Relationships, sex and health education

A range of regulations, resources and guidance are available to assist the teaching of relationships, sex and health education.

Relationships Sex and Health Education (RSHE) 2020

Recent regulatory changes to relationships education, sex and relationships education and health education (RE, RSE & HE), the new Personal Development Ofsted Inspection Framework and national health strategies for children and young people all offer opportunities to renew our efforts to improving the health and wellbeing of our young residents through whole-school approaches.

PSHE Association resources 

Public health has enabled all our schools to access the PSHE Association to support the delivery of Relationships, Sex and Health Education in schools. 

As a member of the PSHE Association, schools gain full access to a library of quality downloadable resources that will help you develop and improve practices. For example, the association has recently published Programme Builders, key stage 1-5 which will support planning schemes of work tailored to your pupils.

Programme Builders provide five models (two for primary, two for secondary and one for middle/prep schools), each comprising a long-term plan, separate grids for each year group and links to resources. Members can also benefit from:  

• Access to lesson plans in many areas including relationships and sex education, mental health, drugs and alcohol education and the importance of sleep
• Regular updates about the latest curriculum developments, Ofsted and DfE guidance and resources through the website, e-newsletter and social media 
• Advice, guidance, and support by phone and email 
• Joining a community of PSHE professionals working to improve the quality and profile of PSHE education nationally 

RSHE resources

Public health also support access to training and professional development for RSHE, for those working with children and young people. Most recently, public health has commissioned an RSHE package for those working with children with SEND, and webinars including Managing Harmful Sexual Behaviours in Schools. For more information and latest training courses please visit Achieving for Children's learning portal. 

The team work closely with schools and partners to identify RSHE training needs and commission relevant courses. Richmond and Wandsworth councils are partners of the Sex Education Forum. The forum brings together partners and wider stakeholders to share best practice, research, and to monitor the provision of RSE. It supports educators with high quality training, resources and a membership scheme, so they can be competent and confident providers of RSE, in partnership with parents, carers, children and young people.  

Statement of Support for Relationships, Sex and Health Education

In partnership with Achieving for Children, Directors of Public Health and local Councillors across Richmond and Kingston, we have launched a statement of support for schools in their delivery of the new national Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education statutory guidance and curriculum content.

The new Department for Education statutory guidance was published in July 2019 under the Children and Social Work Act 2017. It reinforces Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education delivered in schools to date by ensuring that all pupils in every school are consistently supported with the right information, skills and knowledge to enable them to keep safe and build their resilience as they journey into adulthood. Schools began their programmes of delivery in September 2020. Cllr Frost has said in support of the work in schools:

'Richmond Councillors, the Council and Achieving for Children welcome the government’s new compulsory subjects of Relationships Education, Relationships & Sex Education and Health Education (RSHE) in schools.  The curriculum which is taught in our schools is an important contribution to the overall safeguarding, health and wellbeing of children and young people in our borough. With all the current pressures on young people as they grow up, it has never been more important to ensure that a strong curriculum is in place to help children and young people, in partnership with parents and carers, to build the resilience and skills to manage their relationships and promote their health and well-being as they grow safely into independent young adults.

'I know that our Youth Council sees this as a priority within our schools, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to commend the national guidance for our schools across the borough.'

Download the full Statement of Support (pdf, 222 KB).

Relationships, sex and health education: Guides for parents

The government have produced some useful guides for parents of primary and secondary age pupils that schools can use to communicate with them about teaching relationships and health education.

Guides for parents

Exploitation support pack for parents and carers

Public health has developed a support pack for local parents and carers who are concerned that their child could be, or is experiencing exploitation.

View the parents and carers support pack (pdf, 2.6 MB).

The pack is primarily for parents whose children have experienced exploitation (or where they are concerned that they may be) either by their peers or adults. It is designed to help parents and carers reduce the risk of further exploitation; help understand what is happening if it does; and provides tips, helpful information, and guidance to protect and support their child going forwards.

While the pack is a useful tool for parents and carers to access as needed, it can also be used as a useful reference guide for professionals and support workers who provide support for parents and carers. The pack considers the following, and more:

• What exploitation is and how it can happen
• Strategies for talking to children about exploitation
• Useful tips for preventing exploitation online
• What to do if a child goes missing
• Living and coping with exploitation

The pack, which has been developed in partnership with local parents, exploitation services, children’s safeguarding partnerships, public health teams and the Police Borough Command Unit, is also available for parents and workers to download on the local Getting it on website.

Supporting Relationships and Sex Education through theatre

Public health has commissioned Loudmouth Education and Training to deliver their popular theatre in education programmes. Loudmouth has over 27 years’ experience of using drama and discussion to promote positive messages on relationships and safeguarding for primary and secondary schools.

Some of the programmes include:

• Helping Hands - is run in primary schools and focuses on child exploitation and abuse, online safety and domestic abuse
• Working For Marcus - covering child exploitation and abuse, county lines and knife crime
• Calling It Out - supporting the ongoing work in schools and colleges to create a culture where sexual harassment and sexual abuse are not tolerated

Programmes consist of a performance and follow up discussion workshops of 20 to 30 minutes in smaller class groups and are adapted for use in SEND schools.

Programme resources

Participating schools also receive a free, comprehensive package of supporting resources including an awareness raising film for parents and guardians and a range of lesson plans on related PSHE topics. Package topics include:

• Child exploitation and abuse
• Online safety and domestic abuse
• Extremism
• Knife crime
• County lines and substance abuse

The package also contains Loudmouth’s filmed drama and workshop for Years 5 and 6, Under the Radar, on county lines and knife crime.