Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

As part of our PSHCEE curriculum, students will take part in lessons which will focus on Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). RSE lessons will include teaching about positive, responsible and healthy relationships (including friendships and intimate relationships), as well as: families, growing & changing (including puberty), personal hygiene, changing feelings, becoming more independent, keeping safe & consent, contraception, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and developing self-esteem & confidence. Students will also have opportunities to ask questions that help prepare them for relationships of all kinds in the modern world.

You do have the right to withdraw your child from Sex Education delivered as part of PSHCEE in secondary schools which, unless there are exceptional circumstances, will be granted until up to three terms before your child turns 16. At this point, if the child themselves wishes to receive Sex Education rather than be withdrawn, the school will plan for this to happen in one of the three terms before the child turns 16 - the legal age of sexual consent. Please contact Mr Gill, Head of Academy, if you feel that you would like to withdraw your child from Sex Education within school. 

There is no right to withdraw from the Relationships Education aspect of RSE at secondary level and we believe the content – such as family, friendship, safety (including online safety) – is important for all children. However, we are confident you will share our enthusiasm for the delivery of the PSHCEE curriculum, which we feel will benefit all members of our school community. More information is available in our RSE Policy.

We are committed to working in partnership with parents as a school community. We will discuss PSHCEE, including RSE, at our Parents’ Forum annually (meeting date to be communicated to all parents). You are, of course, welcome to contact Mrs Greenwood, Deputy Headteacher, to discuss the programme further should you have any questions or suggestions in the meantime (lgreenwood@hhs.nsat.org.uk).

The RSE Hub offers support to parents/carers around talking to their children about sex and relationships, and we would recommend that parents do open up these conversations at home regularly, so that young people do not feel that they are out of the ordinary. The most important focus to approach them with is healthy relationships and attitudes. Useful information can be found here.

< Back to CARES Curriculum and VMG