RSHE at Upwell Academy
At Upwell Academy, we are committed to providing a high-quality Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum that supports our pupils to stay safe, healthy and prepared for life in modern Britain.
RSHE helps children develop the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to build positive relationships, make informed decisions, look after their physical and mental wellbeing, and recognise how to keep themselves safe both online and offline.
Our curriculum is carefully designed to meet all statutory requirements set by the Department for Education (DfE) and is delivered in an age-appropriate and sensitive manner.
What is the Statutory RSHE Guidance?
The Department for Education has published statutory guidance that sets out what schools in England must teach in relation to Relationships, Sex and Health Education. This guidance replaces the previous version published in 2019.
The updated guidance becomes mandatory for all schools from 1 September 2026, although schools may begin implementing it earlier. Until that date, the 2019 guidance remains in force.
What Will Children Learn?
The statutory curriculum is designed to help children understand:
Relationships Education
- Healthy friendships
- Family relationships
- Respect and kindness towards others
- Managing disagreements and conflict
- Recognising appropriate and inappropriate behaviour
- Staying safe in relationships
- Understanding consent in age-appropriate ways
Health Education
- Physical health and wellbeing
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Healthy lifestyles
- Personal hygiene
- Safety and risk management
- Online safety and digital wellbeing
Sex Education
In primary schools, Relationships Education and Health Education are statutory. We follow the Pol-Ed curriculum for primary schools, which fully meets all of our statutory obligations.
This does not include any sex education content.
How is RSHE taught?
Our RSHE curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure that children build knowledge and understanding gradually as they move through the school.
Topics are revisited over time through a spiral curriculum, allowing pupils to deepen their understanding as they mature. For example:
- Younger children learn about personal boundaries, safe touch and positive interactions through concepts such as "safe hands" and playing respectfully.
- Older pupils develop their understanding of consent, healthy friendships and relationships in increasingly age-appropriate contexts.
Lessons are designed to:
- Be age appropriate and inclusive.
- Promote respect and positive relationships.
- Reflect the diverse world in which we live.
- Challenge harmful stereotypes and biases.
- Encourage discussion and critical thinking.
The Importance of Working Together
We recognise that parents and carers are children's first and most important educators. We value the partnership between home and school and believe that children achieve the best outcomes when key messages about safety, relationships and wellbeing are reinforced consistently.
We encourage parents and carers to:
- Talk openly with their children about relationships and wellbeing.
- Answer questions honestly in an age-appropriate way.
- Reinforce online safety messages at home.
- Contact the school if they have any questions about RSHE content.
Engaging parents and carers is a key principle of effective RSHE and helps ensure that children receive consistent and supportive messages both at home and at school.