PSHE / RSHE
'Never apologise for being sensitive and emotional. Let this be a sign that you’ve got a big heart and aren’t afraid to let others see it. Showing your emotions is a sign of strength’ – Brigitte Nicole
Mrs A Wadley is the subject lead for PSHE / RSHE at Cottam.
At Cottam Primary School, we deliver a high-quality PSHE curriculum that is accessible to all pupils and designed to maximise outcomes for every child. Our aim is to equip children with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead happy, healthy, safe and successful lives both within school and beyond.
Our curriculum provides children with opportunities to learn about our school values, British Values, rights and responsibilities, and what it means to be a positive member of a diverse society. We encourage pupils to develop confidence, resilience, self-worth and a strong sense of responsibility, while recognising the important contribution they can make to school life and the wider community.
We use the Coram Life Education SCARF programme as the main framework for our PSHE curriculum. Learning is carefully sequenced so that children build on prior knowledge and skills as they progress through school and are prepared for future learning.
Through our PSHE curriculum, we meet the statutory requirements for Relationships Education and Health Education, while also providing wider learning in areas such as personal safety, economic wellbeing, citizenship, road safety, healthy lifestyles and making safe and informed choices.
As a result of our PSHE curriculum, we aim for children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society who understand themselves and others, respect difference and have the confidence to respond positively to the moral, social and cultural issues they may encounter as they grow.
Our RSHE (Relationships Education) programme is an integral part of our whole school PSHE educational provision. We will ensure the needs of all our pupils are met through ongoing and rigorous review and monitoring. Our programme will be delivered through a range of teaching methods and interactive activities. The Department for Education has made changes to the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) part of the PSHE programme and all schools are required to comply with the updated requirements.
For statutory guidance and further information, please click on the links below.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education
Understanding Relationships and Health Education - a guide for parents
PSHE (including RSHE) Policy
Organisation of the PSHE / RSHE Curriculum
As a school we have the flexibility to deliver content in a way that is age and developmentally appropriate and sensitive to the needs and religious and cultural backgrounds of our children and families. We will continue to work closely with the PSHE Association to support us.
To support the delivery of our PSHE/RSHE curriculum, we use the Coram Life Education SCARF programme. Learning is carefully sequenced so that children build on prior knowledge and skills as they progress through school and are prepared for future learning.
Coram Life Education & SCARF are the UK’s leading charity provider of PSHE and wellbeing education in primary schools. It is an up-to-date, whole school, fully comprehensive programme that fulfils all DfE statutory requirements for Relationships and Health Education.
SCARF’s whole-school approach supports primary schools in promoting positive behaviour, mental health, wellbeing, resilience and achievement.
For more information on Coram SCARF, please click on the link below:
Coram SCARF
Family SCARF
Find out how the SCARF values of Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship can help your child to be their best – both at school and at home.
Click on the link below and choose from the menu of family activities or support and find out how to build positive relationships and help your child be a confident learner.
Family SCARF
More Information for Parents
As a parent/carer you are your child’s first educator and play a vital role in their personal and social development. Therefore, PSHE education should always be a partnership between schools and parents/carers.
As a parent or carer you will already have talked to your child about (or had to support them with) many of the topics and issues covered in PSHE education, so you may also wish to supplement this learning with further discussions of your own.
Sometimes PSHE education conversations with your child will arise incidentally, when you are playing or cooking together, when you are watching television or films, or through news stories. In such cases we cannot always control the stimulus for the question or conversation, only how we manage it. Other times, you may wish to initiate a conversation about a topic you feel is important to approach.
Children ask questions, it is a sign of a great learner. We want your child to gain accurate, age-appropriate information. Please click on the links below to access websites you may find useful and also book suggestions.
Talking with your child about sensitive topics
Book and website suggestions
PSHE / RSHE Curriculum
Parent / Carer Consultation October 2026
Parent / Carer Results and Feedback
Parental concerns and withdrawal from lessons.
Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of the non-statutory Sex Education our school teaches but not Relationships Education. They do not have a right to withdraw their children from those aspects of Sex Education that are taught in the statutory National Curriculum Science and Health Education.
Non-statutory Sex Education is taught in Year 6. Parents will be informed when these lessons take place. Parents will be invited to view the resources and discuss any concerns with staff.
Before granting a request to withdraw a child/ren, the head teacher will invite the parent to discuss the request with them to ensure that their wishes are understood and to clarify the nature and purpose of the curriculum. The head teacher will discuss with the parent the benefits of receiving this important education and any detrimental effects that withdrawal might have on their child. This could include any social and emotional effects of being excluded, as well as the likelihood of the child hearing their peers’ version of what was said in the classes, rather than what was directly said by the teacher (although the detrimental effects may be mitigated if the parent proposes to deliver sex education to their child at home instead). The school is responsible for ensuring that should a child be withdrawn, they receive appropriate, purposeful education during the period of withdrawal.
Parents should be given every opportunity to understand the purpose and content of Relationships Education and Sex Education. Good communication and opportunities for parents to understand and ask questions about our school’s approach help increase confidence in the curriculum.