At St. Anthony's Catholic Primary School, our approach to Relationships and Health Education (RHE) is deeply rooted in promoting healthy relationships, emotional well-being and a positive understanding of personal safety. We endeavour to give children the knowledge and skills that they need to navigate personal and social challenges as they grow and develop. 

The sessions are designed to be engaging and age-appropriate, providing opportunities for discussions that encourage respect, empathy and understanding. Each session is deeply rooted in our Catholic values and reinforces the message of our mission statement creating a learning environment which is highly nurturing and supportive and where everyone learns how to care for themselves and others with compassion and responsibility. 

Relationships and Health Education is statutory in all primary schools in England. We regularly consult with all of our stake holders to create our Relationships and Health Policy. We will inform parents before we begin teaching RHE and resources are made available for parents to view so that they are aware of the topics being taught and discussed in each session. 

We use two programmes at St. Anthony's and both go beyond the statutory coverage requirements. Throughout the school year we use both Life to the Full (from Ten:Ten Resources) and Protective Behaviours. These programmes are complementary of one another with Life to the Full providing the core relationships and health curriculum through the lens of our faith and Protective Behaviours strengthening safeguarding, personal safety and help-seeking strategies. 

Life to the Full 

Life to the Full teaches RHE through the lens of our Catholic faith. The aim of the syllabus is to support  children from Early Years to Year 6 to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their relationships with others and how to make responsible choices. The programme is founded on the understanding that we are all unique, loved by God and deserving of dignity and respect. 

The learning content is delivered through age-appropriate stories, discussions and activities. Children learn about friendships, family relationships, their bodies and how they grow and change over time, the importance of personal boundaries, keeping safe, emotional wellbeing and how to seek the right help when they need it. The content changes as  the children move through school, developing appropriately for their age and stage, which helps the children to build on the knowledge they have acquired in previous year groups, giving them all they need to help them to make positive, respectful relationships. 

Life to the Full also supports the statutory requirements for RHE while ensuring that the teaching reflects the Catholic understanding of the human person.  To visit the parent portal within Life to the Full, click here

Protective Behaviours

Delivered through the Taking Care Project, Protective Behaviours helps children to develop the skills and confidence that they need to recognise when they feel safe or unsafe and to know what they can do when something worries them. The central message of 'we all have the right to feel safe all the time" is repeated throughout the programme with children learning how to identify and understand their 'early warning signs'– physical signs that something may be causing them to feel unsafe or worried. They explore the difference between safe and unsafe scenarios and situations, learn about personal boundaries and develop a network of trusted adults they can talk to. Children are also taught the importance of telling a trusted adult when they don't feel safe and to keep telling until someone listens and helps them to feel safe again. 

Protective Behaviours is not designed to make children feel afraid. Instead, it gives them practical skills, language and strategies that they can use to help them understand their feelings, speak up when they see things that are wrong, how to seek help safely and how they can keep themselves and others safe. To find out more, click here