Our Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive and age-appropriate framework that fosters the physical, moral, and emotional development of our students.
At The Birley Academy, RSHE is not merely about imparting information; it’s a commitment to lifelong learning. It encompasses a wide range of crucial topics, including healthy relationships, diversity, respect, love, commitment, safety online and offline, puberty, sex, sexuality, and sexual health. We want to reassure parents that RSHE is not intended to encourage premature sexual experimentation; rather, it has been proven that students who receive comprehensive RSHE are more likely to delay their first sexual activity and adopt responsible contraception practices when they do engage in sexual activity.
As your children progress from primary to secondary school, we build upon the foundations of knowledge and skills acquired earlier. The primary goal of RSHE at The Birley Academy is to safeguard our pupils. Throughout their time with us, students will gain essential knowledge and skills to keep themselves and others safe, healthy, and well-prepared for the responsibilities of adult life.
The RSHE policy at The Birley Academy aligns with the guidelines set by Sheffield City Council and the LEAD Academy Trust. It ensures that our sex education program is age-appropriate, considering the physical and emotional maturity of our pupils, and is shared transparently with stakeholders and parents. We believe that parents and carers are pivotal in helping children navigate the challenges of growing up, and we strive to collaborate with you in providing a supportive environment for your child’s development.
At The Birley Academy, we firmly believe that arming our pupils with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health, and relationships is fundamental to their success in adult life.
The RSHE and health policy aim to equip students with the ability to understand and manage their emotions, form positive relationships, and navigate the challenges that come with sexual maturity.
The RSHE curriculum at The Birley Academy covers a comprehensive range of topics, including understanding emotions, human growth and development, healthy personal relationships, family life, cultural influences on sexuality, personal skills development, and much more. It also addresses crucial contemporary issues such as online safety, substance misuse, and the importance of respecting diversity.
We understand the importance of collaboration between the academy and parents in shaping a comprehensive RSHE curriculum that meets the diverse needs of our students. As we embark on this journey together, we strive to create an environment that empowers our students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of adolescence confidently.
From September 2020, it is a statutory requirement that all schools in England and Wales are teaching Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) as a fundamental part of the curriculum.
As part of implementing the RSE curriculum, schools must consult with the students, parents, staff and governors to ensure there is a general consensus on our approaches to policy and the curriculum content.
The Birley Academy has made some changes to its relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) policy which addresses the latest guidance from the Department of Education. We will be starting our consultation process with parents on Monday 29th January 2024; the consultation will close on Friday 16th February 2024.
As part of this, parents, staff and governors, will be asked to read through the following documents and make comments on it should they wish to do so. The documents that you are asked to read as part of the consultation will be:
Consultation on RSHE Policy, January 2024
PSHE Curriculum
In order to provide your feedback to this consultation, we would appreciate your completion of the following questionnaire:
If you wish to carry out further reading around RSHE, the following document may be of use to you:
