Enabling our young people to grow up healthy, happy & safe
We want all our pupils to grow up healthy, happy, safe, and able to manage the challenges and opportunities of modern Britain.
From September 2020, all our pupils will be taught Relationships, Sex and Health education. Our RSE and Health Education programme aims to support young people to embrace change, feel positive about who they are and enjoy healthy, safe, responsible and fulfilled lives. Our learning objectives, fulfilled through the engagement of students in active learning opportunities, enable students to recognise and manage risk, take increasing responsibility for themselves, their choices and behaviours and make positive contributions to families, schools and communities.
We will deliver the statutory RSE within our whole-school PSHE programme.
Our Aims
The aims of relationships and sex education (RSE) at our school are to: Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place
Statutory requirements
As a secondary academy school we must provide RSE to all pupils as per section 34 of the Children and Social work act 2017. Schools are also required to comply with the relevant requirements of the Equality Act 2010 with particular relevance here to the fact that schools must not unlawfully discriminate against pupils’ because of their ‘protected’ characteristics.
In teaching RSE, we are required to have regard to guidance issued by the secretary of state as outlined in section 403 of the Education Act 1996.
At Bournemouth School for Girls we will teach RSE as set out in this policy.
Policy development
Our approach to RSE and the development of this policy has been created in consultation with staff, pupils, parents and governors to ensure it meets the needs of our community.
Definition
Curriculum
We have developed the curriculum in consultation with parents, pupils and staff, taking into account the age, needs and feelings of pupils. If pupils ask questions outside the scope of this policy, teachers will respond in an appropriate manner so they are fully informed and don’t seek answers online.
Year Group | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
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7 | Transition and safety Transition to secondary school and personal safety in and outside of school, including first aid | Diversity Diversity, prejudice, and bullying including cyber bullying | Health and puberty Healthy routines, influences on health, puberty, unwanted contact and FGM | Developing skills and aspiration Careers, teamwork and enterprise skills. Setting realistic targets. Challenging career stereotypes and raising aspirations | Building positive relationships Self-worth, romance and friendships (including online) and relationships boundaries. | Financial decision making Saving, spending, budgeting and borrowing money and making ethical financial choices |
8 | Emotional wellbeing Mental health and emotional wellbeing including self-confidence and self-esteem | Digital literacy Online safety, digital literacy and media reliability Setting goals Learning strengths, career options and goal setting as part of the GCSE options process | Understanding relationships Roles and responsibilities in different relationships Families and parenting, healthy relationships, conflict resolution, and relationship changes | Drugs and alcohol Alcohol and drug misuse and pressures relating to their use | Identity and relationships Gender identity, sexual orientation, consent, ‘sexting’, and an introduction to contraception | Stereotyping, discrimination and Prejudice Discrimination in all its forms, including: racism, religious discrimination, disability discrimination, sexism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia |
9 | Peer influence, gangs, knife crime and organised crime Healthy and unhealthy friendships, assertiveness, gang exploitation. Organised crime. | Respectful relationships | Healthy lifestyle Diet, exercise, lifestyle balance and healthy choices | Intimate relationships Relationships and sex education including consent, contraception, the risks of STIs, and attitudes to pornography | Employability skills Employability and online presence |
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10 | Mental health Transition to key stage 4 and developing study habits Mental health and ill health, stigma, safeguarding health, including during periods of transition or change | Healthy relationships Relationships and sex expectations, myths, pleasure and challenges, including the impact of the media and pornography | Financial decision making The impact of financial decisions, debt, gambling and the impact of advertising on financial choices | Exploring influences The influence and impact of drugs, gangs, and the media | Addressing extremism and radicalisation Communities, belonging and challenging extremism | Work experience Preparation for and evaluation of work experience and readiness for work |
11 | Next steps Application processes, and skills for further education and career progression | Building for the future Promoting self-esteem and coping with stress Learning and revision skills to maximise potential | Communication in relationships Personal values, assertive communication in (including in relation to contraception and sexual health) relationship challenges and abuse | Independence Responsible health choices, and safety in independent contexts Taking responsibility for health choices | Families Different families and parental responsibilities, pregnancy, marriage and forced marriage and changing relationships |
Delivery of RSE
RSE is taught within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Biological aspects of RSE are taught within the science curriculum, and other aspects are included in religious studies,
Pupils may also receive stand-alone sex education sessions delivered by a trained health professional.
Teaching of RSE will be inclusive of difference: gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, culture, age, faith or belief, or other life experience. It will promote equality in relationships and recognise and challenge gender inequality.
RSE will be taught using active learning methods, and will be rigorously planned, assessed and evaluated. Delivery will be adapted as needed to ensure that the content is accessible to all students, including those with SEND.
RSE focuses on giving young people the information they need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds including:
These areas of learning are taught within the context of family life taking care to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances (families can include single parent families, LGBT parents, families headed by grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents/carers amongst other structures) along with reflecting sensitively that some children may have a different structure of support around them (for example: looked after children or young carers).
Management of RSE and Right to Withdraw
For details on how RSE is managed within the school and about the right to withdraw students from aspects of this curriculum, please see the RSE Policy here.