Relationships and Health Education
Every primary school has been required to deliver statutory relationships and health education since 2020. Through our PSHE lessons at Park Hill, we teach children about healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships in all contexts, including online). We teach children how to be safe and how to care for their physical and mental health. We also help children develop an understanding of human sexuality with regards to the Equality Act, further helping children understand everyone's protected characteristics.
The Department for Education also strongly recommend teaching sex education to help children prepare for their transition to high school. All children must be taught the aspects of sex education outlined in the primary Science curriculum – this includes teaching about the main external parts of the human body, how it changes as it grows from birth to old age, including puberty, and the reproductive process in some plants and animals.
At Park Hill, we deliver compulsory sex education aspects of the Science curriculum in Year 5.
Primary schools have the option to decide whether pupils are taught sex education in addition to what is taught in Science. At Park Hill, we are confident that our coverage of relationships and health education, including puberty, is sufficiently wide enough to support children’s understanding of puberty, sexual reproduction and healthy relationships.
We do have a sex education programme that is tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils, as advised by the DfE.
Optional sex education lessons delivered as part of our school PSHE lessons are shaded in orange in our curriculum information. These optional lessons are delivered in Year 4 and Year 6.
School Health Nurses also deliver puberty and sex education lessons to Year 5 and Year 6: information about these sessions is always sent out to parents and carers beforehand.
Please note that parents and carers can only withdraw their child from optional, non-statutory lessons. We have shaded these in orange in our curriculum information and policy documents.
Teachers will ensure that families are aware of when optional lessons are coming up or when sensitive lessons have been taught, by sending a message to families. This really helps families support their children at home too. Parents and carers are welcome and encouraged to speak to their child's teacher if they have any questions or would like to see the lesson resources.
Below are links to useful documents, including lesson-by-lesson information. Our full policy can be found here.
RHSE Lessons
DfE RHSE Guide for Parents and Carers
RHSE Consultation with Parents and Carers
Before our RHSE policy was ratified by governors, we held a consultation with families. We amended our curriculum, taking into account the views and wishes of families. Please watch the recording of the consultation here.