St Thomas' CE (VC) Junior School

PSHE and RSE     (Personal, Social, Health, Economic) and (Relationships and Sex Education)

Aims and Objectives 

The aim is to provide children with age-appropriate information, opportunities to explore attitudes and values and develop skills in order to empower them to make positive decisions about their relationships, health and wellbeing. Helping the children to:

• understand the fundamental building blocks of and characteristics of positive relationships, with reference to friendships, family relationships and relationships with other children and adults
• know how to take turns, how to treat each other with kindness, consideration and respect, the importance of honesty and truthfulness, permission seeking and giving, and the concept of personal privacy
• understand personal space and boundaries, showing respect and understanding the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact
• respect themselves and others, their views, backgrounds, cultures and experiences
• develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions and behaviour
• develop loving, caring relationships based on mutual respect
• be supported through their physical, emotional and moral development and move with confidence from childhood, through adolescence
• develop a secure sense of identity and to function well in the world
• accept the responsibility for their own actions
• operate freely and safely in the online world
• make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing

Teaching about families requires sensitive and well-judged teaching based on knowledge of pupils and their circumstances and background. Families of many forms provide a nurturing environment for children. (Families can include for example, single parent families, Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) parents, families headed by grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents/carers amongst other structures.) Care needs to be taken to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances and needs, to reflect sensitively that some children may have a different structure of support around them, e.g. looked after children or young carers

The delivery of Relationship and Health Education in school is tailored to the age, physical and emotional maturity, gender, cultural and social needs of the children.