Relationships, Sex and Health Education

What is St Michael’s aiming to achieve through its Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum?

 

• To help pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage many of the critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face as they grow up and in adulthood.
• To support and enable pupils to develop an understanding of themselves, and their sense of self and to build confidence and self-esteem.
• To promote the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and physical and mental well-being.
• To support and develop skills in social communication in order to communicate effectively and build positive relationships.
• To understand governance, democracy their role in the wider community and to respect all faiths and diversity.
• To develop an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
• To be able to assert themselves and know strategies to keep themselves safe in the wider world.
• To understand and be able to apply key principles of online safety.
• To understand and develop skills in financial capability.
• To prepare pupils for work experience and the world of work.
• To ensure all pupils leave St Michael’s well prepared for their transition to the next stage.

How is the St Michael’s curriculum delivered?

Curriculum Delivery

St Michael’s Relationship, Sex and Education Policy (RSHE) informs the content of the lessons, which are adapted to meet the individual learners’ needs. The RSHE curriculum is designed to be challenging, supportive and appropriate to each student’s stage of development. The RSHE Curriculum offers opportunities for cross-curricular learning, to ensure students make significant personal development, including:

• educational visits
• Police workshops on general safety and knife crime
• mental health workshops
• travel training and road safety sessions
• work experience placements for students in Year 10
• one to one careers advice
• bespoke student development workshops with school support staff

The RSHE curriculum is designed to build and expand on previous skills, knowledge and understanding over a 5-year period. It also plans for opportunities for repetition to embed knowledge, increasing the chance of information recall and integrating new knowledge in greater depth.

 Teaching and Learning

• RSHE lessons are taught once per fortnight and are delivered by Form Tutors.
• Outside agencies are invited to deliver content when required to supplement and enrich the topics taught.
• Lessons aim to establish a safe and comfortable environment to allow students to contribute and offer their opinions.
• A variety of learning activities are utilised as well as class discussions, debates and project work.

Assessment

• The RSHE subject teacher uses a range of formative and summative assessment procedures to assess progress and attainment, including:
  • self/peer assessment
  • informal assessments
  • evaluations
  • progress monitored over time

What difference is the St Michael’s curriculum making on students?

• Students are well-prepared for the next stage of their education and working life through their preparation for college, adulthood and the world of work.
• All students learn about the notion of consent and how to keep themselves safe.
• All students have a named person they can talk to in school if they feel sad, worried or confused.
• All students learn about puberty and the physical and emotional aspects of growing up.
• All students learn about healthy relationships.
• Students understand the value of leading a healthy lifestyle and physical and emotional wellbeing.
• All students develop their social and communication skills to enable them to have positive and healthy friendships and other relationships.
• All students develop an appreciation and respect for different cultures and diversity.
• Students develop skills in financial capability by taking part in an enterprise project.
• All students learn to appreciate British values and their importance.
• All students learn that they have rights.
• All students develop an understanding of governance and democracy.
• Students develop into more well-rounded citizens that uphold St Michael’s values within the wider world.