Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education are statutory for all primary schools in England and form part of our wider PSHE curriculum. Our provision meets the statutory requirements set out by the Department for Education for Relationships Education and Health Education in primary schools. At English Martyrs, these subjects are taught within a Catholic understanding of the human person and human flourishing.
As a Catholic school in the Diocese of Westminster, our mission is to support every child’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in the light of the Gospel and the teaching of the Church. This approach reflects the Vision for Relationship and Sex Education in the Diocese of Westminster, which calls Catholic schools to form pupils in virtue, respect and chastity, within the context of family and community. The Church is clear that parents are the first and primary educators of their children in matters of love, relationships and human dignity and that schools work in partnership with you; you entrust to us the right to co‑educate your children in these areas.
To deliver our RSE and Health Education, we use ‘Life to the Full’, a fully‑resourced programme from Ten Ten Resources. ‘Life to the Full’ has been approved for use in the Diocese of Westminster and is built on the Catholic Education Service’s Model Catholic RSE Curriculum, which the Department for Education has highlighted as good practice. Ten Ten also works in partnership with the Catholic Education Service and the Department for Education to support schools in meeting statutory RSHE requirements in a way that is faithful to Catholic teaching.
The ‘Life to the Full’ programme recognises the foundational role of parents. It includes resources designed specifically to help you stay informed about what is taught in each year group and to support you in talking, praying and working with your child at home. These include short videos, overviews and activities which mirror the classroom content so that home, school and parish can work together.
For more information about the programme, please see: Ten Ten Resources. On this website you can explore the ‘Life to the Full’ overview and parent materials that match what your child will experience in school. To access the material in the ‘Parent Portal’ you will need a username and password. Please contact the school office and they will be able to provide you with this.
‘Life to the Full’ is much more than a set of lessons. It is an age‑appropriate, spiral curriculum with creative and engaging resources that help children grow in self‑respect, respect for others and an understanding of their physical and emotional health. Lessons use interactive video content, stories, discussion activities, original worship music and regular opportunities for prayer and reflection.
At English Martyrs, ‘Life to the Full’ is part of a wider partnership between home, school and Church. We know that you already do an excellent job in forming your children. Our role is to support and enrich that work so that every child is helped to develop healthy relationships, a safe and responsible understanding of their bodies and a secure sense of being created and loved by God. Our RSE and Health Education contribute significantly to pupils’ personal development and wellbeing, including their safety, mental health and readiness for the next stage of education.
The following documents, available on our school website or from the office, provide further detail:
- Life to the Full – overview of content and year‑by‑year coverage
- RSE Terms – Explained for Parents (how we use key words with children)
- Year‑group RSHE curriculum map showing what is taught in each class
- English Martyrs Relationships, Health and Sex Education (RHSE) Policy, including information about statutory content and parent rights
- RSE Primary School Guide for Parents
In line with statutory guidance, Relationships Education and Health Education, and puberty and basic human reproduction taught in science, are compulsory and parents and carers do not have the right to withdraw their child from these lessons. Any additional sex education in Year 6 is offered in a way that is consistent with Catholic teaching on marriage and the family, and parents may request that their child is withdrawn from those particular lessons, as set out in our RHSE Policy
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