Westvale Park Primary Academy
Wellbeing and RSE
At Westvale Park Primary Academy, our Wellbeing curriculum teaches children the knowledge and skills they need to keep themselves physically, mentally and emotionally safe and healthy, both now and as they grow. It helps pupils make informed choices, build healthy and respectful relationships, understand and manage their feelings, and know how and where to seek help when they need it.
Our curriculum brings together Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), and our Behaviour Curriculum. Children learn about relationships, families, physical and mental health, growing and changing, personal and online safety, money, communities, the environment, future aspirations and the habits that support a safe, healthy and fulfilling life.
This learning is reinforced throughout school life through assemblies, online safety education, our school values, pupil voice and Pupil Parliament, Wellbeing Champions, restorative conversations and our classroom environments.
Our aims
Through the Wellbeing curriculum, we aim to help children:
- develop positive values, self-respect, confidence and resilience;
- form and maintain healthy, respectful relationships;
- recognise risk, protect their personal boundaries and seek help;
- understand their bodies, feelings and the changes that occur as they grow;
- make informed choices about physical health, mental wellbeing, online life and money;
- respect difference, challenge stereotypes and understand that families and communities are diverse; and
- develop the knowledge and skills needed for increasing independence and adult life.
How the curriculum is organised
Our Wellbeing curriculum is organised around three core themes: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships, and Living in the Wider World. Each unit is shaped by an overarching question, allowing children to build knowledge, practise skills and continue developing their ability to enquire, discuss, reflect and make decisions.
Learning is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6. Important ideas are introduced at an appropriate stage and revisited with increasing depth as children's understanding and independence develop. The curriculum meets the requirements of statutory Relationships Education and Health Education and supports our wider responsibilities for safeguarding, equality, British values, citizenship and behaviour. Our teaching reflects the Equality Act 2010 and celebrates the diversity of our pupils, families and wider community.
We review the curriculum using pupil voice, information about our school and local community, and relevant national evidence and guidance. This helps us respond to children's needs while maintaining a clear and progressive sequence.
RSHE within our Wellbeing curriculum
Relationships Education and Health Education are statutory in primary schools. Through this learning, children develop age-appropriate knowledge about caring friendships, different families, respectful relationships, privacy, personal boundaries, permission, online relationships, physical health, mental wellbeing, puberty and keeping safe.
The revised Department for Education statutory guidance came into effect on 1 September 2026. Our policy, progression and curriculum documents have been reviewed to reflect the guidance and the needs of our pupils. Much of the learning was already established; strengthened areas include digital wellbeing, critical thinking online, privacy and boundaries, challenging stereotypes, travel safety, a healthy relationship with food, grief and bereavement, artificial intelligence, online scams and fraud, spending pressures within games, and newer nicotine products such as nicotine pouches. These topics are introduced at an appropriate stage rather than taught in every year group.
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How we teach and support children
Planned Wellbeing lessons are taught by children's class teachers, who know their pupils well. We do not use supply teachers for these lessons. Teaching is factual, sensitive, age appropriate, inclusive and non-judgemental. Children are never expected to share personal experiences.
Our Wellbeing Charter, created by Pupil Parliament, promotes kindness, respect, careful listening, thoughtful responses and participation. It is revisited at the start of each Wellbeing lesson. Fictional stories and scenarios allow children to explore feelings and situations safely, without having to talk about their own lives.
Children may ask questions in class or privately through our Worry Monsters. Teachers answer sensitively, factually and at an age-appropriate level. Where a question goes beyond the scope of the current learning, it may be deferred until an appropriate stage or the child may be encouraged to discuss it with a parent or carer.
We use correct, age-appropriate vocabulary. From Year 1, this includes words such as penis and vulva when naming body parts and discussing privacy. Accurate language supports safeguarding because it helps children communicate clearly about their bodies and can reduce embarrassment.
