PSHE/RSE

Approach to the PSHE curriculum

We promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education programme at Rickmansworth School. PSHE education is the curriculum subject that gives young people the knowledge, understanding, strategies and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential. PSHE education is taught throughout the school in every year group and is monitored and reviewed regularly by the staff and governing body.

PSHE lessons are taught once a fortnight to all students from year 7 to 13 by their form tutors, to ensure that the staff member that they know the best is able to explore these topics with them in a safe space.
Where appropriate outside agencies are used to facilitate topics where a specialist or expert may be useful, in line with our policy criteria. 
Our PSHE curriculum goes well beyond the minimum statutory requirements and is comprehensive, broad and balanced in its approach to covering these 3 main areas:

Relationships and Sex Education

Health Education

Living in the Wider World 

Links to the government statutory guidance that we use to inform our curriculum can be found here:

* RSE statutory guidance
* Physical health and mental wellbeing statutory guidance
* Citizenship statutory guidance
* PSHE guidance

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

Our policy on RSE can be found here. 

The aims of RSE at Rickmansworth School are to:

• Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place
• Develop an understanding of sexual development, including puberty, and the importance of health and hygiene
• Help students develop feelings of self-respect, confidence, and empathy
• Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships
• Teach students the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies

RSE is taught in an age-appropriate and sensitive way at Rickmansworth School. It is designed as a spiral curriculum in which students revisit themes as they get older as they mature and develop. For example, they may talk about consent and boundaries amongst friends in year 7 and then revisit the same topic when discussing making choices about sexual activity as they get older. 

The RSE curriculum for each year group is outlined in detail on the PSHE Long Term Plans below. 

British Values

A key part of our plan for lifelong learning education is to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background.

We want every school to promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.

This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave Rickmansworth School fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

 Examples of the understanding and knowledge students learn include:

• an understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
• an understanding that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
• an acceptance that people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
• an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination

KS3-5

Long Term Curriculum Overviews

Helpful websites and further information