Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) including internet / digital safety and wellbeing
Relationship, sex and health education (RSHE) Policy
Click here for the PSHE RHSE curriculum overview 2026 review
PSHE / RSHE Lead Teachers: Mrs S Robinson and Mrs J Buchanan
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mr S Brabant
Governor with responsibility for safeguarding: Mrs J Harvey
Introduction
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 also how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. As a result of this relationship education is now compulsory in all primary schools in England as is health education.
This policy outlines our school’s commitment to provide effective RSHE for all pupils. It has been written with regard to the Department of Education’s RSHE guidance for 2019, and other relevant guidance documents and statutory requirements. The RSHE teaching in this school contributes to our statutory duty to safeguard children and prepare them for the responsibilities and experiences of adult life. RSHE is taught in an age-appropriate manner throughout the school.
What is RHSE?
Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development.
We want to be able to provide children with key building blocks of being physically and mentally healthy, understanding relationships, including online contact and good digital wellbeing.
Pupils will learn about the benefits and importance of having hobbies and interests, daily exercise, good nutrition and sufficient sleep, we also aim to give pupils the language and knowledge to understand the normal range of emotions that everyone experiences.
They will also cover healthy relationships, different families, respect, love and care, reproduction, puberty, hygiene, the body, how a baby is made and sexuality. In the primary school we are building the foundations of skills and knowledge that will be developed further at secondary level.
Through the delivery of RSHE we aim to give your child the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, to recognise issues in themselves and others and to seek support as early as possible when issues arise.
Policy Aims
Our key aim in providing RSHE throughout the school is to safeguard our pupils. During their time at this school, children will learn key skills to help keep them safe and embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful life. RSHE is taught in the context of relationships and promotes self-esteem and emotional health and wellbeing to help children to form healthy, meaningful relationships, based on respect for themselves and for others.
We believe in working in partnership with parents and carers and understand the importance of sharing our RSHE programme with families so that they can support their children’s physical, moral, mental wellbeing and emotional development at home.
Key Objectives
The key objectives of our RSHE programme are:
- To provide the knowledge and information to which all pupils are entitled
- To clarify/reinforce existing knowledge;
- To raise pupils self-esteem and confidence, especially in their relationships with others;
- To understand the importance of safe and stable relationships that promote respect love and care;
- To help pupils develop skills (language, decision making, choice, assertiveness, resilience) and make the most of the abilities;
- To provide the confidence to be participating members of society and to value themselves and others;
- To develop skills for a healthier safer lifestyle;
- To develop and use communication skills and assertiveness skills to cope wih he influences of their peers and the media;
- To develop resilience and positivity when responding to influences that may affect body image;
- To reinforce and develop pupils understanding of how to stay safe online;
- To respect and care for their bodies;
- To be prepared for puberty and adulthood;
- To respond to the needs of pupils and parents/carers by providing accurate knowledge of sexual matters at a level suitable to the children’s age and understanding and to dispel myths and rumour;
- To foster an understanding and acceptance that relationships can be formed in diverse and varied ways, for example; people of the same gender.
- To help pupils and parents/carers to gain access to information and support.
Inclusion and Support
RSHE will be accessible to all pupils regardless of age, sex, race, disability, religion or belief, gender or sexual orientation. We will ensure that issues such as sexism, misogyny and homophobia and gender stereotypes are discussed and will take positive action to build a culture where these are not tolerated and any occurrences are identified and tackled.
RSHE can also be particularly important for pupils with social, emotional or mental health needs or learning disabilities as they are more vulnerable to exploitation and bullying, we will ensure that teaching will be tailored to meet the specific needs of pupils to ensure learning outcomes are met, this will also be discussed with parents and carers.
As with all teaching within school, we will ensure that information taught is sensitive, age appropriate, and developmentally appropriate and delivered within reference to the law.
There are many different faith and cultural perspectives on aspects of RSHE. As a school we will deliver RSHE in a factual, non-judgemental way ensuring that teachers do not promote one faith or cultural viewpoint but rather provide a balanced approach that acknowledges the wealth of views and opinions of our community and teaches tolerance. Parents and carers can contextualise the learning within their own faith and values framework in their discussions with children following teacher-led sessions.
We will use a range of materials and resources that reflect our cultural diversity and encourage inclusiveness. Teachers will plan in different ways and use a variety of teaching strategies to meet the needs of individuals.
A range of different families and relationships will be explored within RSHE. All children whatever their developing sexuality or family background need to feel that RSHE is relevant to them and sensitive to their needs.
Delivery of the PSHE / RSHE Programme
All teachers will have responsibility for planning and delivering RSHE. Teaching assistants may provide additional support for children with special educational needs. Everyone involved in the teaching of RSHE will follow the school policy.
Where RSHE is taught within the curriculum, it will be delivered by the class teacher and therefore usually within a mixed gender class. Visiting speakers from the community, e.g. health promotion specialists, community police and fire officers, make a valuable contribution to the RSHE curriculum. Their input is carefully planned and monitored to fit into and complement the curriculum.
