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RHSE Curriculum

Why we do it? – Intent

We aim to provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed and ethical decisions about their wellbeing, health, and relationships. It focuses on the positive formation of the pupil’s emerging persona and when appropriate their developing sexual identity.

Effective teaching will support pupils to cultivate positive characteristics including resilience, self worth, self-respect, honesty, integrity, courage, kindness, and trustworthiness. Effective teaching also aims to support the prevention of harm by helping pupils understand and identify when things are not right.

Our provision reflects a whole-school approach aimed at improving behavior, helping pupils build and maintain healthy relationships, understanding feelings, regulating emotions, making healthy choices to stay safe, well and happy, and respecting diversity.

The curriculum covers all statutory content outlined in the July 2025 guidance. The curriculum will be differentiated and individualised to meet particular needs and abilities. RSHE is taught to prepare pupils for adulthood, supporting EHCP outcomes such as independence and community participation, which also aligns with our TITAN Ready to go! and Careers curriculum.

RSHE is delivered through both informal and formal teaching. Formal teaching occurs within the RSHE curriculum, Science lessons, and incorporates a whole school approach. The curriculum is supported by high-quality, evidence-based resources. We ensure resources are chosen for being inclusive, positive, unbiased, and age/understanding appropriate.

From September 2026, we will draw on the Life Lessons resources (Key Stages 1–5) to map content and differentiate learning, using six core themes (outlined below) to tailor the curriculum to individual pupil needs, potentially drawing on content across different key stages corresponding to developmental stages rather than chronological age.

We use the Life Lessons curriculum, which provides comprehensive coverage of statutory content through an evidence-based, peer led, and relational approach. The resources are designed to be inclusive, using features like dual coding, scaffolding activities, word banks, and emotions characters to support pupils with SEND.

The RSHE curriculum will be differentiated by the expectations set out for Primary and Secondary pupils in ‘Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, June 2025. Where appropriate, the curriculum will be individualised to meet particular needs. The curriculum will be complemented by resources and guidance issued by Life Lessons.

It is recognised that much of RSHE comes through the daily experiences of the pupils; therefore the importance of all school staff in the development of social relationships is emphasised and the importance of a cohesive whole school staff approach to the RSE curriculum. Pupils who transition to 6th form college here at Sidestrand still receive RSHE in the same way as the rest of the school.

(this information is taken from the school’s most recent RSHE policy)

Relationships:
Families and people who care for me
Caring friendships
Respectful, kind relationships
Respectful Relationships

Wellbeing
Being safe
General Wellbeing
Mental wellbeing

Body Awareness
Being safe
Sex education [Sex education is not compulsory, but the advice is to teach it in line with the Science Curriculum (Years 5 and 6). ]
Developing bodies
Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health

Independence (incl. digital)
Online safety and awareness
Being safe
Online safety and harms
Online and media
Personal safety

Health (including financial)
Being safe
Physical health and fitness
Healthy eating
Drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping
Health protection and prevention
Basic first aid

Identity & Community
Respectful, kind relationships
Health protection and prevention
Personal safety
Online safety

Our RSHE curriculum helps pupils develop the knowledge, confidence, and emotional skills they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives. By focusing on emotional literacy, self-care, and healthy relationships, we empower pupils to make safe, informed choices both offline and online.

Our approach builds resilience, independence, and a strong sense of self, preparing pupils to navigate real-life situations with confidence. We aim for all pupils to leave with a clear sense of identity and the belief that they can achieve their goals and thrive as active, responsible members of society.

”Functional Skills qualifications provide reliable evidence of a learner’s achievements against demanding content that is relevant to the workplace. The qualifications assess learners’ underpinning subject knowledge and their ability to apply this knowledge to different contexts.
They provide a foundation for progression to employment and further technical education, and they help learners to develop skills for everyday life. Functional Skills qualifications are based on Department for Education (DfE) approved subject content and are regulated by Ofqual.

Pearson Edexcel

How is it implemented?

Students have 2 lessons a week with each lesson lasting 55 minutes. They are placed into three ability groups when they start college, these are mixed groups with both Y12 and Y13 students.  

As we have done further down the school wherever possible teachers incorporate real life examples into lessons, all the examination material is set within a scenario and we do a lot of work around this to prepare the pupils to use there maths knowledge in this way.  The teaching of Maths at KS5 is therefore not just about learning mathematical content but about how to apply it and forming a deeper understanding of these skills.

Online  resources such as ‘pass functional skills’, ‘skills workshop’, ‘skills wise’ from bbc bitesize and lesson packs from ‘Twinkl’  are used to support teaching.  In addition to this Students continue to have access to IXL Maths both in and out of school, staff can set specific areas of practice for the individual and carry out assessment of objectives using the quiz function. 

Assessment

As mentioned the Functional skills Entry level courses are on demand courses with no set date for assessment, they consist of two tests, one with a calculator (This accounts for 25% of the final mark) and one without (75%).  There are 3 components of study which is broken down further to between 13-25 learning steps.  

At Level 1 there are still two tests with the same split, calculator 25% and non-calculator 75%.  There are the same three components of study broken down into 31 smaller areas of content.  Because of this the two qualifications can be taught alongside each other and our higher attainers will often be entered for both EL3 and L1 qualifications.   We have so far not taught to the L2 specification but it follows the same structure so there is no reason why we couldn’t do so if we have a learner at this level in the future.

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-functional-skills/maths-2019.html

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-functional-skills/maths-2019.html#%2Ftab-Level1

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