What is RSHE?
The Department for Education have spent the last three years developing and trialling a completely new curriculum for the teaching of Relationships, Sex and Health Education, which is compulsory for all state schools to teach, from September 2021. They define RSHE in the following way:
‘Relationships, Sex and Health Education is learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, human sexuality and sexual health. It should equip children and young people with the information, skills and positive values to have safe, fulfilling relationships, to enjoy their sexuality and to take responsibility for their sexual health and wellbeing.’ (DfE)
This covers three separate areas of learning:
- Health Education
- Relationships Education
- (Relationships and) Sex Education
Why and How is RSHE taught in school?
We strongly believe in the importance of parents as the prime educators for their children and encourage you to discuss your child’s relationships and sex education with them at home. However, high-quality teaching of RHSE in school is a statutory requirement for all schools to include in their curriculum, along with a recommendation from the DfE that sex education is also included. Here is a powerpoint presentation for parents that helps explain why and how RHSE is taught in school:
We have produced the following Guide for parents across the Genesis Federation schools that explains in more detail about the teaching of this term’s unit of work, called ‘My Body’. We understand that this is often an area where parents feel they would like support to help their children, so we hope this will provide some additional information:
Beckley RSHE Information Guide for Parents – June 2021