Curriculum – RSHE
Curriculum Relationships, Sex & Health Education (RSHE)
At St Bede’s Catholic Primary School, we want every pupil to live fulfilled lives and to be eager to develop the knowledge and skills to form happy and meaningful relationships. High quality teaching of Relationships Education, using a fully integrated and holistic programme that truly enables children to ‘live life to the full’ (John 10:10) is central to this.
We are a Catholic school and we are committed to the Catholic faith, recognising and valuing every individual as special and unique in the image and likeness of God. Relationships Education at St Bede’s Catholic Primary School respects and protects each child’s uniqueness and promotes tolerance, respect and dignity for others.
We acknowledge that parents are a child’s first and most important teacher and we therefore use an online portal so parents can engage with the teaching and deepen the experience for their children Our curriculum is based on ‘A Model Catholic RSHE Curriculum’ by the Catholic Education Service and delivered using Life to the Full resources developed by Ten:Ten. Lessons are creative, engaging, informative and inspiring. Through our Relationships Education curriculum our pupils learn about their place within the home, school and wider community.
Intent
Our Mission Statement is, ‘Shine Brightly for all with Christ as our Guide…”
Our principal aim is that children leave St Bede’s Catholic Primary School having formed and sustained meaningful and fulfilling relationships and are equipped with the knowledge and skills to develop life-enriching relationships in the future, including sexual relationships. We aim to ensure that pupils are aware of their God-given capacity to enhance their life experiences through a variety of relationships and to recognise that God is an ever-present guide and support.
We hope that our pupils will develop a well-formed conscience, allowing them to make sound moral judgements. We aim to help children recognise inappropriate or unacceptable relationships and to know how to seek help in order to keep themselves and others safe and happy. Above all, we want our pupils to know they are created to love and be loved and that their lives can be joyous because of this.
Characteristics of our learners
We would like our children to develop the following characteristics:
- An excellent level of knowledge and understanding of how to form and sustain fulfilling relationships.
- A thorough engagement with a range of questions about the meaning and significance of relationships and community.
- The ability to ask questions about relationships and demonstrate an excellent understanding of issues relating to the nature, truth and value of relationships.
- A strong understanding of how the beliefs, values, practises and ways of life within their own faith tradition, and that of other faith traditions, are reflected in choices made.
- Exceptional independence: the ability to think for themselves and take the initiative in, for example, asking questions and evaluating other people’s views.
- Significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity, which are shown in their responses to their learning in RSHE.
- The ability to link the study of religion and belief to personal reflections on the meaning and purpose of relationships.
Implementation – How do we translate our vision into practice?
At St Bede’s Catholic Primary School, we follow the Life to the Full Relationships Education which supports the Catholic Education Service Model Curriculum.
This programme is followed throughout school from Reception through to Year 6 and follows three themes:
- Created and Loved by God;
- Created to Love Others
- Created to Live in Community.
Created and Loved by God explores the individual. Rooted in the teaching that we are made in the image and likeness of God, it helps pupils to develop an understanding of the importance of valuing themselves as the basis for personal relationships. At the start of each learning stage in this theme there are a series of short story sessions. These communicate and help children know more deeply the key idea that we were created by God out of love and for love. Building on this religious understanding of the meaning and purpose of our bodies, children are then taken through a variety of age-appropriate sessions which explore body and health issues.
Created to Love Others explores the individual’s relationship with others. Building on the understanding that we have been created out of love and for love, this theme explores how we take this calling into our family, friendships and relationships, and teaches strategies for developing heathy relationships and keeping safe. At the start of each learning stage, we begin with a lesson based on a key Gospel story which provides the religious foundation for the teaching that will follow. For example, through an imaginative retelling of the Prodigal Son, children deepen their understanding of the concept of sin and the importance of forgiveness in relationships. This religious understanding is then applied to real-world situations relevant to the age and stage of the children.
Created to Live in Community explores the individual’s relationship with the wider world. Here we explore how human beings are relational by nature and are called to love others in the wider community through service, through dialogue and through working for the Common Good. In the first Unit, Religious Understanding, the lessons help children to develop a concept of the Trinity at a level appropriate for their learning stage. In subsequent lessons, we apply this religious understanding to real-world situations, such as the community we live in, and through exploring the work of charities which work for the Common Good.
Across our RSHE curriculum, the teachings of the Catholic church are explored and links are made with the pupils’ own experiences and with universal experiences. We fully recognise and uphold the protective characteristics and equip pupils with the language, confidence and trust to discuss these, as is appropriate for their age and stage of development. We fully support, without prejudice, anyone in our school who has a protected characteristic.
Correct language is used for genitalia during lessons.
Parents have a right to request to withdraw their child from RSHE, except for those elements which link to the national curriculum statutory requirements.
To enhance the RSHE curriculum teachers will include guest speakers and visitors into school to speak to pupils when appropriate. They are specialists in their area and offer a high level of expertise.
Teaching approaches will include whole class teaching, group activities and individual work. Children will have opportunities to work individually as well as cooperatively and collaboratively, developing their own knowledge and expertise as well as sharing experiences with others. Whilst we have mixed cohorts – please note that some units may be taught separately.
Impact – What is the impact of our curriculum upon the pupils?
- Pupils enjoy their RSHE lessons. They experience a wide-ranging number of learning challenges and respond appropriately to them.
- They are able to make moral decisions.
- Behaviour in our school is good as a consequence of the meaningful RSHE curriculum in which children develop the skills and knowledge to form meaningful relationships.
- Pupils know how to mediate and resolve relationship issues; they recognise good behaviour and how this enhances relationships.
- Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in RSHE and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.
- Fundamental British Values are evident in RSHE and children understand how teaching and learning in RSHE helps pupils to celebrate and understand difference.
- Children understand the importance of tolerance and respect in relation to the protected characteristics.
- Children are confident, resilient and actively engaged in the wider society.
- Children are able to describe and discuss areas of RSHE and apply these in the formation of their own relationships.