Bishop Aldhelm's CE

Primary School

Loved by God; United in Learning

Relationships and Health Education

At Bishop Aldhelm’s CE Primary, we teach Relationships and Health Education (RHE) as a whole-school approach to underpin children’s development as people and because we believe that this also supports their learning capacity. In this way we will be developing good citizens for the future and ensuring our pupils have realistically high goals and realize their own worth to the community and the world at large. The school ensures it provides a balanced RHE provision to meet the specific needs of all learners. Learners are equipped to be more informed, confident and skilled in order to take an active and responsible part in society and enhance learning, motivation and achievement.

We work closely with the School Council and to hear their views and opinions as we acknowledge and support Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that children should be encouraged to form and to express their views.

At Bishop Aldhelm’s we follow advice from the Church of England’s document, ‘Valuing all God’s children: Challenging homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying’. Therefore, within our Relationship and Health Education lessons issues around diversity, self-esteem, gender, identity and anti-bullying including HBT bullying will be discussed.

Key areas of RHE teaching...

Relationship Education

At Bishop Aldhelm's, Relationship Education focuses on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and adults. All RHE teaching at Bishop Aldhelm's reflects the Equality Act 2010 ensuring there is no discrimination for any pupil or family with protected characteristics. Children are taught in an age-appropriate way about the characteristics and values of healthy relationships, including area such as differences, boundaries, respect, trust and kindness. Teaching focuses on both face-to-face and online relationships recognising the significance of the digital world we now embrace.

Our teachers also take all opportunities to discuss positive emotional and mental well-being with children. The characteristics that will be taught are also reflected in our school values of love, courage, inspiration and unity.

Learning is planned to meet the objectives set out in the Relationships Education, Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Statutory Guidance 2020, under the broad headings of

  • Families and people who care for me
  • Caring friendships
  • Respectful relationships
  • Online relationships
  • Being safe

We include the statutory Relationships and Health Education within our whole-school PSHE Programme.

To ensure progression and a spiral curriculum, we use Jigsaw PSHE, the mindful approach to PSHE, as our chosen teaching and learning programme and tailor it to your children’s needs. The mapping document: Jigsaw 3-11 and statutory Relationships and Health Education in our RHE Policy (see downloads section), shows exactly how Jigsaw and therefore our school, meets the statutory Relationships and Health Education requirements.

The Science Curriculum – body changes and life cycles

Sex Education beyond the requirements of the science national curriculum is not compulsory in primary schools; however, we recognise the importance of preparing children well for secondary school. At Bishop Aldhelm’s, children are taught about puberty as set out in the expectations of the science National Curriculum. In line with year group expectations, children will learn about external body parts, changes in the human body from birth to old age, and reproduction in some plants and animals. As part of the life cycle objectives, Year 5 are taught the science of how a baby is conceived and born. In our school, we only teach the body changes and life cycles required by the science national curriculum. As a consequence, parents do not have the right to withdraw children from these scientific lessons. (Parents will have the opportunity to discuss and view the content of the Year 5/6 curriculum before it is taught.)

Physical Health and Mental Well-Being

Health and wellbeing education will focus on the characteristics of good physical health and mental wellbeing. It will include aspects such as the importance of exercise, good nutrition and the normal range of emotions we experience. Pupils will be taught about moderation, including online and the positive two-way relationship between good physical health and good mental wellbeing.
Learning will be planned at an age appropriate level to meet the objectives set out in the Relationships Education, Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Statutory Guidance 2020, under the broad headings of:

  • Mental wellbeing
  • Internet safety and harms
  • Physical health and fitness
  • Healthy Eating
  • Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
  • Health and prevention
  • Basic first aid
  • Changing adolescent body

Relationships and Health Education Policy Changes

A BIG thank you to all parents who responded to our plea to help us shape our current 'Relationships and Health Education' Policy. Your feedback has been invaluable and we now have a policy in place which reflects the Department for Education changes to Relationships and Health Education (RHE) for Primary Schools.These changes came into effect from September 2020 and we are fully compliant with the updated requirements.

We have ensured that our RHE provision (curriculum and policy) is appropriate for our pupils based on their:

  • Age
  • Physical and emotional maturity
  • Religious and cultural backgrounds
  • Special educational needs and disabilities

We still welcome any comments or feedback regarding our RHE policy and ask that you complete this google form questionnaire  (a quick survey about the policy) once you have read our RHE policy which is available in the downloads section at the bottom of this page or available from our policies page. 

RHE Policy - Parent Consultation Questionnaire (Click here)