Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) at Our Lady’s
 

At Our Lady’s we deliver RSHE through our PSHCE curriculum, in line with statutory DfE guidance for secondary schools. We believe RSHE is essential for preparing our pupils for adult life, supporting their physical, emotional and social wellbeing, and enabling them to build healthy, respectful relationships. 

Some elements of sex education may be taught in addition to what the science curriculum requires; parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from those additional non-science sex education lessons or parts of lessons. This option is available up until three terms before the pupil’s 16th birthday. Parents do not have the right to withdraw their child from:

• the statutory Relationships Education or Health Education; or
• any content delivered in Science lessons that is part of the national curriculum requirement (for example, human reproduction, puberty, anatomy).

Some aspects of fertility, contraception, marriage, and legal partnerships may also be addressed in Religious Education. Where RE lessons include content that qualifies as sex education under the statutory RSHE framework (for example explicit biology, contraception, sexual health), these are treated as part of the school’s RSHE programme and subject to the same withdrawal arrangements as above. We publish a full curriculum map showing which topics are taught in which subject and at what point, and consult with staff, pupils, and parents to ensure our programme remains relevant, effective and aligned with legal obligations.

If you would like further information regarding how we deliver RSHE and your right to withdraw your child from non-statutory components, please see our RSHE policy here