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PSHE and RSE Policy Updates – Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Relationships and Health Education

Dear parents and carers,

We have updated our policy for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Relationships and Health Education (RHE), to reflect the latest statutory guidance for schools. Most of our existing approach remains the same. We will continue to teach these areas carefully, sensitively and in an age-appropriate way, working in partnership with parents and reflecting our Christian ethos at St Mark’s. We also continue to use the HeartSmart curriculum as a basis for this. The main changes are:

Healthy relationships

There is a greater emphasis on helping children understand what healthy, kind and respectful relationships look like. Children will learn more about:

  • friendships and what makes them healthy

  • respecting other people’s needs and differences

  • setting and respecting appropriate boundaries

  • expressing their own needs appropriately

  • managing disagreements and conflicts

  • recognising when a friendship or relationship does not feel right and knowing how to seek help.

Online safety and wellbeing

There is more content relating to children’s lives online. Age-appropriate teaching will help children understand areas including:

  • staying safe when communicating online

  • protecting personal information and privacy

  • recognising that people online may not always be who they say they are

  • social media age restrictions

  • pressure to share information or images

  • gaming, in-game spending and online scams

  • balancing online activity with healthy relationships and activities offline

  • recognising inappropriate or upsetting online content and knowing where to get help.

Wellbeing

The updated curriculum continues to place a strong emphasis on children’s mental and physical wellbeing.

Children will develop their understanding of emotions, loneliness, friendships, self-esteem and where to seek support. There is also greater emphasis on developing healthy habits and understanding the relationship between physical and mental health.

Vaping and nicotine

Teaching about drugs, alcohol and tobacco has been updated to reflect issues children encounter today. For older primary-aged children, this now specifically includes vaping, nicotine addiction and products such as nicotine pouches, taught at an appropriate level for their age.

Personal safety

The updated curriculum includes additional teaching about keeping safe in everyday situations. This includes age-appropriate learning about:

  • fire and other hazards

  • road safety

  • railway and level-crossing safety

  • water safety.

Growing and changing

The guidance has updated what children should learn about how their bodies grow and change This includes:

  • understanding the human life cycle and puberty

  • learning the correct names for parts of the body

  • understanding that private parts of our bodies are private

  • understanding personal boundaries

  • learning about menstruation before children are likely to experience it themselves.

As previously, this will be taught sensitively and at an age-appropriate stage.

Working with parents

Our commitment to working in partnership with parents has not changed. Parents will continue to be informed before the school’s non-statutory Sex Education lessons, which typically take place in Year 6. Parents will have the opportunity to see the resources used and discuss the content beforehand.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding this, please email the office by Friday 16th October 2026.