Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) helps students understand the emotional, social, and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sexuality, and sexual health. At Belper School, RSHE plays an important role in supporting students through their personal development and their transition into adulthood. Our RSHE curriculum follows the national statutory guidance for RSE.
We believe it is essential that students learn about these topics in a safe, respectful, and well-informed environment. RSHE should equip our young people with the knowledge, skills, and positive values they need to form safe, healthy and fulfilling relationships, understand their sexuality, and take responsibility for their physical, sexual, and emotional wellbeing. Our curriculum is carefully planned to be age-appropriate and developmental, with key topics revisited regularly to build confidence, reinforce prior learning, and deepen understanding.
Our aim is to ensure students feel confident discussing relationships and sex education, and that they understand what healthy, safe, respectful and positive relationships look like.
At Belper School, we value strong partnerships with parents. To support transparency and encourage informed conversations at home, all sex education lesson materials are available for parents to view. You can explore the content taught in each year group and see how learning progresses over time here:
There is also a dedicated RSE section within our PSHE School Policy, available here:
If you have any questions or comments regarding the sex education content delivered, please contact the Belper School Office on belperschool@belperschool.co.uk FAO Hannah Evans (Deputy Headteacher in charge of curriculum).
We also want to ensure families are fully aware of their rights. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from the two sex education lessons taught each year in Key Stage 3 and 4. Before making this decision, we strongly encourage parents to look through the lesson slides and resources for their child’s year group, available below.
Please note that from three terms before a student turns 16, they have the legal right to opt back into sex education—even if previously withdrawn by a parent. For example, if a student turns 16 during the autumn term, they may choose to rejoin sex education lessons from the start of the previous autumn term. As a school, we have a duty to make students aware of this right.
If you wish to request withdrawal from sex education for your child this academic year, please email belperschool@belperschool.co.uk to request the withdrawal form