At St Martin de Porres Catholic Primary School, we believe that every child is created and loved by God and has unique dignity and worth.

Our Relationships, Health and Sex Education (RHSE) is an important part of our commitment to educating the whole child. We aim to help children develop healthy and respectful relationships, understand themselves and others, make safe and responsible choices, and grow spiritually, emotionally, socially and physically.

Our approach is firmly rooted in the teachings and values of the Catholic Church, while meeting the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health Education in primary schools.

Our RHSE Programme

At St Martin de Porres, we use Life to the Full Primary, produced by Ten Ten Resources, to deliver our RHSE curriculum.

Life to the Full is a Relationships and Health Education programme developed specifically for Catholic primary schools. It is underpinned by the Christian understanding that our deepest identity is as a child of God, created, chosen and loved by God.

The programme provides age-appropriate learning from EYFS through to Year 6, supported by lessons, activities, prayer, videos and opportunities for discussion and reflection. It also supports the important partnership between school and home.

Life to the Full is an approved programme within the Archdiocese of Birmingham and enables us to deliver our statutory responsibilities within the context of our Catholic faith and ethos.

Meeting Statutory Requirements

Our RHSE provision reflects the Department for Education's statutory guidance for Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, including the revised requirements in force from 1 September 2026.

Life to the Full supports Catholic primary schools in meeting the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health Education.

At St Martin de Porres, these requirements are taught within the context of our Catholic faith, ethos and understanding of the dignity of the human person.

What Do Children Learn?

Learning is carefully matched to children's age, understanding and stage of development.

Through RHSE, children develop their understanding of:

• relationships with family, friends and others;
• treating others with kindness, dignity and respect;
• recognising their own uniqueness and the uniqueness of others;
• physical and emotional health and wellbeing;
• understanding and managing feelings and emotions;
• keeping themselves and others safe;
• healthy and respectful relationships;
• growing and changing;
• making healthy choices;
• developing resilience and confidence;
• relationships and behaviour online; and
• their responsibilities towards other people and the wider community.

Our Catholic Approach

RHSE at St Martin de Porres is not taught in isolation. It complements the Catholic life and mission of our school, Religious Education, prayer and liturgy, safeguarding, science and our wider work supporting children's personal development.

At the heart of Life to the Full is the Christian belief that each person is created, chosen and loved by God.

Through this understanding, we encourage our children to recognise the dignity and worth of themselves and every other person. We want them to develop relationships characterised by love, respect, compassion, kindness, honesty and responsibility.

Keeping Children Safe

High-quality RHSE also plays an important part in safeguarding children.

Our teaching helps children develop the knowledge, understanding and confidence they need to recognise when something does not feel right, understand appropriate boundaries and know when and how to seek help from a trusted adult.

We create a safe, supportive and respectful environment in which children can ask questions and discuss appropriate issues. Teaching is always carefully matched to children's age, understanding and stage of development.

Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers

We recognise that parents and carers are the first and most important educators of their children, and we value the important role families play in their child's personal, moral and spiritual development.

We aim to work openly and positively with families so that parents and carers understand what their children are learning and feel confident continuing appropriate conversations at home.

Life to the Full provides resources specifically designed to help parents and carers understand and support their child's learning.

Respecting Every Child and Family

Our Catholic teaching about relationships is presented positively, respectfully and sensitively.

We recognise that the children within our school come from a variety of families and circumstances. At St Martin de Porres, every child is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect.

Our aim is to create an environment where children feel safe, valued and confident, and where the dignity of every person is recognised.

Further Information

We believe that openness and partnership with parents and carers are essential to high-quality RHSE.

If you have any questions about RHSE, the Life to the Full programme or the content being taught to your child, please contact the school. We will be happy to discuss our approach with you.

At St Martin de Porres, we want every child to understand that they are precious, unique and loved by God, and to develop the knowledge, confidence and values they need to build healthy relationships, make positive choices and truly live life to the full.