Relationship, Sex and Health Education

At St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School we believe that each individual is created by God and is unique and equal to others regardless of gender, nationality, colour, creed, class, wealth, sexual orientation or intellectual ability.

In our school the RSHE policy is delivered through the National Curriculum and A Journey in Love, a Catholic programme developed to promote the teaching of the Catholic Church.

The focus of RSHE teaching within a primary school is;

• Building and maintaining healthy relationships
• Healthy bodies and healthy lifestyles
• Positive mental health
• Factual, age appropriate sexual knowledge
• Informing and preparing young people for adult life

The Journey in Love scheme offers a healthy and holistic approach to children’s understanding of themselves through a series of activities which focus on physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development.

In Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, RSHE focuses on relationships and friendships, building self-esteem and avoiding conflict. Journey in Love teaches about the special uniqueness of each of one of us and how we experience God’s love for us in our family, school and parish communities where we feel safe and loved.

In Key Stage 2, we teach about life processes and the main stages of the human life cycle as part of science in the National Curriculum. In Year 5, the Journey in Love programme ensures that both boys and girls know about the different parts of the male and female bodies and how their bodies change during puberty, including menstruation and the Year 6 curriculum explains how human life is conceived within a loving marital relationship.