Relationship and Sex Education (RSE)

Fit for Life

The Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum at John Spence is built upon our school ethos of ‘Fit for Life’. We aim to help students to be physically, socially, and emotionally healthy. RSE is learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, human sexuality and sexual health. RSE lessons equip children and young people with the information, skills and positive values to have safe, fulfilling relationships, to be confident with their sexuality and to take responsibility for their sexual health and mental and physical well-being

Skills and Knowledge

We intend to provide a curriculum that pupils will enjoy learning and develop a desire to further their knowledge, skills and understanding. The curriculum design has been well thought-out and was informed by many different factors including student voice, staff voice, local authority data, primary school analysis and guidance from the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (February 2019) published by the Department for Education and The Equality Act 2010.  All content is introduced in an age-appropriate manner whereby the curriculum goals become increasingly challenging. Where applicable, teachers revisit content taught previously in order to introduce new, more complex knowledge to deepen pupils’ understanding.

Content:

Relationship and sex education Health and mental well-being
Year 7
    • Respectful relationships including friendships
    • The wider world
    • Being safe (the law)
  • Mental wellbeing
  • Basic first aid
  • Personal safety
Year 8
  • Families
  • The wider world
  • Being safe (the law)
  • Developing bodies
  • Physical health and fitness
  • Healthy Eating
  • Personal safety
Year 9
  • Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health
  • Respectful relationships including friendships (sexual harassment and sexual violence)
  • Being safe (the law)
  • Health, protection and prevention
  • Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco and vaping
  • Online safety and harms
  • Personal safety
Year 10
  • Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health
  • Being safe (the law)
Year 11
  • Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health
  • Being safe (the law)
  • Mental wellbeing

To support the content in KS3 lessons, all pupils follow a homework/assessment schedule whereby they revisit and retrieve content that has been taught in lessons.

Communication and community

Written and verbal communication is a crucial skill to develop when studying all levels of RSE. The lessons that we deliver align with the school wide focus on literacy; pupils are exposed to ambitious texts and challenging vocabulary is explicitly taught. In a verbal and written manner, we explain and evaluate knowledge and where applicable, question where it has originated from.

Through the study of RSE, pupils are reminded that we belong to local, national and global communities whereby the needs of all need to be considered and valued. Fundamental British Values underpin the RSE curriculum as pupils are taught the importance of community and diversity and when studying concepts, they are exposed to the values of Democracy, Rule of Law, Respect and Tolerance and Individual Liberty.