Letter to Parents and Carers: RHSE

Dear Parents/Carers,

Promoting the health and wellbeing of our students is an integral part of their overall education.  We do this primarily through our ‘Personal Development and Growth’ curriculum which covers many topics including relationships, physical health, mental wellbeing and the skills needed to live in the wider world. Our PSHE curriculum aims to help pupils make safe and informed decisions during their school years and beyond.

Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) is the statutory element of our personal development offer. All secondary schools in England are required to teach RSHE; this will include an array of age-appropriate topics. You can find out more information about the statutory guidelines by visiting DfE RSHE. We will teach RSHE in our ‘Personal Development and Growth’ sessions, details of which can be found here. During these sessions, pupils will be able to ask questions which will be answered factually and in an age-appropriate manner. Each student's privacy will be respected, and no one will be asked to reveal personal information. Staff will follow our safeguarding policy and ensure students’ safety is at the forefront of their teaching. 

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from any or all aspects of sex education, other than those which are part of the science curriculum, up to and until three terms before the age of 16, after which the student can ask to receive this teaching. There is no right to withdraw from lessons that cover statutory relationships and health education objectives, therefore should you wish to discuss the content covered in these sessions please contact the academy principal directly.

Our ‘Personal Development and Growth’ curriculum helps students navigate safe relationships. An uninformed child is often a child left vulnerable, and we want to empower our pupils here at Outwood Academy Shafton to advocate for their own safety and wellbeing. Parents and carers are the most important educators of children and young people in personal issues, and many welcome the support that school can offer to supplement their home teaching. Our curriculum is fully inclusive to meet the needs of our students, we would encourage parents and carers to view our RSHE policy.

You may find that your child starts asking questions about the topic at home, or you might want to take the opportunity to talk to your child about issues before the work is covered in school. If you have any queries about the content of the programme or resources used, please do not hesitate to contact me at academy. All materials used are available for you to browse through should you so wish. 

Yours sincerely,