Dear Parent / Carer,

At Stone Soup Academy we are committed to providing all pupils with planned Personal, Social, Health, and Education (PSHE), Relationship, Sex, Health and Education (RSHE) and Religion Eduction (RE) programmes to enable them to acquire the knowledge, understanding, skills and strategies they need to develop,empathy, the ability to work with others, to form and maintain good relationships, understand and apply British values and develop the essential skills for employability to become a global citizen and better enjoy and manage their lives. 

A full outline of our PSHE, RSHE and the RE curriculum is attached to this letter.

The Government have made Relationships Education and Health Education statutory for all schools. Stone Soup Academy has integrated the statutory requirements into our planned curriculum and other supporting curriculum areas.

The Government have produced some information for parents to explain what the new curriculum consists of and is trying to achieve. To view these resources, please visit

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1090195/Relationships_Education_RSE_and_Health_Education.pdf

As part of the academies PSHE and RSHE programme, children learn about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, healthy relationships and keeping themselves safe both on and offline.

Staff approach this aspect of the curriculum very sensitively and are aware of how it contributes to pupil’s development; supporting them to develop healthy relationships, keep themselves safe. We have the factually correct information and the skills to positively manage the physical and emotional changes that will happen as our young people grow into happy, confident and responsible teenagers.

Parents and carers also play a vital role in talking to their child(ren) about this important part of growing up and keeping themselves safe. To help you understand the type of questions children of different ages may ask and how to best respond to them further information can be obtained from the Family Planning Association website – parent/carers section at  https://www.fpa.org.uk/

Although parents/carers have the right to request to withdraw their child from any or all sex education as part of relationship education, it is our aim to encourage parents to see the value of RSHE learning and its contribution to keeping children safe, developing their emotional, social and physical wellbeing and for promoting equality and social justice.

Should a parent decide that they do not wish their child to take part in any of the lessons, we would ask that they speak in the first instance to the Vice Principal (Younes Henini) to discuss their concerns. The Vice Principal will discuss the request with the parent/carer to fully understand and address any concerns/objections to the content of the curriculum.  If parents/carers do decide to withdraw their child, they should inform the Principal in writing and the academy will keep a record of this.

If you would like to see the school’s Relationships and Sex Education Policy, please visit the school website.

If you have any further questions about this aspect of the curriculum or wish to see any of the teaching resources, please contact Younes Henini, Vice Principal.

Kind regards

Younes Henini

Vice Principal

RE curriculum