Our Intent

At St Mary's, we are committed to developing children who are confident, respectful, informed and prepared for life in the modern world. Our Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) and Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum enables children to develop the knowledge, skills, understanding and values needed to build positive relationships, make safe choices, care for their physical and mental wellbeing, and contribute positively to society.

As a Catholic school, our RSHE curriculum is rooted in Gospel values and Catholic Social Teaching. We use the Ten:Ten Life to the Full programme to deliver the Catholic dimension of Relationships and Health Education, helping pupils understand their God-given dignity, value and purpose. Children learn that they are uniquely created and loved by God, called to love others and contribute positively to their communities.

Our Implementation

Our curriculum combines two complementary programmes:

Ten:Ten Life to the Full

Ten:Ten provides our core Catholic RSHE curriculum and enables pupils to explore:

• Personal dignity and self-worth as children of God
• Loving and respectful relationships
• Family life and community
• Physical and emotional wellbeing
• Puberty and growing up
• Online safety and personal safety
• Vocation and living out Christian values in everyday life

The programme is carefully sequenced across all year groups and fully reflects Catholic teaching whilst meeting statutory Relationships and Health Education requirements.

1decision PSHE

To complement Ten:Ten, we use 1decision as our wider PSHE curriculum. Following review of our local context and the needs of our pupils, we recognised that many children are increasingly exposed to complex situations through social media, online platforms and wider community influences. We therefore wanted a programme that addresses these issues directly and explicitly.

1decision allows pupils to explore real-life scenarios relating to:

• Personal safety
• Road, water and fire safety
• Bullying and peer pressure
• Online safety and image sharing
• Healthy and unhealthy relationships
• Consent, personal boundaries and appropriate touch
• Drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping
• Mental health and emotional wellbeing
• British Values, citizenship and diversity
• Safeguarding and risk awareness

The programme provides clear progression from Year 1 to Year 6 and is supported by assessment opportunities, pupil reflection and regular monitoring. We also use the EYFS resources from 1Descion that compliment the prime area of personal, social and emotional development – as the foundation for lifelong learning.

Our curriculum is carefully designed to be inclusive, accessible and ambitious for all learners. Through our use of the 1decision RSHE programme, supported by the Teaching RSHE to Children with SEND guidance and TEN:TEN resources, we ensure that content is SEND-friendly and responsive to the needs of every pupil. Diverse characters, family structures and real-life scenarios are represented throughout the curriculum, with additional guidance supporting the inclusive representation of LGBTQ+ individuals and families.

We deliver a well-sequenced curriculum that enables pupils to build knowledge, skills and vocabulary progressively from year to year. Detailed Delivery Plans, Module Trackers and Knowledge and Skills Progression documents ensure consistency and continuity across the school, while Knowledge Organisers and retrieval activities help children deepen and retain their learning.

Assessment is embedded throughout the curriculum through baseline, formative and summative activities within every module, enabling teachers to monitor progress and respond effectively to pupils' needs. Flexible assessment opportunities allow children to demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways, ensuring that every pupil can succeed.

We celebrate and capture our pupils' growth through "Progress Moments" – meaningful examples of learning and personal development that demonstrate the positive impact of PSHE and RSHE across our school community. These moments provide valuable evidence of how pupils are developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to thrive both now and in the future.

 

Why We Use Both Programmes

We believe our children benefit from both the faith-centred approach of Ten:Ten and the explicit safeguarding and real-world learning provided through 1decision.

Together, these programmes ensure that pupils not only understand Catholic teaching and values, but also develop the practical knowledge and decision-making skills needed to navigate contemporary challenges safely and confidently. This dual approach enables us to respond effectively to the needs of our pupils while maintaining our Catholic identity.

'Life to the Full' is a scheme of work in Health, Relationships & Sex Education (RSHE) for Catholic primary schools, which embraces and fulfils the new statutory curriculum.

Taught with a spiral approach to learning, in which pupils will revisit the same topics at an age-appropriate stage through their school life, the programme includes teaching about personal health, physical and emotional wellbeing, strong emotions, private parts of the body, personal relationships, family structures, trusted adults, growing bodies, puberty, periods, life cycles, the dangers of social media, where babies come from, an understanding of the Common Good and living in the wider world.

The entire teaching is underpinned with a religious understanding that our deepest identity is as a child of God - created, chosen and loved by God.

The programme is fully inclusive of all pupils and their families. Ten:Ten strives to include parents as a 'key educator' and offers access to all parents into their Parent Portal. Please use the link below to access this from home, so that you can gain a deeper understanding of ways to discuss health & relationships with your child at every stage of their learning.

Consultation has taken place with all stakeholders regarding our HRSE policy. 

Compliance with September 2026 RSHE Expectations - Our curriculum has been reviewed to ensure it aligns with the revised Relationships, Sex and Health Education expectations introduced from September 2026.