At St Margaret's CE VA Primary School we are reviewing our Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) policy, and we would welcome the views of parents and carers before it is finalised.

The policy has been updated to reflect the Department for Education's revised statutory guidance on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, which comes into force on 1 September 2026. As a Church of England school, our approach remains rooted in our Christian values of faith, hope and love, and in our belief that every child is made in the image of God and loved equally by God.

We believe RSHE helps our children build healthy, respectful relationships and make safe, informed decisions about their own wellbeing. Relationships Education and Health Education are compulsory in all primary schools, and parents cannot withdraw their child from these, or from the elements of sex education contained within the national curriculum for science. Following consultation with parents, we also offer a small programme of age-appropriate, non-statutory sex education in upper Key Stage 2, from which parents do have the right to withdraw their child.

The draft policy is available to read below.  We warmly invite you to read it and to share any comments, questions or suggestions.

How to share your views: Please send any comments to the school office at info@stmargaretsoldham.net or in writing, marked for the attention of RSHE Coordinator by 21st August 2026.

You are also welcome to request to view the curriculum materials we use to teach RSHE. If you would like to do so, please contact the school office.

All comments received will be considered carefully before the policy is presented to the governing body for ratification. Once approved, the final policy will be published on this website.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our children to flourish.

DRAFT RSHE Policy June 2026

Link

Children following the SCARF programme will already have a good understanding of thier bodies, and how and why they change as they go through puberty.  For this age group it's is often about building on that information and developing further knowledge about the emotional changes that take place. This should take place alongside learning in more detail the reasons for the changes: to be able to reproduce, if they want to, when they’re older.

Parents are recognised as the primary educators of children of Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). Yet many feel unprepared. Often this is because they had poor RSE themselves - from home,school, or both.

The following is designed to support you as you help your child navigate the emotional and physical changes that take place during puberty, as well as learning about sex in the context of safe, loving relationships.

Questions Children Ask and How to Answer Them by Dr M Stoppard

Speakeasy: Talking with your Children about Growing Up by fpa (Family Planning Association)

Family Lives 

NSPCC

Outspoken 

Sex positive families 

Sitting in car YouTube Channel: how to talk comfortably with your kids about sex and consent