"Happiness is the highest form of health."

-Dalai Lama XIV

The children and young people of St. Charles’ are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also poses challenges and risks. In these environments, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. For this reason, RHE (Relationships and Health Education) is now compulsory in Primary Schools in England and is at the forefront of everything we teach here at St. Charles’.

Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Education (SMSC)

At St. Charles’ Catholic Primary School, we deliver SMSC through our School Ethos, Religious Education, Collective Worship, Physical Education, Personal, RSHE curriculum, the Healthy Schools Programme, the Rights Respecting Programme and the school Pastoral Care Programme. We aim to develop the whole person so that they know their place in the wider world and so that we prepare them to be ambitious in secondary school and beyond.

Spiritual – Our children are taught to be respectful and kind to everyone regardless of faith, gender, age and all other protected characteristics. It is important for children to be curious and ask questions about people’s beliefs and experiences so that they can become independent, resilient and excited learners.

Moral – At St. Charles’, children are able to recognise right and wrong through teachings and guidance in following the school’s mission statement: Follow Jesus’ footsteps in our living and learning. This allows children to respect the law, understand consequence and investigate moral and ethical issues.

Social – Children at St. Charles’ are active in their community; they participate, volunteer and co-operate in order to help others. They are encouraged to take an active role in their local parish community and engage with the fundamental values of British democracy.

Cultural – The children are taught to appreciate cultural influences and find appropriate role models to inspire them and guide them through life. They are taught to understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

Relationship, Sex and Health Education Curriculum

Our RSHE education is inclusive of all learners and promotes equality. It encourages children to ‘Live Life to the Full’ by covering three major strands:

Created and Loved by God (Health and Wellbeing) – This includes physical and mental health, recognising and managing feelings in ourselves and others. It teaches health and safety as well as managing risks, basic first aid, on-line safety and the role of the media. In Key Stage Two, the children learn about body changes in puberty and reproduction, harmful substances such as alcohol and drugs and how the media can misrepresent reality.

Created to Love Others (Relationships) – We teach how to identify how our behaviour affects others, recognising the difference between secrets and surprises and what is suitable and appropriate physical contact. This strand centres on issues such as bullying, how to co-operate effectively with each other in discussion and being respectful of others. Key stage 2 learn how disputes can be dissolved using compromise. It also examines differences and similarities between people (ethnic/sexual/disability/partnerships).

Created to Live in the Community (Living in the Wider World) - This strand includes following class rules all the way through to being part of a school and local area community. It looks at environmental issues, why we need rules and laws and the importance of human rights. It shows children how to manage money, their responsibilities to each other and in belonging to a wider community. It teaches respect at a cultural, racial and personal level, regionally and nationally. Upper Key stage 2 examine economic issues such as attitudes to money, financial risk and enterprise skills.