
Autumn Term
Being Me in My World
- Who I am?
- Who influences me?
- Peer pressure and belonging
- The consequences of online behaviour
Celebrating Difference
- Prejudice & discrimination
- Being assertive
- Your influences
- Stereotyping
- Discrimination
- Protected characteristics
Spring Term
Dreams and Goals
- What are my dreams and goals
- Skills for the future
- Coping strategies when things go wrong
- Failure
- Making responsible choices to achieve your goals
Relationships
- Getting on with others
- How do you manage conflict
- Discernment
- The relationship with yourself
- Understanding consent
- Changing relationships
- Recipe for healthy relationships
- Assertiveness
- Rights & responsibilities
- Sexting – being assertive and saying no
Summer Term
Healthy Me
- What is stress and anxiety?
- Stressful situations
- Signs of different types of stress
- Healthy lifestyle choices
- Healthy choices on substances
- Exploring different legal and illegal substances
- The law around substances
Changing Me
- My changing body – puberty
- Myths and facts about puberty
- Self-image and self-esteem
- Having a baby – naturally and IVF
- Moods and emotions
- The Adolescent brain and body
Year 8
Autumn Term
Being Me in My World
- Who am I and Family Facts
- First impressions
- How words can impact our thoughts
- Faiths & Beliefs
- Marriage and the law
- Protected characteristics
- Expectations and disappointment
Celebrating Difference
- Prejudice & discrimination
- Celebrating differences and similarities
- Racial and religious prejudice
- Powerful emotions
- Social injustice
- Inequality
- Celebrating religion
- Bullying
- How can I make a difference?
Spring Term
Dreams and Goals
- What are goals?
- Why goals are useful?
- Your goals – long term
- Employability skills
- Disappointment
- Money and the UK
- Earnings
- The price of life
- Budgeting
- What money can’t buy
Relationships
- Relationship with myself – off and online
- Selfies and online portrayal
- Privacy and personal space
- Being in control of my relationships
- Pressure that comes from relationships
- Feelings and emotions in different relationships
- What makes a good relationship
- Coercion in relationships
- Being in control of social media
- Online behaviours
- Trolling
Summer Term
Changing Me
- Intimate relationships
- Me and my relationships
- Physical attraction
- Healthy relationships
- Our character
- Crushes and love
- What does it feel like to fall in love?
- What is pornography – the law around watching pornography
- The law around sending nudes
- Happy and healthy intimate relationships
Healthy Me
- Physical health
- Sleep
- Tooth hygiene
- Stress
- Managing stress
- Substance misuse
- Illegal drugs
- County lines and exploitation
Year 9
Autumn Term
Celebrating Difference
- Equality and discrimination – Prejudice
- Banter vs bullying
- Hate crime
- Protected characteristics
- Discriminatory behaviour
- Challenging attitudes
- Positive and negative language
- The power of positive language
- When banter becomes verbal bullying
- How do we differentiate between online and verbal bullying
- How does bullying affect mental health
- Self-awareness
Being Me in My World
- What makes a good relationship?
- Expectations of relationships – what is OK
- Don’t confuse love and abuse – coercion
- Consent
- Self-identity and relationships
- Peer approval
- Managing personal relationships
- Grooming
- Me in a group
- Social groups, social media and you
- Risks and consequences
Spring Term
Dreams and Goals
- My Personal strengths
- I’ll be happy when….
- The power of planning
- SMART goals
- Planning for the future
- Mental health and illness
- Stigma
- Media manipulation and mental health
Healthy Me
- The media and teenagers
- Making healthier choices
- Alcohol facts and the law
- Substances – caffeine & sugar
- Substances – cannabis & nicotine
- Smoking & vaping
- Illegal drugs
- Drug misuse and addiction
Summer Term
Relationships
- Healthy relationships
- Assertive and confident people
- Rights
- Assertive, aggressive or passive
- Saying no
- Choosing to start a family
- Sex and the law
- Contraception
- Consequences of unprotected sex
- What does it mean to be attractive?
- The law and pornography
- Real life or porn life?
Changing Me
- Mental Health and well-being
- Some common mental illnesses
- How to support a friend
- Challenging stigma
- Change and resilience
- Sleep – facts and needs
- Relaxing
- Changing and growing – teenagers
- Managing future change