The Department for Education announced that in the academic year 2020/21, Relationships Education and Health Education will become statutory in all primary schools in England. At St. Ursula's our curriculum meets these legal requirements while remaining firmly rooted in the wisdom and teaching of the Catholic Church.
We deliver an appropriate, high-quality RSE provision that supports the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of all our pupils. Every lesson is carefully tailored to ensure it is appropriate for our children's age, physical and emotional maturity, religious and cultural backgrounds, and any special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Our Partnership with Parents
We believe that the education of children in human sexuality is an important, precious, and privileged responsibility. Church teaching guides us to treat this journey as a distinct partnership with parents, who are the primary educators of their children. Ultimately, you confer on us the right to co-educate your children with you, and we ensure you are kept informed about what is being taught.
What We Deliver and How
Our RSE curriculum strictly adheres to the Catholic Education Service Model RSE Curriculum document. We deliver this content through a coordinated, whole-school approach:
- Integrated Lessons: RSE content is seamlessly woven into our Science, Bounce Back, and Religious Education (R.E.) lessons.
- Dedicated Timetables: We allocate specific, dedicated lesson time solely to RSE to ensure topics are explored safely and thoroughly.
- A Journey in Love: This is the primary RSE scheme we implement across the school. It is fully recommended by the Diocese of Brentwood and provides age-appropriate, faith-consistent guidance for children from Early Years through to Year 6.
RSE Documents
New PHSE & RSE Statutory Requirements - A Journey in Love 2020
Relationships & Sex Education Policy
A Journey in Love Parents Overview
Summary of Changes to Revised Journey in Love
KS1 Catholic Primary RSE Curriculum Map
KS2 Catholic Primary RSE Curriculum Map
CES Model Primary Catholic RSE Curriculum
Should you wish to see copies of the teaching materials and lesson PowerPoints, these will be available from the school office for parents to review. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office and book a time to view these materials.
Can I withdraw my child from RSE?
There is no right to withdraw pupils from Relationships Education at primary, which covers subjects such as family, friendship and safety or from teaching information that is a statutory part of the Science Curriculum. Parents retain the right to withdraw their child from the sex education parts of Relationships and Sex Education classes taught in primary school. These are covered in Journey in Love in Yr6 as outlined in the Journey in Love RSE documents. If you wish to withdraw your child from the conception lesson in Year 6, please contact the office on 01708 345200 or email office@stursulasprimaryschool.co.uk to book an appointment to discuss this.
More information can be found in our Policy and via the DFE link here.