What children learn and when
The summary below shows the main Relationships and Health Education learning within our wider Wellbeing curriculum. Autumn 1 means the first half of the autumn term and Autumn 2 means the second half; the same pattern applies in spring and summer. Teaching schedules may change, but families will continue to receive information in advance of the identified sensitive topics.
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Reception |
Children begin by learning about themselves, their bodies and privacy; how they have changed since they were babies; families and belonging; friendship and difference; feelings; healthy routines; people who help to keep them safe; and caring for others and the world around them. |
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Year 1 |
Autumn 1: Body parts, private parts, correct names, similarities and differences. |
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Year 2 |
Autumn 1: Being a good friend, differences and challenging rules or stereotypes about being a boy or girl. |
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Year 3 |
Autumn 1: Healthy friendships, managing conflict and trusted adults. |
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Year 4 |
Autumn 2: Rights, respect, relationships online and in person, and unwanted behaviour. |
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Year 5 |
Autumn 1: Personal identity, stereotypes and discrimination. |
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Year 6 |
Autumn 1: Physical and mental health, lifestyle and healthy relationships. |
Advance information for families
We inform parents and carers before sensitive topics are taught, either through advance communication or at year-group Meet the Teacher meetings. Our planned notifications are:
- Year 1, Autumn 1: bodies, privacy and correct names for body parts;
- Year 2, Spring 2: growing and body vocabulary;
- Year 4, Spring 2: puberty, hormones and growing up, before the Summer 1 learning;
- Year 5, Spring 2: puberty, physical and emotional changes, hygiene and body vocabulary; and
- Year 6: before the relationships, puberty and reproduction unit, including a clear explanation of which elements are additional sex education.
We do not issue a separate advance notification for the planned Year 3 topics, although parents and carers are always welcome to ask about the learning. If planned timings change, we will still provide the relevant information before sensitive learning takes place.
Year 6 learning and parents' rights
In the summer term, Year 6 children learn about growing up and reproduction. It is important to distinguish the learning that all children receive from the school's additional sex education.
Learning all children take part in
Through Health Education and science, children learn about puberty and the transition from childhood to adulthood, reproductive organs and their functions, and the biological sequence involving sperm and egg, fertilisation, pregnancy, gestation and birth. Parents and carers do not have the right to withdraw their child from Relationships Education, Health Education or content taught as part of the science curriculum, including science content relating to puberty or sexual reproduction.
Children remain in their usual classes for these lessons; classes are not split or combined. Teaching is factual, age appropriate and carefully matched to the agreed curriculum.
Additional sex education and the right to withdraw
At Westvale Park, additional sex education is limited to two elements: how sexual intercourse can lead to conception, and ways pregnancy can be prevented. Parents and carers may request that their child is withdrawn from these two elements. This right does not extend to the whole Year 6 unit.
Before a withdrawal is arranged, we will meet with the parent or carer to discuss the request, clarify the nature and purpose of the learning and explain exactly which content is covered by the right to withdraw. In a primary school, a request to withdraw from additional sex education will be granted. A pupil who is withdrawn will receive appropriate, purposeful education during that time.
To discuss withdrawal from additional sex education, please email the school office to request a meeting. A withdrawal form will be provided at the meeting.
Working openly with parents and carers
We value parents and carers as partners in children's learning. Families may ask to view the curriculum materials used to teach RSHE and are welcome to contact the class teacher or headteacher with questions about content, timing or how a topic will be approached. Materials will be shared in a way that respects copyright requirements.
Our Wellbeing Policy, curriculum progression document, knowledge end points, skills end points and parent and carer guide provide further detail about what is taught. Copies can be requested from the school office and the relevant documents are available through this website.
How we evaluate the curriculum
The impact of Wellbeing learning is not captured by a single test. We evaluate how well children remember and apply important knowledge and skills through discussion, work in class Wellbeing books, pupil voice, observations and the choices and behaviours children demonstrate across school life. We use this information to identify what is working well and where teaching or support should be strengthened.