Relationships, Sex and Health Education

1. Purpose

Many of our learners have met harm earlier than most young people: exploitation, controlling relationships, online abuse, violence at home, misogynistic content, drugs and vapes. Many have also missed the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) their classmates had. Good RSHE helps them stay safe, look after their health and build relationships based on respect.

This policy sets out what we teach, how we teach it safely in small groups, how we work with each learner's school so nothing is missed or repeated, and how parents and carers are involved.

2. Scope

This policy applies to every learner in Key Stages 3 and 4, whoever commissions the place, and to all staff, counsellors and external visitors who contribute to RSHE.

Care Cove is not a school. The statutory duty to teach RSHE sits with the learner's school or, for a permanently excluded learner, the education the local authority arranges. We follow the statutory guidance as good practice and agree with each school what we cover.

3. Law and guidance

• Relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education (DfE statutory guidance, published July 2025, in effect 1 September 2026). The revised guidance includes misogyny, online harms, and AI and deepfakes, and confirms parents' right to see teaching materials. It is statutory for schools; we follow it as good practice.

• Withdrawal from sex education. Parents of pupils at schools can ask for their child to be withdrawn from sex education, but not from relationships or health education, up to three terms before the child turns 16. After that, the young person decides. There is no right to withdraw from the National Curriculum for science.

• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026. Misogyny is linked to harmful sexual behaviour; nude and semi-nude images include AI-generated and deepfake images; self-harm and suicidal ideation are safeguarding concerns in their own right; statutory guidance on gender questioning children applies.

• Equality Act 2010. We teach without discrimination, and teach learners about the protected characteristics and their rights.

• SEND Code of Practice 0 to 25 (2015). RSHE must be accessible to learners with SEND.

• The law we teach, including the age of consent, the law on indecent images of under-18s (including AI-generated images), the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (nitrous oxide has been Class C since November 2023) and the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026.

4. Roles and responsibilities

5. Agreeing RSHE with each learner's school

1. At referral, the Head of AP asks the school for its RSHE programme, what the learner has covered, and whether a parent has asked for withdrawal from sex education.

2. The Head of AP agrees with the school which topics each will cover, and records the agreement on Connect alongside the careers and exam entry agreements. For a permanently excluded learner, the agreement is made with the commissioning local authority.

3. Some content cannot wait for timetables to line up. Consent, healthy and unhealthy relationships, online safety, the law on nude images and how to get help are covered with every learner during their placement.

4. Each learner's coverage is tracked on Connect, shared with the school each half term through the Partner portal, and included in the discharge summary.

6. What we teach

Content builds from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 and is pitched to the learners in the room. Every lesson is labelled relationships, health or sex education, so parents know exactly what a withdrawal request would cover.

Nutrition is taught safely: staff never discuss weight, calories or dieting, and nobody is weighed or measured. Drugs education links to the Drugs, Alcohol and Substance Misuse policy and uses facts, not shock tactics.

7. How we teach

7.1 Small groups, planned in advance

• Groups are 6 or fewer with at least 2 adults. The Head of AP and key mentors plan each group around known conflicts, relationships between learners, any history of child-on-child abuse and contextual risk. Some topics are taught in single-sex groups or one-to-one.

• The topic calendar goes to the DSL, counsellors and key mentors in advance, and learners are told what is coming. Where a learner may be personally affected, their key mentor and counsellor agree a plan with them beforehand, such as a one-to-one version or a planned break.

7.2 A trauma-informed approach

• Each group agrees ground rules: no personal questions, no names, the right to pass, respect for every view, and what staff must pass on to keep people safe.

• Staff use distancing: stories, scenarios, characters, clips and anonymous questions. Learners are never asked about their own experiences.

• A learner can take a break in the regulation space with an adult at any time. This is never treated as a behaviour issue, and they catch up in a way that suits them.

• No graphic images or shock tactics.

• Every lesson ends with where to get help: the key mentor, any member of staff, the DSL, the Student app route to tell a trusted adult, and Childline on 0800 1111.

• Key mentors check in with learners at Close Out after a sensitive lesson.

7.3 Adapting for SEND

• Concrete, literal language and correct names for body parts, backed by visuals, symbols and easy read materials, with repetition and checks of understanding.

• Some learners need explicit teaching on consent, boundaries, public and private behaviour and online friendships. The SEND lead advises, using SCERTS goals where they apply.

• Disabled learners are at higher risk of abuse and may find it harder to tell. Staff watch for changes in behaviour as well as words.

7.4 Inclusive, factual and balanced

• Lessons reflect the diversity of our learners and their families, including same-sex relationships, taught factually and respectfully.

• Faith and cultural views on relationships are acknowledged with respect, while being clear about the law and everyone's rights.

• We teach sex and gender reassignment as protected characteristics factually. A learner's questions about their own gender are handled under the statutory guidance on gender questioning children, with parents involved (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy).

• Staff present contested issues in a balanced way and do not share personal views or experiences.

7.5 Staff, resources and assessment

• Before teaching RSHE, staff are briefed by the Head of AP on this policy, ground rules, distancing and disclosures.

