Delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood education in Scottish schools: draft guidance

Draft revised statutory teaching guidance for relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education currently subject to public consultation until 23 November 2023.


Quick Read Version

Introduction

This guidance applies to everyone delivering RSHP education to children and young people in Scotland. Delivery of RSHP education should be done in a way that encompasses Getting It Right For Every Child as well as reflecting the wider agenda to progressing children’s rights in Scotland.

Further detail at: Introduction.

RSHP Education

RSHP education complements other aspects of a child and young person’s learning and makes an important contribution to their development. It supports learning and understanding of healthy relationships and personal resilience. It helps reduce domestic abuse, gender based violence, and ensures the importance of appropriate boundaries for all children and young people are understood. Making links to relevant services is important in helping to support children and young people’s understanding of how to use these services for themselves.

Parental engagement, as well as effective monitoring and tracking of children and young people’s progress in RSHP education, is also key to effective learning and teaching.

Further detail at: RSHP Education.

Embedding RSHP Education as a Whole School Approach

RSHP education has a central role in promoting the ethos of a school by helping bring pupils together and creating a sense of community. A whole school approach enables children and young people to build positive relationships.

Five specific topics are outlined in this guidance to help support a holistic learning and teaching experience.

Further detail at: Embedding RSHP Education as a Whole School Approach.

Key Learning Points for RSHP Education

RSHP education encourages all practitioners and relevant professionals to present facts in an objective, balanced and sensitive manner within the framework of curricular values and an awareness of Scots Law. RSHP education supports all children and young people to explore the values of strong, loving relationships and recognises the diversity of families in Scotland.

As with the whole school approach, five specific topics are outlined in this guidance as key learning points for RSHP education.

Further detail at: Key Learning Points.

RSHP: Policy, Guidance and Resources

Further information on policy, guidance and resources that may sit within RSHP education is included in this guidance.

Further detail at: RSHP: Policy, Guidance and Resources.

Contact

Email: personalandsocialeducation@gov.scot

Back to top