RSHE Consultation
As part of your child's educational experience at Pear Tree Primary School, we aim to promote personal wellbeing and development through a broad and balanced curriculum including Health and Wellbeing, Living in the Wider World and Relationships (RSHE) Education. Our aim is that this gives children and young people the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live healthy, safe, productive, and fulfilled lives, both now and in the future.
As you may already be aware, the Department for Education announced changes to relationships and sex education following nationwide consultation. These changes came into effect from September 2026. All schools are required to comply with the updated requirements. The statutory guidance can be found at: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education guidance
Key changes to the guidance include a greater focus on online safety and wellbeing, the use of accurate terminology for body parts, and personal safety around water, roads, and railways. There is also a stronger emphasis on supporting mental health, including specific mention of areas such as grief and loss.
Learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up will give children and young people the information, skills and positive values to have safe, fulfilling relationships and help them take responsibility for their own well-being. From September 2026, these changes to the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum are statutory and form part of the National Curriculum.
This means that we have been reviewing our curriculum so we can be sure our provision is appropriate for our pupils based on their:
• age, physical and emotional maturity
• religious and cultural backgrounds
• special educational needs and disabilities.
Our RSHE curriculum aims to:
• deliver a progressive, age-appropriate and inclusive RSHE curriculum;
• create a safe environment for discussing sensitive topics;
• develop pupils' confidence, empathy and self-respect;
• equip pupils to build healthy, respectful relationships, online and offline;
• prepare pupils for puberty and promote healthy lifestyles;
• teach accurate vocabulary for bodies, relationships and emotions, including the correct scientific names for body parts;
• help pupils recognise boundaries, stay safe and seek support;
• promote respect, responsible decision-making and strong partnerships with parents and carers.
RSHE is taught throughout the school from EYFS to Year 6 through myHappymind+, a programme of study that the children are already familiar with. The RSHE element of the scheme is new from this September and we are confident that it offers a way of teaching the RSHE curriculum content in a sensitive and supportive way. The teaching of RSHE is monitored regularly by leaders and the governing body.
Below is an overview of the content taught in each year group and, prior to any Sex Education lessons being taught, teachers will notify parents of the content and when it will be taught. Parents do have a right to withdraw their child from the Sex Education lessons if they feel that that is appropriate for their child, but Relationships Education is Statutory, and all children will receive these lessons as part of the RSHE Education.
Your views are important to us and we will respond to any concerns on an individual basis. We hope this information goes some way to alleviate any worries you may have. Our consultation will be open until Friday 20th November 2026. Following this, we will take your views into consideration and finalise our policy before sharing it with you.
If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.