• The Head of AP reviews every resource for accuracy, suitability and inclusion. The Clinical Advisor checks health content and the counsellors check mental health and abuse content. We never use material we would not show a parent.

• Knowledge is checked at the start and end of each topic through quizzes and scenarios, never by asking about learners' lives, and recorded on Connect. Learners can work towards the NCFE RSHE qualification once our centre approval is in place.

8. Links to RESET

RSHE is taught mainly in the daily RESET lesson (13:00 to 14:00), with some content in core science.

9. Safeguarding and disclosures

RSHE can help a learner realise that something happening to them is not right, and tell someone.

• Staff follow the Safeguarding and Child Protection policy: listen, never promise to keep a secret, tell the DSL immediately and record on Connect the same day in the learner's own words. The DSL decides within the hour what happens next.

• Any sign that a learner under 13 is sexually active is always a child protection referral, because a child under 13 cannot consent in law. Any sign that a learner is in an abusive, coercive or exploitative relationship goes to the DSL straight away.

• Staff never view, copy or forward a nude or semi-nude image, including AI-generated images. The DSL follows the UKCIS advice (Online Safety and Acceptable Use policy).

• Any sign of self-harm or suicidal thoughts goes to the DSL at once, following the urgent clinical risk procedure where needed. The learner is never left alone.

• Misogynistic or sexualised comments are challenged calmly with a Reminder of the Respect Code and recorded. Possible harmful sexual behaviour goes to the DSL under KCSIE Part Five.

10. Answering difficult questions

• Every lesson has an anonymous question box, answered in the next session.

• Staff answer honestly and factually at a level suited to the group, and can say "I'll come back to you" while they check with the Head of AP, DSL or Clinical Advisor.

• Explicit or personal questions are not answered in front of the group. Staff answer them one-to-one where appropriate, or explain why they cannot.

• A question suggesting a learner may be at risk is passed to the DSL.

• Staff correct myths from influencers and pornography with facts, without ridiculing anyone.

• Withdrawal from sex education never stops staff answering a question or responding to a concern to keep a learner safe.

11. Parents and carers

11.1 Information and materials

• Every family receives a summary of our RSHE programme at the welcome meeting, and each half term's topic calendar is on the Family portal.

• Parents and carers can see any teaching materials on request, including visitors' materials, at Townhead Street or as copies.

• We ask parents' views when this policy is reviewed each year, through the parent survey and a meeting open to all families, with interpreters where needed.

11.2 Asking for withdrawal from sex education

Only lessons labelled "sex education" can be withdrawn from. Relationships education, health education (including puberty) and science are taught to every learner.

1. A parent tells the Head of AP, or tells the school, who tells us.

2. The Head of AP discusses the parent's reasons, shows them the materials, explains the possible effects of missing the lessons, such as relying on peers or the internet, and asks for the learner's views.

3. The Head of AP checks with the school. If the school has already decided, we follow its decision.

4. Except in exceptional circumstances, the request is respected up to three terms before the learner turns 16. After that, if the young person wants sex education, we or the school provide it in one of those terms. For Year 11 learners, and some in Year 10, this point has passed, so the young person decides.

5. A withdrawn learner does purposeful, supervised learning during those lessons, within normal ratios.

6. The decision is recorded on Connect and reviewed if circumstances change.

12. External visitors

Visitors such as health professionals, youth workers or theatre groups add expertise but never replace our programme.

1. The member of staff inviting them completes a speaker request on Connect at least five working days before, and the Director decides after the checks in the Prevent and Counter-Extremism policy.

2. The Head of AP reviews the session plan and materials in advance. Materials must be shareable with parents.

3. The visitor agrees in writing to our ground rules, to pass any disclosure straight to the member of staff present, and not to exchange contact details with learners.

4. On the day, ID is checked and the visitor signs in and wears a lanyard. A member of staff is present throughout, stays responsible for the lesson and stops it if needed.

5. Each session is evaluated with learners and recorded on Connect.

13. Monitoring and review

• The Head of AP observes RSHE teaching in the half-termly observation cycle and checks each learner's coverage against the school agreement every half term.

• Learner views come from the half-termly survey and termly pupil forum, and parent views from the parent survey.

• The DSL reviews safeguarding concerns arising from RSHE each term and advises on changes.

• This policy is ratified by the SWMC and reviewed every year with parents' views, or sooner after an incident, a change in law or statutory guidance, or a contract change. It is shared with families and available to the commissioning local authority at any time.

14. Related policies

• 01 Safeguarding and Child Protection
• 05 Prevent and Counter-Extremism
• 06 Online Safety and Acceptable Use
• 07 Behaviour, Rewards and Restorative Practice
• 12 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• 13 Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment
• 14 Therapeutic Practice and Clinical Governance
• 18 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• 29 Anti-Bullying
• 39 Drugs, Alcohol and Substance Misuse

Document control and ratification

This policy is signed off by the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Head of Alternative Provision, and ratified by the Social Work Management Committee. It is reviewed every year, or sooner after an incident or a change in law, statutory guidance or contract requirements, and it is available to any commissioning local authority on request.