PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is an incredibly important part of your child’s education. PSHE education gives children the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential. As you may already be aware, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), along with Health Education, became a statutory part of the National Curriculum from September 2020.

PSHE contributes to the physical and mental well-being of children, encouraging individual responsibility for health. PSHE recognises the importance of building healthy relationships of all kinds, not just intimate relationships, and knows boundaries within the law. It promotes independence, resiliency and responsibility whilst preparing young adults for their future roles as parents, emloyees and leaders.

PSHE is taught at Testwood as a timetabled lesson, and your child will receive 1 hour of PSHE education per week.

You do have a right to withdraw your child from sex education delivered as part of RSE in secondary schools, which, unless there are exceptional circumstances, will be granted up to three terms before your child turns 16 – the legal age of sexual consent. At this point, if the child wishes temselces to receive sex education rather than be withdrawn, the school should make arrangements for this to happen. 

There is no right to withdraw from Relationships Education at secondary level, and we believe the content of these subjects, such as family, friendship, and safety are important for all children to be taught.