Fit for Life
The Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum at John Spence is built upon our school ethos of ‘Fit for Life’. We aim to help students become physically, socially, and emotionally healthy. RSE involves 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 knowledge, skills, and positive values needed to build safe, fulfilling relationships, feel confident in their sexuality, and take responsibility for their sexual health and overall health well-being.
Skills and Knowledge
We provide a curriculum that pupils find engaging and enjoyable, fostering a desire to further their knowledge, skills, and understanding. The content delivered in RSE meets the statutory requirements outlined in Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education (DfE, 2019). We are currently updating the curriculum to ensure full compliance with the revised 2026 framework.
In addition to statutory guidance, the curriculum has been shaped by a range of key influences, including student voice, staff feedback, local authority data, and analysis of transition information from primary schools.
We have carefully designed the curriculum so that each theme is delivered in a sequential and coherent manner. Content is age-appropriate and becomes increasingly complex as pupils move through the school, ensuring a spiral curriculum that builds on prior learning. Furthermore, the curriculum reflects the unique context of our school community, ensuring relevance and meaningful connections for all learners.
| Year | Relationship and sex education | Health and mental well-being |
|
Main themes |
||
| 7 |
|
|
| 8 |
|
|
| 9 |
|
|
| 10 |
|
|
| 11 |
|
|
| Key note |
|
|
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.
FFL Curriculum 2025-2026
Example of a KS3 lesson
Example of a KS4 lesson
If you wish to view more content, please contact the RSE Lead
Parent and carer support and guidance:.
Parents and carers play a vital role in shaping children’s attitudes, values, and understanding of relationships and growing up. While schools provide structured, age-appropriate lessons through the RSE curriculum, conversations at home help reinforce these messages and make them more meaningful. Children are more likely to feel confident, safe, and informed when school and home work together to provide consistent, supportive guidance.
To support you in having these important conversations, we’ve included a selection of trusted resources below:
| Resource | What it offers / why it’s useful for parents | Link / details |
| NSPCC — Talking to children about sex, relationships, safety, difficult topics | Guidance, tips and age‑appropriate suggestions for how to start and manage conversations about relationships, sex, consent, boundaries. | https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/sex-relationships/ |
| NSPCC Learning — How to have difficult conversations with children | More detailed guidance aimed also at professionals and parents on handling sensitive issues (listening, pacing, neutral responses) | https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/how-to-have-difficult-conversations-with-children |