Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)  

We deliver a comprehensive, age-appropriate Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum in line with the latest statutory guidance (updated 2026). The curriculum supports pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and values needed to lead safe, healthy and respectful lives. 

RSE is taught through: 

  • Weekly Civics lessons 
  • Tutor sessions during morning registration 
  • Additional themed assemblies and enrichment activities 

Our curriculum covers the following key areas: 

  • Families 
  • Respectful relationships (including friendships) 
  • Online safety and media 
  • Being safe 
  • Intimate and sexual relationships (including sexual health) 
  • The Law 

Families 

Pupils are taught: 

  • That families and committed relationships can take different forms 
  • How stable relationships contribute to wellbeing and raising children 
  • The nature of marriage, including its legal status, rights and responsibilities 
  • Why marriage must be entered into freely 
  • The characteristics and legal status of other long-term relationships 
  • The roles and responsibilities of parents and carers 
  • How to recognise whether relationships are safe and respectful 
  • How to seek help and report concerns about themselves or others 

Respectful Relationships, Including Friendships 

Pupils learn: 

  • The features of positive and healthy relationships, including:  
  • Respect, trust, honesty, kindness and consent 
  • Boundaries, privacy and conflict resolution 
  • How to manage, repair and end relationships appropriately 
  • How to challenge stereotypes based on sex, gender, race, religion, disability or sexual orientation 
  • The importance of mutual respect and tolerance in school and society 
  • The different forms of bullying, including cyberbullying, and how to seek help 
  • That some behaviours, such as coercive control and violence, are criminal 
  • What constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence, and why these are unacceptable 
  • Their legal rights under the Equality Act 2010 

Online Safety and Media 

Pupils are taught: 

  • Their rights and responsibilities online 
  • That behaviour expectations apply equally online and offline 
  • The risks associated with sharing information and images online 
  • How to report concerns and access support 
  • The potential impact of harmful online content 
  • That pornography presents a distorted view of relationships and behaviour 
  • That sharing indecent images of anyone under 18 is illegal and carries serious consequences 
  • How personal data is created, shared and used 

Being Safe 

Pupils develop understanding of: 

  • Consent and how it is communicated and withdrawn 
  • Laws relating to:  
  • Sexual exploitation, abuse and grooming 
  • Harassment, coercion and domestic abuse 
  • Forced marriage, honour-based violence and FGM 
  • How to recognise risk and seek help 

Intimate and Sexual Relationships (Including Sexual Health) 

Pupils learn: 

  • The characteristics of healthy intimate relationships 
  • How choices can affect physical, emotional and sexual health 
  • Key facts about reproductive health, including fertility and menopause 
  • How to recognise and manage pressure, including peer influence 
  • That individuals can choose to delay sex or engage in intimacy without sex 
  • The full range of contraceptive options and their effectiveness 
  • Facts about pregnancy, including miscarriage 
  • The options available in pregnancy, including parenting, adoption and abortion 
  • How sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, are spread, prevented and treated 
  • The impact of alcohol and drugs on decision-making 
  • Where and how to access confidential health advice and services 

The Law 

Understanding the law is an important part of RSE. It helps young people distinguish between right and wrong, stay safe, and take responsibility for their actions. 

Pupils are taught about relevant laws, including those relating to: 

  • Marriage and forced marriage 
  • Consent and the legal age of consent 
  • Violence against women and girls 
  • Online behaviour, including sharing images and personal information 
  • Pornography 
  • Abortion 
  • Sexual orientation and gender identity 
  • Substance misuse 
  • Gang-related violence and exploitation (including county lines) 
  • Extremism and radicalisation 
  • Hate crime 
  • Female genital mutilation (FGM) 

Working with Parents and Carers 

We recognise the important role parents and carers play in supporting RSE learning. 

Parents and carers have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of sex education (excluding statutory Relationships Education and Health Education). 

For further details, please refer to our RSE Policy or contact the school directly.