RSHE at North Wootton Academy
RSHE has now been firmly entwined with PSHE as The Golden Thread in our academic curriculum. Always evolving with statutory guidance and global and local issues, we tailor these subjects to the needs of our children at NWA.
Intent
SWEROQ
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Safety
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Wellbeing
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Empowered
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Respect
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Openminded
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Questioning
Linked closely to our school TEAMWORK values, we aim for our pupils be happy, respectful and empowered. They will know how to stay safe, be openminded and ask informed questions accepting responsibility for themselves and their actions towards others.
Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.
These subjects represent a huge opportunity to help our children and young people develop. The knowledge and attributes gained will support their own, and others’, wellbeing and attainment and help young people to become successful and happy adults who make a meaningful contribution to society.
-Secretary of State Foreword
RSHE is learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, human sexuality and sexual health in an age and stage appropriate manner. RSHE equips children and young people with accurate information, positive values and the skills to enjoy healthy, safe and positive relationships, to celebrate their sexuality and to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing both now and in the future. We recognise the importance of RSHE in preparing children and young people to live safe, fulfilled and healthy lives. The overarching objective of RSHE is to support children and young people through a journey of physical, emotional and moral development via the teaching of essential knowledge, skills and values within the framework of the law and provisions of the Equality Act, 2010.
Effective RSHE can make a significant contribution to the development of personal skills needed by pupils to establish and maintain relationships. RSHE will ensure children and young people are encouraged to understand the importance of stable, loving relationships, respect, love, and care. It also enables young people to make responsible and informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.
RSHE will be approached through evidence-based, best practice principles to ensure the highest impact on improving pupil health, wellbeing, safeguarding and lifelong outcomes. The following principles are based on research evidence, supported by a wide range of leading organisations including the NSPCC, Barnardo’s, The Children’s Society and education unions. They are also supported by a number of MPs and Lords.
Principles of effective RHSE
RSHE provision at North Wootton Academy:
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Is an identifiable part of our school curriculum, which has planned, timetabled lessons across all the Key Stages.
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Is taught by staff regularly trained in RSHE (with expert visitors invited in to enhance and supplement the programme, where appropriate).
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Works in partnership with parents and carers, informing them about what their children will be learning and how they can contribute at home.
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Delivers lessons where pupils feel safe and encourages participation by using a variety of teaching approaches with opportunities to develop critical thinking and relationship skills.
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Is based on reliable sources of information, including about the law and legal rights, and distinguishes between fact and opinion.
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Promotes safe, equal, caring and enjoyable relationships and discusses real-life issues appropriate to the age and stage of pupils, including friendships, families, consent, relationship abuse, sexual exploitation and safe relationships online.
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Gives a positive view of human sexuality with honest and medically accurate information so that pupils can learn about their bodies and sexual and reproductive health in ways that are appropriate to their age and maturity.
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Gives pupils opportunities to reflect on their values and influences (such as from peers, media, faith and culture) that may shape their attitudes to relationships and sex and nurture respect for different views.
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Includes learning about how to get help and treatment from sources such as the School Health Service and other health and advice services including reliable information online.
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Fosters gender equality and LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans) equality and challenges all forms of discrimination in RSHE lessons and in everyday school life.
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Meets the needs of all pupils with their diverse experiences including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
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Seeks pupils’ views about RSHE so that teaching can be made relevant to their real lives and assessed and adapted as their needs change.
Entitlement and equality of opportunity
All children are entitled to access a broad and balanced curriculum delivered in an age and stage appropriate manner. Teachers will include a range of teaching styles and groupings to allow all children to make progress. Every child will be given opportunity to develop their skills independently and in groups, enhancing their own confidence and self–esteem.
We actively celebrate the diversity of our pupils, their families and the wider whole-school community. RSHE will always be taught in a non-judgemental, non-biased and fully inclusive manner through clear, impartial, scientific information as well as covering the law to ensure all pupils have equal access to our RSHE curriculum. We do not use RSHE as a means of promoting any form of sexual orientation over another.
Thorough consultation, continual assessment and regular reviews of the curriculum we ensure that we continually recognise and respect pupils’ different abilities, levels of maturity, personal circumstances (including gender identity, faith or culture and that of their family, friends and the wider whole-school community) in accordance with the school’s inclusion policy.
Implementation
The RSHE programme will be led by a designated lead member of staff who trains and works alongside Norfolk Lead Professionals. All staff involved in the delivery of RSHE have received specialist training to ensure that pupils receive clear and consistent approaches to RSHE throughout their time at North Wootton Academy. Whole staff and individual training needs will be identified through the school’s self-evaluation process and staff appraisal.
On occasion external visitors, experts and agencies may be invited to contribute to the delivery of RSHE to enhance delivery of these subjects, bringing in specialist knowledge and different ways of engaging with children and young people. When this happens, our school will:
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Check the visitor or visiting organisation’s credentials.
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Ensure the teaching delivered by the visitor fits with our planned programme and our published policy.
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Discuss the detail of how the visitor will deliver their sessions and ensure that the content is age-appropriate and accessible for the pupils.
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Ask to see in advance the materials visitors will use as well as a lesson plan so that collectively we can ensure it meets the full range of pupils’ needs (e.g. special educational needs).
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Agree how confidentiality will work in any lesson and that the visitor understands how safeguarding reports should be dealt with in line with our school’s policy.
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Arrange for the visitor to be supervised/supported by a member of school staff at all times.
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Monitor and evaluate the visitor input to inform future planning.
RSHE will be taught through a range of teaching methodologies, including story-telling, drama, discussions, individual private reflection, quizzes and fact finding, value spectrums, debating, independent research and artistic presentations etc. This wide range of teaching strategies promotes engagement by all pupils, irrespective of preferred learning styles.
Impact
Pupils’ learning will be assessed at the end of every topic to ensure that pupils are making sufficient progress to build on prior teaching and learning and that teaching strategies and resources remain relevant and effective. Assessment activities will be implicit, forming part of a normal teaching activity to ensure that pupils do not feel under pressure and will include self-assessment tasks that will confirm pupils understanding of the topics. The evaluation of teaching and learning assessments will be shared with pupils and parents as appropriate. Pupil voice is also key to evaluating if intent has been met or if implementation strategies need adjustment.
The quality of RSHE teaching and learning will be monitored through RSHE learning walks, team teaching and informal drop-ins conducted by subject leads and/or members of the senior leadership team. The observations and findings of which will be used to identify and inform future staff training needs.
Curriculum Overview
RSHE Overview - Reception to Y6