What is RSHE?
What is RSHE? Your guide as a parent
Relationships Education in primary schools, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in secondary schools, and Health Education [all schools] (RSHE) has been compulsory for all schools across England since September 2020.
What You Need to Know about RSHE:
The Law, also known as “Regulations”, dictates that pupils must learn the following:
- Safety in forming and maintaining relationships.
- The characteristics of healthy relationships.
- How relationships may affect physical and mental health and well-being.
- Education has to be appropriate to the age and religious background of the pupils.
Therefore, schools can select what they teach from the DfE Guidance and justify their selection regarding age and faith. There is no legal requirement to teach sex education in primary school. Parents can request that their child opts out of sex education in secondary school for their child up to three terms before the pupil is 16 years of age.
As a parent, you may want to contact your school to find out what your child will be learning in RSHE (and at what age RSHE is taught) to determine if you think the content is age-appropriate.
Your Rights as Parents and Carers
- Schools are obliged to inform you of their plans for teaching RSHE including providing samples of schemes of work and resources.
- You have a legal right to be informed about what is being taught. Your opinions must be taken into consideration
- Send a courteous letter or email to the Headteacher outlining what you want to know and why
Some schools may have already decided on the programmes they intend to use based on guidance from other educational bodies. However, as a parent you are free to suggest or propose resources like A Fertile Heart if you genuinely feel the overall provision of RSHE would be enriched and enhanced by the school adopting it and integrating it alongside other areas of the curriculum. You may even consider proposing it to the Governors and senior leaders within the school as something worth fundraising for among parents and carers.