We are aware that students are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. It therefore become imperative that students need to know how to be safe and healthy, as well as provide them with tools to help them manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.

Aims

The aim of RSE is to give students the information they need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds, not just intimate relationships. It will empower students to recognise a healthy relationship, a good colleague, a good friend, a successful marriage, civil partnership or any other type of committed relationship. It will also cover contraception, developing intimate relationships and resisting pressure to have sex (and not applying pressure) as well as the principles of the LGBTQ+ community. This will aid students to understand the positive effects that good relationships have on their mental wellbeing, identify when relationships are toxic and understand how such situations can be managed.

In addition to being taught intimate relationships, students will also be taught about family relationships, friendships and other kinds of relationships that are an equally important part of becoming a successful and happy adult.

Teaching of RSE at Studio School & Sixth will enable students:

• To distinguish between content and experiences that exemplify healthy relationships and those that are toxic or harmful;
• To understand the benefits of healthy relationships to their mental wellbeing and self-respect and to understand that unhealthy relationships can have a lasting, negative impact on mental wellbeing;
• To become more resilient and understand the options available to them should they require further support.
• To be taught the statutory information about sex, sexuality, sexual health and gender identity in an age appropriate and inclusive way, principles of the LGBTQ+ community as well as peer on peer abuse;
• To recognise when relationships (including family relationships) are unhealthy or abusive (including the unacceptability of neglect, emotional, sexual and physical abuse and violence including honour-based violence and forced marriage) and strategies to manage this or access support for themselves or others at risk;
• To recognise risk, harmful content and contact, and how and when to report issues to keep them safe online (e-safety);
• To, within the law, be well equipped to make decisions for themselves to maintain their wellbeing, whilst respecting the rights of others.

Parents and Carers will receive a consent form at the start of the academic year as well as during the course of the year, should the need arise as a result of externally delivered Workshops.