PSHCE & RSHE

Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education

Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education provides students with the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives.

All students in Key Stages 3 and 4 will cover a broad range of topics under the key headings: Relationships; Health and Wellbeing; and Living in the Modern World. The PSHCE curriculum is designed according to guidance from the PSHCE Association. Students receive one 50 minute PSHCE lesson each week, as well as covering content linked to these themes in many of their curricular lessons.

Relationships, Sex and Health Education

The wider aims of RSHE provision at The Petchey Academy are:

To have the confidence and self-esteem to value and respect themselves and others, including giving and seeking consent.
To understand about the range of relationships, including the importance of those who are responsible for the care and support of children.
To develop confidence in talking, listening and thinking about feelings and relationships.
To be able to name parts of the body and describe how their bodies work.
To be prepared for puberty and beyond by recognising changes in their mind, body and feelings.
To understand the consequences of their actions and behave responsibly within relationships.
To be able to recognise unsafe situations and be able to protect themselves and ask for help and support.
To understand the role the media plays in forming attitudes and the role of social media in perpetuating negative and positive stereotypes and behaviours.
To understand how safe routines can reduce the spread of viruses including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
To be aware of the legal frameworks regarding sex, in particular the relevance of “sexting” (sending sexually explicit verbal or photo messages) as illegal as it is a form of distributing child exploitation.

It does not promote early sexual activity or any particular sexual orientation.

Some parts of sex and relationship education are compulsory - these are part of the national curriculum for science.

For more information from the Department for Education about the introduction of compulsory relationships education and RSE from September 2020 please click here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education-faq

PSHE and RSHE Overview - All Year Groups

Please see the relevant links:

Overview for all years 7-10.

Sixth Form Overview

Sample Lessons

Sample lesson - Year 7

Sample lesson - Year 8

Sample lesson - Year 9

Sample lesson - Year 10

Sample lesson - Year 12

Sample lesson - Year 13

Supporting your child's relationships & sex education at home

Sex education at home

Your role in your child's education about sex and relationships is important. The teaching of these subjects in school is designed to complement the discussions you have with your child at home.

Before talking to your child, think about your own views on sex and what matters to you in your relationships and family life. Work out your own values and morals so that you can give your child clear, consistent messages about sex and relationships throughout childhood. Sex education is most effective when it’s built up gradually over a number of years.

Don't ignore the subject altogether - you don’t want your child to grow up being confused about sex and relationships.

Tips on talking to your child about sex and relationships:

Try to make discussion of sex a part of normal life not just a one-off talk.
Talk as naturally as possible to your child as this will encourage him or her to be more relaxed and open with you.
Answer any questions your child asks as clearly as you can so that he or she doesn't become confused.
Listen carefully to what your child has to say and try to deal with any fears, concerns or misunderstandings as they arise.
Be truthful if you don’t know the answer to a question - try to find out the answer and then raise the topic again another day.
Don't avoid a topic if you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about raising it. Consider introducing the subject via discussion of a TV programme or magazine article or what your child is learning in class.
Make sure any discussions are appropriate to the age of your child.

Relationships, sex and health education: Government guides for parents

This page contains Government guidance for parent on understanding Relationships, Sex and Health Education at your secondary school.

The guide is also available in Arabic, Urdu and Somali.

Relationships, sex and health education: guides for parents