Relationships Sex, & Health Education
“I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
Dignity of the human person is one of the values of Catholic Social Teaching which is why Relationships, Sex & Health Education (RSHE) are important aspects in our school curriculum. We recognise that parents are the first educators of their children. It is their right and responsibility to inform and educate their children in matters relating to human growth and development, particularly sexual development. As a school we always seek to work in partnership with our parents and carers. We do this by informing our parents of when RSHE will be taught in school and what their children are studying.
As a Catholic school we have a moral responsibility to ensure that our RSHE programme is both faithful to Catholic Church teaching and also sensitive to the needs of our young people growing up in Great Britain today. While issues relating to RSHE are taught in subjects such as Science and Religious Education, the area where it is mainly studied is in I AM lessons where a significant portion of a school term is dedicated to the study of RSHE. Pupils study lessons devised by the TEN TEN series, ‘Life to the Full’ which is a programme of study that has been endorsed by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales and which also fulfils the requirements that have been set out by the Department for Education. All teaching staff may be called upon to teach RSHE and will receive training and support to ensure that their lessons enable pupils to grow in their understanding of human sexuality as well as to respect and to show love to their neighbour.
Further details can be found in:
Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Ten Ten Resources – Resources for Catholic / Christian schools
STM Relationships, Sex & Health Education Policy