Wendell ParkRelationships & Health Education (RHE)
Intent (before the teaching)
At Wendell Park Primary School, we strive for all children to grow up healthy, happy, safe, and be able to manage the challenges and opportunities of modern Britain. From September 2021, all primary age children will be taught Relationships and Health Education (RHE) as part of their statutory school curriculum.
These subjects are designed to equip your child with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships as well as preparing them for a successful adult life. The world for all young people looks very different from the way it did 20 years ago when this curriculum was last updated – these changes bring the content into the 21st century, so that it is relevant for your child.
RHE will be delivered within the school’s agreed aims, values and moral framework, which is sensitive to the needs and beliefs of all pupils, parents/carers and other members of the school community.
RHE supports and guides children and young people in lifelong learning about relationships, emotions, the human biology of reproduction and sexuality. Along with parents and carers, we help our young people to understand and manage their physical and emotional development into adolescence and prepare for the decisions to be made in adult life.
We believe that pupils should have accurate information that relates to their needs and supports them with exploring their own feelings and attitudes, and those of society, in order to develop values on which to base decisions about relationships. They need to learn the communication skills necessary to help them take increasing responsibility for their changing relationships as they enter adult life.
RHE will, as far as possible, support the importance of marriage or stable relationships, for family life and bringing up children. Care is taken to ensure there is no stigmatisation of children based on their different home circumstances.
Implementation (subject in action)
Statutory Elements:
All schools have a statutory obligation to deliver the elements of Relationships and Health Education which fall under the National Science Curriculum for KS1 and 2, these are as follows:
Key Stage 1 (age 5-7 years)
Year 1 pupils should be taught to: Talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions.
Identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense
Year 2 pupils should be taught to: Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
Describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene
Key Stage 2 (age 7-11 years)
Year 5 pupils should be taught to: Describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals
Describe the changes as humans develop to old age
Year 6 pupils should be taught to: Recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
At Wendell Park Primary School, we follow the Christopher Winter Project teaching framework for RHE: Teaching RHE with Confidence in Primary Schools.
This provides a clear progression of age-appropriate knowledge and skills from Reception through to Year 6. Clear lesson plans and resources give teachers the confidence to address what we recognise can be a challenging area of the curriculum to deliver. The lessons are clearly mapped to follow the National Curriculum for Science and DfE Statutory Guidance on Relationships Education, Relationship and Sex Education and Health Education. Provision for RHE is in line with all of our policies and Every Child Matters guidance. All children have equal access to the curriculum and developmentally appropriate materials. Delivery will be differentiated appropriately, and this is made explicit in teachers’ planning. Resources are sensitive to the needs and backgrounds of the children.
The RHE curriculum covers the following areas (progressing from Reception up to year 6):
- Family and Friendship • Growing and Caring for Ourselves
- Difference • Valuing Differences and Keeping Safe
- Growing Up • Puberty, Relationships & Reproduction
Our curriculum plans also reference the connections across subjects and links with Science, Computing, PSHE and PE. Through this approach, we aim to allow our children to be able to transfer key knowledge to long-term memory and apply it fluently in a range of contexts. Children also take part in planned events throughout the year to support learning, such as Anti Bullying Week, Sports Week, E Safety Week/Safer Internet Day, Hello Yellow Day (Young Minds) NSPCC assembly and School Council Elections.
For more detailed information about the content for each Year Group, please refer to the RHE Policy, Year Group content letters or school’s RHE Overview.
Impact (after the teaching)
Relationships: Children will have a clear idea about what a relationship is, what friendship is, what family means and who can support them. They will understand how to treat each other with kindness, consideration & respect.
By the end of primary school, they will have been taught content on:
- families and people who care for me • caring friendships
- respectful relationships • online relationships
- being safe
Health Education: Children will have the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, to recognise issues in themselves and others, and to seek support as early as possible when issues arise.
By the end of primary school, they will have been taught content on:
- mental wellbeing • internet safety and harms
- physical health and fitness • healthy eating
- changing adolescent body • facts and risks associated with drugs, alcohol & tobacco
The majority of progress will be assessed through class-based discussion. Some evidence of RHE learning will be recorded in class PSHE/RHE floor books and the children’s science books.
Relationships Education - Progression of Knowledge and skills
Our ‘Relationships Education subject progression of skills and knowledge' document gives further information about what the children are taught in this subject by year group.
Progression of Knowledge and Skills
Relationships Education Long Term Plan
Statatory Guidance
If you would like to know more, please visit Statatory Guidance for Relationships Education.