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 | Physical health and mental well-being | |
| Year 7 | ● Respectful relationships including friendships ● The wider world |
● Mental wellbeing |
| Year 8 | ● The law ● The wider world ● Intimate and sexual relationships (introduction – age and context appropriate) |
● Changing adolescent body ● Physical health and fitness |
| Year 9 | ● Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health ● Respectful relationships including friendships (sexual harassment and sexual violence) |
● Health and prevention ● Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco ● First aid |
| Year 10 | ● Families ● Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health |
● Health and prevention |
| Year 11 | ● Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health | ● Mental wellbeing ● Health and prevention |
| Other | ● Online and media is delivered is delivered in ICT lessons | ● Internet safety and harm is delivered in ICT lessons. |
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.