Guidance on the Delivery of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Education in Scottish Schools

2. A whole school approach to Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) Education

Learning and Teaching of RSHP education

2.1 The curricular framework positions all children and young people at the heart of education, supporting them to develop and reach their full potential.

2.2 Learning in health and wellbeing assists teachers and practitioners in establishing open, positive, supportive relationships across the school community. A whole school approach is about developing a positive ethos and culture – where everyone feels they belong. Effective delivery of RSHP education can help children and young people feel they are listened to and feel secure in their ability to discuss sensitive aspects of their lives. This includes promoting a climate in which children and young people feel safe and secure, and modelling behaviour which promotes health and wellbeing and encouraging this in others. Teachers and practitioners can do this through a whole school approach using learning and teaching methodologies which promote effective learning and by being sensitive and responsive to the wellbeing of each child and young person. When delivering learning and teaching in this aspect of education, the responsibility for all, in this case, relates to the relationships aspect of this topic.

2.3 Inclusive RSHP education, as part of the curricular framework, is key in equipping all children and young people with the knowledge, understanding and skills to make informed and consensual choices about their health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government considers that RSHP education complements other aspects of a child and young person’s learning and makes an important contribution to their development. This helps fulfil their right to learn about their growing bodies, relationships (including online relationships), sexuality, sexual health and parenthood. It supports learning and understanding of healthy relationships and ensures children and young people understand the importance of setting and respecting appropriate boundaries and are confident to uphold these. In doing it, can be used as a preventative tool to help reduce domestic abuse, gender-based violence, and other prejudice-based behaviours, by empowering pupils to support and challenge their peers in a safe way^[23].

2.4 In schools and settings, RSHP education is currently delivered through learning about health and wellbeing and learning about religious and moral education. RSHP education should also have a role in promoting the ethos of a school by bringing pupils together and creating a sense of community. Schools and settings are therefore encouraged to consult with parents and carers on their ethos and activities designed to help support their whole school approach.

Designing the curriculum for RSHP education

2.5 Teachers and practitioners should refer to their own school’s and setting’s context, using people and places in their local area alongside the individual interests and needs of children and young people to choose topics to focus on when developing learning and teaching in RSHP education. This will help ensure learning and teaching in RSHP education will meet the particular needs of the children and young people it is designed to support. Learning should be relevant, inclusive, and meaningful rather than one-size-fits-all.

2.6 Actively involving children and young people in the design process will help make learning more relevant and therefore more rewarding for them. However, teachers and practitioners should continue to use their professional judgement to ensure lessons are appropriate.

2.7 Using community-based partners, such as school nurses, sexual health clinicians and specialist third sector agencies can enhance, but must not replace, the delivery of RSHP education by teachers and practitioners in schools and settings. Making links between education and other relevant services, such as youth work and sexual health services, is essential in helping children and young people learn about local services first hand and which, in turn, can help build confidence if young people need to use a service in the future. This can also build their self-confidence to help make informed and responsible decisions as part of growing up.

2.8 Specialist third sector organisations can play an important role in assisting teachers and practitioners to deliver meaningful learning and teaching in RSHP education. As with Scotland’s approach to curriculum development, individual schools and settings are able to decide how they deliver relevant and engaging learning and teaching, and the organisations they choose to support them to do that, in line with the standards and policies set by their local authority. However, in doing so, schools and settings should be transparent about the organisations they are working with and ensure parents and carers are made aware of their role. Schools and settings should understand and where possible, have sight of the intended content to be delivered by third party organisations to ensure it is factual, evidence-based, aligned with curricular outcomes and meets the needs of their pupils.

Monitoring, Tracking and Assessment

2.9 Provision of age and stage appropriate RSHP education for children and young people helps equip them with the values, skills and attitudes required to develop resilience as well as healthy and respectful relationships.

2.10 The curricular framework sets out learning and progression in RSHP education and should be used by all teachers and practitioners to effectively plan and assess children and young people’s progress. In addition to supporting professional judgements to monitor and track progress in learning, the curricular framework promotes consistency in the delivery of RSHP education and ensures children and young people receive factual, comprehensive and holistic learning and teaching in this aspect of health and wellbeing.

