Relationships, Sex and Health Education

• What is changing?
• Why are Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education important?
• Preparing for the new statutory guidance
• Training offer
• Virtual Haringey RSE Network meeting videos
• Teaching resources
• We're Open' Bitesize Films Series
• Other resources

What is changing?

From September 2020, Relationships Education and Health Education were to be compulsory in all primary schools and secondary schools were required to teach Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. However, due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, all schools were given an extension.

The government guidance available on GOV.UK (external link) sets out what schools should do, and their legal duties in delivering Relationships Education and Health Education. This will replace the Sex and Relationships Education Guidance published in 2000. 

A Letter to headteachers (PDF, 164KB) has been shared with all headteachers to support schools in preparing for the statutory guidance on Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education. 

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Why are Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education important?

Good quality Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education prepares children and young people for the changes they will experience as they grow up and for healthy relationships. It gives them the skills to be safe, to make informed decisions, and protect themselves and others around them. Through good quality RSE, young people are more likely to get help when they need it, to delay sex until they are ready, use contraception, tell someone if they have experienced sexual abuse, and less likely to have an early unplanned pregnancy.

• Read a summary of the research evidence (external link)

Data on children and young people, to help inform schools in teaching Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education is available below:

• Sexual attitudes and lifestyles in Britain - Natsal infographic (PDF, 307KB)
• Haringey SHEU results (PDF, 728KB)
• Public Health Profile on Sexual and Reproductive Health (external link)

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Preparing for the new statutory guidance

Haringey Council has created a  Ten steps guide (PDF, 1MB) to support schools in preparing for statutory Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education. This is based on the roadmap to statutory RSE (external link) that was jointly produced by the Sex Education Forum, PSHE Association and five education unions. 

It is the responsibility of schools to ensure that they have an RSE policy, which is up to date, has been consulted with parents and is in line with good practice.

Haringey Public Health will be setting up PSHE/RSE network meetings for PSHE/RSE leads within schools. The network meetings will be aligned to the Network Learning Communities already established within the borough. The aim is for the groups to meet termly, share learning and receive advice and support from the council to help implement high quality RSE. More information was sent to the various leads during spring 2021.

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Training offer

RSHE Network Meetings 

Haringey Public Health has established network meetings for RSHE and PSHE leads within primary and secondary schools. 

The network meetings are facilitated by an RSHE Consultant, Dr Jo Sell. 

• The next RSHE/PSHE Network Meeting for Haringey schools will be held via Zoom in October or November 2023. 

The Network Meetings are a great way to get information and advice about PSHE/RSHE. 

For queries or advice in relation to RSHE, please email healthy.schools@haringey.gov.uk

There are also free e-learning courses aimed at professionals, available from the Brook Learn website (external link) in various subjects that fall within RSE.

These cover the following areas:

• How to deliver RSE
• Consent
• STIs
• Puberty
• Contraception
• Pleasure
• Relationships and enduring love
• Emergency contraception
• Abortion
• Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

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Teaching resources

There are a range of resources to support Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education which are produced by voluntary sector organisations and commercial companies, many of which are free of charge. Schools may wish to use these free resources or may alternatively choose to buy into a package of resources.

We do not recommend specific resources, but instead encourage each school or institution to review the materials they use to make sure they are suitable for children and young people. This is because the needs of schools and pupils vary across the borough. For all information on support please refer to the PSHE Association’s RSE teaching resources guide (PDF, 248KB) from 2019 - this signposts a sample of free resources which schools may wish to explore. Please note that this is for illustrative purposes and is not an exhaustive list.

Consent: do you get it?

This year’s theme for Sexual Health Week is Consent, and in Haringey, we're open and ready to join the conversation.

Schools can help young people understand consent by including it in their RSE lessons. DfE RSHE Guidance (2019) outlines that by the end of secondary school, pupils need to have learnt about the 'age of consent, what consent is and is not, and the definitions and recognition of rape and sexual assault'.

Pupils should also learn 'how people can actively communicate and recognise consent from others, including sexual consent, and how and when consent can be withdrawn (in all contexts, including online)'.

Consent means agreeing to do something. When it comes to sex, this means agreeing to have sex or engage in sexual activity. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (England and Wales) defines consent as when a person ‘agrees by choice and has the capacity to make that choice’. 

It is really important that young people understand the importance of consent. Consent is an essential part of healthy relationships and it’s really important to know what it is and the many ways to spot it.

• Visit the: Brook website (external link) for free information and resources about sex and relationships, or use this video about consent to help with your teaching.
• The Sex Education Forum (external link) and PSHE Association (external link) also offer lots of resources and teaching materials about sex and consent.

Here is a great video about ‘enthusiastic consent’:

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Lesson Plan

Click on the learning about sexual health services (RSE 2021) lesson plan (PDF, 750KB). This has been developed to help you to teach RSE in the classroom.

It covers the following areas:

• Where to find advice on sexual and reproductive health, and what is on offer
• Why young people may find it hard to ask for advice
• What can help young people get advice

See our sexual health pages for up-to-date information on services that support young people with their relationships and sexual health.

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'We're Open' Bitesize Films Series

To support secondary schools, the Public Health Team have developed a series of short films (between 7-12 mins long). All 5 films are designed to be used for practitioner training, and films 3, 4 & 5 can be shared with young people, as part of RSE. The films were piloted in a Haringey secondary school, and the majority of students agreed that the films “would help young people feel more confident about asking for sexual health advice” and agreed they should be part of RSE lessons.

Film 1: Why young people's sexual health matters in Haringey

An introduction to this series of 5 films - it provides practitioners with an overview of why sexual health is a public health priority in Haringey.

Film 2: Having conversations with young people about sexual health and relationships

Tips from a sexual health expert to help practitioners feel more confident to have open and non-judgemental conversations and support them to access services.

Film 3: A tour of a young person's sexual health clinic

Ever wondered what happens at a sexual health clinic? In this film we walk through one of our 2 clinics in Haringey and explain what happens at an appointment.

Film 4: Visiting a Healthy Living Pharmacy

In Haringey we have specialist pharmacies which offer young people a range of free sexual health services. Watch this film to find out more.

Film 5: The CCard Scheme

Haringey is part of a cross- London CCard Scheme, which means that young people can get free condoms at any of the participating outlets. This film explains how to register on the scheme and includes a condom demonstration.

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Other resources

• Getting started with your RSE policy - primary schools (Word, 26KB)
• Getting started with your RSE policy - secondary schools (Word, 25KB)
• Presentation template for engaging parents and carers (PowerPoint, 343KB)

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