Teachers will always be present during sessions delivered by visiting speakers and the teachers remain responsible for the delivery of the RSHE curriculum.
The personal beliefs and attitudes of teachers will not influence the teaching of RSHE. A balanced and non-judgemental approach will be taken. Teachers, and all those contributing to RSHE will work to the agreed values within this policy.
The Curriculum
RSHE will be taught in each year group throughout the school. The curriculum that is to be delivered is progressive, building the children’s knowledge, understanding and skills year on year in KS1 and 2. In mixed age classes, children will be taught age appropriately and may be split into year groups for smaller group teaching as is necessary.
The curriculum will also be delivered through opportunities that are provided beyond the curriculum such as Forest school, extra-curricular clubs, School Council, supporting charity events etc.
Assemblies will also periodically used to address the whole school on major issues such, for example awareness of and countering cyber-bullying.
There will be cross curriculum learning from many other subjects such as physical education and science curriculum.
The themes that make up the framework for RSHE include:
Families and people that care for me Caring friendships
Respectful relationships Online relationships
Being safe Mental wellbeing
Internet safety and harm Physical health and fitness
Healthy eating Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
Health and prevention Basic first aid
Changing adolescent body
Questions raised by pupils
Establishing a safe, open and positive learning environment, built on trusting relationships between all members of the class community is vital to successful and effective teaching and learning within this subject.
A set of ground rules is established prior to the unit of work so that both teachers and pupils are working within a safe environment where they will not feel embarrassed or anxious during discussions. Questions raised by children should be answered honestly and with a degree of detail appropriate to the child’s age and stage of development.
Teachers will use their professional skill and discretion before answering questions and if necessary will deal with questions on an individual basis after the lesson. Where pupil’s questions require a response that goes beyond the prescribed programme of study for the year group, they are encouraged to ask the question at home. Where appropriate, teachers will discuss a child’s concerns with the child’s parents.
Teachers are aware that effective RSHE, which brings and understanding of what is and is not acceptable in a relationship, can lead to the disclosure of a safeguarding issue. The usual standards of confidentiality between child and teacher will be observed, except where a child’s question might suggest the possibility of abuse. In these circumstances, the Designated safeguarding Lead should be informed.
No adult should ever promise confidentiality to a child, as per Storth CE School’s Safeguarding Policy.
Staff training
If a staff member has additional learning and development needs these will be supported either through mentoring from a more experienced member of staff in school, team-teaching, observations, or attendance at an external training event.
Right to be excused from sex education
We believe that RSHE should be a partnership with parents and carers. Parents will be routinely consulted and informed about RSHE through the school prospectus, and letters to explain when RSHE will take place in different year group.
Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of the sex education delivered as part of the statutory RSHE however, Relationship Education and Health Education is compulsory for all pupils receiving primary education, therefore there is no right to withdraw from Relationship or Health Education.
Before granting any such request, the head teacher will discuss the request with parents and, as appropriate, with the child to ensure that their wishes are understood and to clarify the nature and purpose of the curriculum. The head teacher will also discuss with parents the benefits of receiving this important education and any detrimental effects that withdrawal might have on the child. This could include any social and emotional effects of being excluded, as well as the likelihood of the child hearing their peers’ version of what was said in class, rather than what was directly said by the teacher.
Head teachers will grant a request to withdraw a pupil from any sex education delivered in Storth CE School, other than what has to be covered as part of the science curriculum.
Review, Assessment and Evaluation
Monitoring of the RSHE Policy is the responsibility of the head teacher, named governor, and RSHE leaders.
The school will assess the effectiveness of the aims, content and methods in promoting pupils learning by lesson observation, sampling teachers planning and feedback from parents.
The effectiveness of the RSHE programme will be evaluated by assessing children’s learning and implementing change if required.
The policy document is available to view on the school website.
Equal Opportunities
The RSHE programme will be delivered in accordance with the school’s Inclusion Policy and the Equality Act (2010).
Consequently, implicit in the school’s curriculum, pupils will learn from an early age that there are many different types of ‘family’. In KS2, pupils will be taught that the term ‘relationship’ may refer to two people of the same or different: gender, ethnicity, religion/belief, or ability/disability. The promotion of any type of relationship shall not occur.
Where appropriate, pupils will be given opportunities to discuss specific issues which; relate to puberty in single sex groups. Resources and methods of teaching will be in line with the strategies set out in the policies.
Links to other Policies
- PSHE
- Science
- Safeguarding
- Health and Safety
- Equal Opportunities
- Inclusion
Key Contacts
Head teacher: Mr Simon Brabant
RSHE Leads: Mrs Sonya Robinson (SENDco) / Mrs Jayne Buchanan
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mr Simon Brabant
Governor with responsibility for safeguarding: Mrs Jessica Harvey
Storth CE Primary School September 2025