Catholic schools, like all other schools in England, are required to produce a written policy following the guidance issued by the Department for Education on Relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education. The DfE guidance can be found here. Catholic schools are also required to deliver RSE in accordance with the teaching of the Church. This approach is compatible with the guidance issued by the DfE.
Why is RSE in Catholic Schools important?
RSE is part of the mission of Catholic schools to educate the whole person. It should be carried out as part of the holistic education which seeks to form as well as inform young people in preparation for adult life.
What does outstanding RSE in Catholic school look like?
In order for Catholic RSE to be fully effective it needs to:
- Be faithful to the Church’s vision of human wholeness whilst recognising the contemporary context in which we live today;
- Involve parents as they are primary educators of their child;
- Provide a positive view of human sexuality and dignity of the human person;
- Equip young people with the ability to make practical judgments about the right thing to do in particular circumstances;
- Explore and promote virtues which are essential to promoting respect and dignity;
- Be delivered in an age appropriate way which reflects the development of the child;
- Be part of the cross-curricular work in both primary and secondary schools;
- Be sensitive to the needs of the individual pupil and recognise the mix of pupils with different sexual orientations, genders and family backgrounds in each class;
- Be taken seriously by governors and teachers as an integrated part of the broad and balanced curriculum that Catholic schools offer;
- Be delivered by competent professionals who understand the Church’s teaching.
Online training for Catholic RSE
This training is FREE and can be acessed by clicking here.
The online course provides training for teachers in Catholic primary and secondary schools on the new statutory RSHE (Relationship, Sex and Health Education) curriculum.
The training is suitable for Headteachers, SLT, Governors, class teachers and parents.
Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales RSE Documents
The Bishops’ Conference Department of Catholic Education and Formation have produced two documents (Learning to Love and Relationship and Sex Education in Catholic Schools) to assist parents and schools in the delivery of high-quality Catholic Relationship and Sex Education.
Parents are the primary educators of their children, especially when it comes to sensitive topics such as RSE. Therefore, Catholic schools must collaborate extremely closely with parents to ensure RSE is delivered in an appropriate way.
These documents will assist in this essential dialogue, informing parents as to why the Bishops consider RSE to be an essential part of the formation of the whole child and how it can be delivered in a manner authentic to Church teaching.
