RSE

What is RSE Education?

-Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) plays a vital role in a child's development. It empowers them with essential knowledge and skills to understand themselves and navigate the complexities of the world, enabling them to flourish both in the present and future. RSE addresses everyday challenges like friendships, emotional well-being, and personal growth. A well-structured and tailored RSE curriculum prepares children to confidently embrace future opportunities and face uncertainties with optimism.

At St John Bosco RC, we are committed to providing every child, including those with SEND, with enriching experiences that foster their understanding of themselves and God's world. Our broad and balanced curriculum is carefully tailored to meet the unique needs of each child, recognizing that they are all made in God's image and shaped by diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Our RSE curriculum embodies our mission: "With Jesus in our hearts, we love, pray, learn, and play." It deepens children's understanding of God's creation and their place within it, cultivates emotional awareness, and equips them with the tools to lead fulfilling lives. We strive to build their knowledge, self-esteem, emotional well-being, and resilience, empowering them to form healthy, positive relationships built on respect for themselves and others within our school, local community, nation, and the wider world.

We are dedicated to cultivating essential character skills in our students, including decision-making, responsible risk-taking, effective communication, and self-regulation. We foster a respectful and inclusive environment by encouraging exploration of diverse cultures, faiths, and groups within our community, promoting positive attitudes towards difference. Honesty and respect are central to all our relationships, and we nurture sensitivity towards the feelings and needs of others.

Our aim is to deepen children’s understanding of health and well-being, encompassing both mental and physical aspects. Our RSE program is instrumental in fostering their spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) development. We equip our young people with the information, skills, and values necessary to navigate the physical and emotional changes of puberty with confidence. In Years 5 and 6, children will learn about reproduction, understanding both the scientific aspects and its place within healthy relationships. All information is presented in an age-appropriate and sensitive manner. We are committed to open communication with parents, providing advance notice of RSE lessons to prepare them for any questions or concerns their children may have.

Our RSE curriculum is delivered both through dedicated lessons and integrated into daily teaching, assemblies, interactions, and personal development opportunities. We utilise the "Life to the Full" RSE scheme, which provides a carefully sequenced curriculum with specific units and sessions allocated to each year group.

"Life to the Full" is a comprehensive resource designed for Catholic primary schools, fully aligned with the statutory curriculum. Its spiral approach ensures that pupils revisit key topics at age-appropriate stages throughout their school journey, covering areas such as religious understanding, personal health and well-being, emotional literacy, life cycles, relationships, online safety, and safeguarding. This teaching is rooted in the belief that our fundamental identity is as children of God – created, chosen, and loved. The program is fully inclusive of all pupils and their families.

While our curriculum is thoughtfully sequenced, we recognise the evolving needs of each class and year group based on their experiences both in and out of school. To address any gaps in prior learning or misconceptions identified through assessment, teachers plan additional sessions to meet the specific needs of their students.

In our RSE lessons, we prioritise discussion and open questioning, recognising that written tasks are not always necessary. However, each unit will include at least one written piece to demonstrate children's understanding.

RSE is provided to all children, with students with SEND receiving individualised support to access the curriculum through high-quality teaching, in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice. Instruction is differentiated and personalised to meet their unique needs.

We recognise the importance of fostering confidence in talking, listening, and thinking about bodies, relationships, and sex, in line with DfE guidance and age-appropriate content from the RSE program.

To support this, we use the following strategies:

• Creating Ground Rules: Establishing a safe environment where teachers and pupils feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics without embarrassment or anxiety.

• Distancing Techniques: De-personalising discussions to protect pupils' privacy and avoid potential embarrassment.

• Clear Boundaries: Setting clear parameters for appropriate questions and comments in a whole-class setting.

• Facilitating Discussion: Encouraging active learning through structured activities that allow pupils to:

• Build upon prior knowledge.

• Develop social and personal skills.

• Explore their beliefs and attitudes.

• Reflect on new learning.

• Plan for future action.

• Promoting Reflection: Guiding pupils to consolidate their learning and develop new understanding, skills, and attitudes through thoughtful questioning.