RSHE Curriculum
Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) at St Richard’s Catholic Primary School
At St Richard’s, we recognise that parents are the first educators of their children, particularly in teaching them how to form healthy, loving relationships. Our Catholic school plays a supportive role, working in partnership with families to help children grow in understanding and confidence, rooted in the values of the Gospel.
Why RSHE is Important in Our Catholic School
RSHE is part of our mission to educate the whole child—spiritually, morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially. It helps pupils to:
Build positive self-esteem,
Understand the dignity of every person as made in God’s image,
Develop healthy, respectful relationships,
Make informed and thoughtful life choices.
Our Approach
We follow the “A Journey in Love” programme, recommended by the Liverpool Archdiocese for Catholic schools. This progressive scheme is designed to align with our Religious Education, PSHE, and Science curriculum, and it supports children’s growth in understanding friendship, family, community, and the beauty of human development.
Our RSHE teaching:
Reflects Catholic values and the Church’s teaching on relationships and human dignity,
Is age-appropriate, sensitive to pupils’ backgrounds and development,
Encourages virtues like respect, empathy, and love,
Celebrates the uniqueness of every child,
Recognises the importance of parental involvement in this journey.
Programme Overview – A Journey in Love
| Year Group | Theme |
|---|---|
| Nursery | Wonder at God’s love |
| Reception | God loves each of us in our uniqueness |
| Year 1 | We meet God’s love in our family |
| Year 2 | We meet God’s love in the community |
| Year 3 | How we live in love |
| Year 4 | God loves us in our differences |
| Year 5 | God loves me in my changing and development |
| Year 6 | The wonder of God’s love in creating new life |
The structure of A Journey in Love:
The program is made up of 3 areas:
- Social and Emotional
- Physical
- Spiritual
Within each year group, each area is broken down into:
- Big Questions- Questions to consider
- Activities
- Pause & Reflect
- Prayer/sing
Parental Engagement
Parents will be invited to annual information sessions to learn about the programme. If you feel your child may not be ready for a particular topic, we encourage you to make an appointment discuss this with the Headteacher. Please note: while parents can withdraw their child from elements of sex education that go beyond the national curriculum for Science, relationship education is statutory and forms part of our wider commitment to your child’s wellbeing and faith development
Information for Parents/ Carers
Please see our Policy`s and Key documents tab for RSHE Policy
Curriculum statement
RSHE/ PSHE Teaching Sequence