At St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) enables our children to become healthy, safe, independent and responsible members of society. It aims to help them to understand how they are developing personally and socially and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We are dedicated to ensuring that St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School is a happy, stimulating and caring place and RSHE is placed at the heart of our school ethos.
From September 2020, Relationship and Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is mandatory for all schools. {See Here} The Governors at St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School have adopted the ‘Journey In Love’ programme to support RSHE across the school from EYFS to Year 6. The programme of study is authentic to the teaching of the Catholic Church. Below is a brief outline of the content of the programme.
‘Journey in Love’ is a fully supported scheme of work in Relationships and Sex and Health Education for Catholic Primary Schools, which embraces and fulfils the new statutory curriculum. This, alongside Kapow and the PSHE and Science Curriculum forms the basis of our teaching of RSHE here at St Oswald’s.
It includes teaching about personal health, physical and emotional wellbeing, strong emotions, personal relationships, family structures, trusted adults, growing bodies, puberty, periods, life cycles, the dangers of social media, where babies come from, an understanding of the Common Good and living in the wider world. The entire teaching is underpinned with a religious understanding that our deepest identity is as a child of God- created, chosen and loved by God.
We are increasingly aware that our children are exposed to many negative sexual influences in the media. These have a profound effect on loss of innocence from a very early age and undermine the moral teachings of Christ and His Church.
We are also mindful that young people are bombarded with false body images and stereotypes that would leave them vulnerable to accepting an image of themselves and others that is far less than God’s desire for them.
It is essential, therefore that our children are given the opportunity to discover the full miracle of God’s creation that is unique to them. That they know that they, and the people around them, are created out of unconditional love and that when we live out the Gospel message of Christ, we can together become all that God created us to be.
If you require any further clarification regarding this aspect of the curriculum, please contact the Headteacher.
Please see our RSHE policy below. Paper copies are available at request from the School Office.
RSHE Policy