At Steyning CofE Primary School, we provide a comprehensive PSED and RSE curriculum that supports children's personal development, emotional wellbeing and understanding of healthy relationships. Our curriculum ensures that all pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and to prepare them for life and work in modern Britain.

PSED and RSE education helps children:

• Develop self-awareness, self-confidence and self-esteem
• Build positive relationships with others
• Understand and manage their emotions
• Make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing
• Understand physical and emotional changes as they grow
• Learn to keep themselves safe in different situations
• Develop respect for themselves and others
• Become responsible, active citizens

Our PSED and RSE curriculum is:

• Age-appropriate- content is carefully matched to children's developmental stage
• Inclusive- respectful of all backgrounds, beliefs and family structures
• Safe- creating a supportive environment where children feel comfortable asking questions
• Factual- providing accurate, evidence-based information
• Values-based - rooted in our Christian values of respect, kindness and compassion

Key Themes Across All Years

Health and Wellbeing

• Physical health and mental wellbeing
• Healthy eating and nutrition
• Exercise and fitness
• Sleep and rest
• Hygiene and preventing illness
• Managing emotions

Relationships

• Families and people who care for me
• Caring friendships
• Respectful relationships
• Online relationships
• Being safe

Living in the Wider World

• Belonging to a community
• Media literacy and digital resilience
• Money and work
• Rights and responsibilities
• Environment and sustainability

Sex Education (Years 5 & 6)

In Years 5 and 6, we teach age-appropriate sex education that covers:

• Correct anatomical names for body parts
• How babies are conceived (in age-appropriate, scientific terms)
• How babies grow during pregnancy
• How babies are born
• Understanding consent and the legal age of consent
• Different types of families
• The responsibilities and lifelong commitment of having a baby

Parents' Right to Withdraw: Parents have the right to withdraw their children from sex education (but not from relationships education or the science curriculum content on reproduction). If you wish to discuss this, please contact the headteacher.

Supporting Your Child's PSED and RSE Learning

You can support your child's personal and social development at home by:

Emotional Development:

• Talk about feelings- help them name and understand emotions
• Model emotional regulation- show healthy ways to manage feelings
• Create a safe space- ensure they feel comfortable talking to you
• Validate their feelings- acknowledge emotions without dismissing them

Relationships:

• Discuss friendships- talk about what makes a good friend
• Model respect- show respectful behaviour in your relationships
• Talk about families- celebrate different family structures
• Set boundaries- help them understand personal space and consent

Health and Wellbeing:

• Healthy routines - regular sleep, exercise and healthy eating
• Discuss choices - talk about decisions that affect health
• Answer questions honestly - provide age-appropriate, factual answers
• Use correct terminology - use proper names for body parts

Safety:

• Online safety- discuss what they do online and set appropriate boundaries
• Trusted adults- ensure they know who to talk to if worried
• Body autonomy- teach them they have the right to say no to unwanted touch
• Open communication- create an environment where they feel safe asking questions

Growing Up:

• Be proactive- talk about puberty before it happens
• Normalise changes- explain that everyone goes through puberty at different times
• Provide resources- age-appropriate books about growing up
• Keep talking- make it an ongoing conversation, not a one-time talk

Citizenship:

• Discuss current events - talk about news in age-appropriate ways
• Model good citizenship - demonstrate respect, responsibility and kindness
• Involve them in decisions - appropriate to their age
• Celebrate diversity - value and respect differences

Resources for Parents

We recommend the following resources to support conversations at home:

• NSPCC - Advice on talking to children about relationships and staying safe
• Childline - Support for children and young people
• Brook - Age-appropriate resources about relationships and sex education

For detailed curriculum maps showing exactly what your child will learn each term, please see our separate curriculum Long Term Plan documents on the website.

National Curriculum Programme of Study - PSHE/RSHE