Relationships and Sex Education

RSE is taught as a component of our Fantastic Futures curriculum. All students study one hour per week of Fantastic Futures.  

In Year 9 students study the following topics:

• Developing digital resilience, including considering their rights, responsibilities and opportunities online, including that the same expectations of behaviour apply in all contexts, including online.

• Key issues as privacy; cyberbullying cyber stalking; ‘Fear of Missing Out’, including how social media and digital media can have both positive and negative impacts on self-esteem and emotional wellbeing.

• Laws relating to behaviour online, including sexing, sharing of and viewing material and keeping healthy online, including online behaviours such as image and information sharing (e.g sexting).

• The legal rights and responsibilities regarding equality and that everyone is unique and equal.

• Understanding of different types of committed, stable relationships, including marriage, issues relating to forced marriage and the characteristics of positive and healthy relationships.

• Criminal exploitation, for example, through gang involvement or ‘county lines’ drugs operations.

• How to recognise radicalisation and grooming, both online and offline, including the signs of grooming and ways to seek help and support for themselves or others.

• How to identify harmful behaviours online (including bullying, abuse or harassment) and how to report, or find support, if they have been affected by those behaviours.

• Types of behaviour within relationships that are criminal, including violent behaviour, sexting and harassment.

• A deeper understanding of LGBT Identities, discrimination, hate crime and hate speech, including the impact that this has on individuals, communities and society.

• The characteristics and evidence of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight, including the links between an inactive lifestyle and ill health, including cancer and cardiovascular ill-health.

• Deeper insight to the harms caused by alcohol misuse, smoking and legal and illegal drugs, including: the facts about legal and illegal drugs and their associated risks, the link between drug use, and the associated risks, including the link to serious mental health conditions.

• The law around substance misuse, including relating to the supply and possession of illegal substances.

If you would like to find out more about RSE, the Parental Right to Withdrawl and Parental Consulation or access further support; please click here.