Engaging with children and young people and parents and carers

2.11 Children and young people have a right to learn about their growing bodies, relationships (including online relationships), sexuality and sexual health. Under Article 12 of the UNCRC, every child and young person who is capable of forming their own views has the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting them, with those views being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child and young person.

2.12 Parents and carers play a key role in all aspects of their children’s education: they are their primary educators. Therefore, the collaborative partnership schools and settings have with parents and carers must be a key element of RSHP education delivery. Schools and settings must involve parents and carers in discussions on curriculum content for RSHP education, in line with the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006^[24].

2.13 When concerns arise, the appropriate response is to engage in an open, non-judgmental discussion with the child or young person and their parents and carers. This dialogue must clarify the purpose and content of RSHP education, consider the child or young person’s views and best interests, and address parental concerns constructively. The aim is to reach a mutual understanding that balances the child’s right to access learning vital for their health and wellbeing, with parental responsibilities and rights. Where necessary, schools and settings must provide clear information, opportunities to review teaching materials, and be sensitive to any cases where a request to withdraw from the sexual health elements of learning and teaching are made. Schools and settings are expected to ensure decisions are informed and respectful of all parties.

2.14 Therefore, schools and settings are expected to work collaboratively with children and young people, as well as parents and carers, when developing their RSHP education programme. This can help fulfil the requirements of UNCRC Articles 5 and 12^[25]. The programme must be founded on full and frank information and include sharing the curricular materials with parents and carers within appropriate and clear communication mechanisms. This can help support schools and settings in engagement with families and young people about learning and teaching in relation to RSHP education.

Denominational Schools

2.15 In Scotland, a number of publicly funded schools are denominational in character. The majority of these schools are Roman Catholic and they are an integral part of the public education system. Denominational schools play an important part in Scottish education and the Scottish Government values this provision.

2.16 The Scottish Government supports the right of the Roman Catholic Church to give witness to its faith, and to uphold the traditions of Catholic education. The current position by which faith aspects of the curriculum in Catholic schools are determined by the Scottish Catholic Education Service acting on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland are maintained and are unaffected by this guidance. These faith aspects relate to religious education and religious observance.

2.17 The curricular framework for Religious Education in Roman Catholic schools is expected to be delivered in conjunction with guidance provided by the Scottish Catholic Education Service^[26]. There are no plans to change this position.

Children and young people who require additional support

2.18 All children and young people, including those who require additional support, must be involved in the design of the RSHP education they receive, where appropriate. Every pupil, including those who require additional support, have differing needs and teachers and practitioners can effectively differentiate resources and approaches to suit individual learning needs. Similar consideration must be given to children and young people with more severe and complex additional support needs to ensure they have opportunities for learning in RSHP education. RSHP education content for children and young people who require additional support must be considered as a similar curricular entitlement for all children and young people, although it is understood necessary adjustments may be required.

2.19 There are some misconceptions that children and young people who require additional support are not, or will not, be sexually active. As with all children and young people, those who require additional support, including those with a learning disability, must be included in RSHP lessons so they have the same opportunity to understand their growing body. When appropriate, they must develop their knowledge and understanding of healthy, safe, respectful and loving relationships at a stage appropriate to their understanding^[27]. Research suggests children and young people with additional support needs are at greater risk of being sexually exploited. However, it must be recognised that some children and young people who require additional support may also be at a greater risk of being drawn into perpetration of harmful sexual behaviours, and relevant and meaningful RSHP education can support them to recognise, avoid and report inappropriate behaviours.

2.20 As mentioned above, each individual is unique, and to ensure effective practice in the delivery of RSHP education, teachers and practitioners will need to use their professional judgement to adapt the curriculum to meet the individual children and young people’s educational needs, ensuring they receive an age and stage appropriate education in line with their peers.

2.21 When supporting children and young people who require complex additional support to access their RSHP education, it is important for teachers and practitioners to take account of the additional physical, communicative, sensory and cognitive barriers to learning which children and young people may experience. For example, some children and young people may have limited or no verbal language. Teachers and practitioners may need to employ a range of strategies to support and enable understanding and communication such as use of on-body and/or manual signing, sensory cues, objects of reference, song signifiers and visual supports such as photographs and symbols to enable children and young people to understand and respond.