Relationships, Sex and Health Education at Ashurst
At Ashurst Primary School, we believe that Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) enables our children to become healthy, safe, independent and responsible members of society. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We are dedicated to ensuring that Ashurst Primary School is a happy, stimulating and caring place and we expect high standards and expectations in terms of behaviour and attitudes throughout the school. Behaviour and attitude to learning is underpinned by values and learning dispositions, making these integral to the success of the whole school. RSHE is at the heart of our school ethos and golden thread within all aspects of Ashurst school life.
We are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all pupils at Ashurst Primary School and strategies that support this via our PATHS Programme, which is embedded in school. Our pastoral small group support and through pupil voice, alongside quality first teaching and learning about awareness and management of mental health through out the RSHE curriculum.
RSHE is taught as both explicit lessons, using the Jigsaw RSHE scheme and the Yasmine and Tom RSE resource. It is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum, enrichment such as PATHS Programme and our day-to-day life of the school.
What’s Being Taught? Core Lesson Themes in Primary School
Three themes run through the curriculum.
- Positive relations with friends, families and other adults and children
- Respecting people who are sometimes different from your own family
- Development of skills to stay safe on and offline
Schools Legally Required to Teach Relationships Education
Since September 2020 primary schools have been legally required to teach Relationships Education.
Sex Education
In Year 6 we deliver a number of lessons relating to sex education that are age appropriate using the Yasmine and Tom resource. Workshops are provided for parents to attend and see the content and coverage. Parents are able to opt their child out of the Sex Education lessons.
For more information see the link below:
Parents Guide to Relationships & Sex Education in Primary School (fpa.org.uk)
Sex Education Opt-Out
Parents, carers and guardians cannot withdraw their child from ‘relationships’ education as this is a legal requirement.
Likewise, you cannot withdraw your child from sex education that is part of the science curriculum e.g. ‘external body parts’ and ‘the human body as it grows from birth to old age (including puberty)’.
You can choose to withdraw your child from any additional sex education. There are 4 of these sex education lessons and they are taught in year 6 (10-11 year olds). .
Teaching high quality and age appropriate RSE
We know that teaching RSE is a big responsibility and so to help we use the Family Planning Association’s “Growing up with Yasmine and Tom” lesson plans and resources. These are:
- Interactive and practical sets of RSE lessons that we use to ensure children are helped, appropriately educated and protected
- A set of lesson plans and modules that meet the statutory Department for Education guidance (national curriculum)
Where can parents, carers, guardians get further information?
To improve the information on these lessons available the Family Planning Association has created a bespoke area here: www.fpa.org.uk/rshe-for-parents/
As well as any updated lesson plans, parents, carers and guardians can:
- Watch a short introduction Yasmine and Tom video that’s shown to 5-6 year olds
- Interact with two of the Yasmine and Tom lessons
- See the latest lesson plans - these are broken down by age & year group
Relationships,Sex and Health Education Policy
Please see our Relationship Sex Education policy below, which parents can access and have been provided with the opportunity to feedback in developing the policy.
Relationships,Sex and Health Education and the PATHS Programme
At Ashurst, we are also a part of a programme called PATHS (Promoting alternative thinking strategies) with access to weekly lessons, resources and coaching sessions. PATHS provides opportunities to empower the children, helping them to develop their fundamental social and emotional learning skills which enables them to make positive choices throughout life, improve their social and emotional competence and facilitates the development of their self-control, emotional awareness and interpersonal problem-solving skills. This allows us to continually embed and weave strategies into our everyday routine, giving mental health and wellbeing a high profile within our school. See the documents below for how PATHS links with RSHE education and our Relationships and Sex Education.
