So after a few false starts, we are finally going to see education on relationships, sex and health become compulsory in our schools.
The draft guidance was published in July 2018 with a consultation process running until the 7th November 2018.
The consultation document has a lot of information and so to help you save some time and get a handle on the main points we have pulled out 20 of the key points for you. The full document can also be accessed by clicking here
- In July 2018, the Department of Education produced their draft guidance on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. It contains the proposed legal duties that schools must comply with from September 2020.
- From September 2020 Relationships Education will be compulsory in all primary schools in England and RSE in all secondary schools. This means ALL schools; maintained, non-maintained or independent including all academies and free schools, maintained and non-maintained special schools and alternative provision. Health Education will not be compulsory in independent schools however PSHE will be. The statutory requirements do not apply to sixth from colleges, 16-19 academies or FE college although they are encouraged to offer RSE and Health Education.
- The overall aim is to have compulsory subject content that supports children and young people to know how to stay safe and healthy and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. It is to support the schools wider work to help foster pupil wellbeing and develop resilience and virtues that support them to be happy, successful and production members of society. Virtues the curriculum is designed to develop are kindness, generosity, self-sacrifice and honesty.
- The primary school focus is on healthy, respectful relationships focusing on family and relationships both on and offline and the basics of how to be healthy. In secondary schools this is built on by further developing the pupils’ understanding of health and more focus on risk areas such as drugs and alcohol as well as introducing knowledge about intimate relationships and sex. Teaching about mental health runs through all the subjects.
- There is a big emphasis on schools recognising that many children and young people are living a substantial proportion of their life online and how this may affect what and how we teach.
To view the rest of the 20 key points click here and sign up to receive further updates, tips, ideas and free resources. You can then download our summary document.
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