KS3 & KS4 RSE curriculum

Learning objectives

• Understand what consent means and why it matters in all relationships
• Recognise the importance of personal boundaries and how trust affects them
• Practice asking for, giving, and withdrawing consent using verbal and non-verbal communication
• Know how to seek help and support for themselves or a friend

Learning objectives

• Identify factors which shape our relationship values and expectations.
• Recognise the harmful effects of gender stereotypes on relationship expectations.
• Understand the key qualities of a healthy relationship, including respect, equality and consent.
• Know how to seek help and support for themselves or a friend.

Learning objectives

• Recognise positive and negative behaviours across different types of relationship, including friendships, family and early romantic relationships
• Identify behaviours that are never acceptable in a relationship, regardless of who is involved
• Practise explaining why a behaviour feels healthy or unhealthy
• Know how to seek support for themselves or for a friend

Learning objectives

• Explain what fertility means and how it relates to human reproduction
• Explain how fertility changes over a person’s lifetime and some of the factors that affect it
• Explain how people can maintain a healthy pregnancy
• Describe different routes to parenthood

Learning objectives

• Explain what body image means
• Recognise how time spent online can affect body image
• Identify different types of advertising used online
• Know ways to build a healthy, balanced relationship with online content
• Think critically about the content we see online
• Know how to seek support for yourself or for a friend

Learning objectives

• Identify different types of bullying including physical, verbal, social and online bullying.
• Explain Brook's Five Ways to Help approach to safe, active bystander intervention.
• Identify which of the Five Ways to Help might work best in different situations.
• Explain the Golden Rule for safe intervention, including when to involve a trusted adult.
• Identify how to get help and support for themselves or a friend.

Learning objectives

• Recognise the characteristics of positive relationships, including the role of trust, mutual respect, care and consent
• Judge whether a relationship is going through ordinary ups and downs or showing a pattern of unhealthy behaviour
• Practise discussing how to support a friend who might be in an unhealthy relationship
• Know the different types of abuse and where to get help
• Know how to seek support for yourself or for a friend

Learning objectives

• Identify what makes themselves and others unique
• Describe the importance of kindness, care, trust, equality, and mutual respect in all relationships
• Describe how individuality, including protected characteristics, contributes to healthy relationships and the role of kind and respectful communication in meeting everyone's needs
• Explain the harmful impacts of stereotyping and how to promote equality, inclusivity, and respect for all
• Identify how and where to access further information, advice, and support, both locally and nationally

Learning objectives

• Explain what sexual health means and why it matters
• Recognise consent in terms of freedom, capacity and choice
• Explain how contraception helps prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Identify common STIs, their symptoms, testing and treatment
• Know how to use a condom correctly
• Know where to access local sexual health services
• Know how to seek help and support for themselves or a friend

Learning objectives

• Explain the importance of consent in relation to online image sharing
• Identify the risks of sending, requesting or forwarding youth-produced sexual imagery
• Explain what a deepfake is and why creating a non-consensual sexual deepfake is illegal
• Recognise the signs of sextortion and know what to do if it happens
• Know how to seek help or support for themselves or a friend

Learning objectives

• Identify what constitutes exploitation, including sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, and grooming
• Explain how grooming is used to build trust and control over a young person
• Identify warning signs of exploitation in relationships, friendships, and online
• Explain the law relating to exploitation and grooming
• Identify how to get help and support for themselves or a friend

Learning objectives

• Recognise that the legal age of sexual consent in the UK is 16 and the law relating to consent
• Recognise consent in terms of freedom, capacity and choice
• Explore how to ask and respond for consent using verbal and non-verbal language
• Understand that consent is ongoing and can be withdrawn at any time
• Know how to get help and support, including accessing local support services

Learning objectives

• Describe what contraception is and how it reduces the risk of unplanned pregnancies 
• Identify the most common STIs and how to prevent their transmission 
• Describe how condoms work and the steps for using one correctly  
• Challenge common misunderstandings that might discourage condom use  
• Describe how to access local sexual health and support services 

Learning objectives

• Identify factors which shape our relationship values and expectations.
• Recognise the harmful effects of gender stereotypes on relationship expectations.
• Understand the key qualities of a healthy relationship, including respect, equality and consent.
• Know how to seek help and support for you or a friend.

Learning objectives

• Explain key laws relating to online pornography, including age restrictions for sexually explicit content.
• Identify reasons why people may or may not choose to view pornography.
• Describe why pornography does not always show healthy sexual relationships.
• Explain how pornography can normalise sexual aggression and coercion and describe the law and risks relating to non-fatal strangulation.
• Know where to get help and support for themselves or a friend.

Learning objectives

• Recognise the key reasons people have sex, what sexual acts are in the eyes of the law and that the legal age of sexual consent in the UK is 16
• Describe what is meant by a ‘position of trust’ in relation to negotiating sexual consent
• Recognise that some types of unhealthy behaviours within relationships are criminal
• Describe why the law is there to protect them
• Know how to seek support for themselves or for a friend

Learning objectives

• Describe what sex is and explore what it means to different people
• Recognise consent in terms of freedom, capacity and choice
• Practice communicating consent and understand that it can be withdrawn at any time
• Recognise how alcohol and drugs can affect sexual decision-making
• Assess personal readiness for sex
• Know how to seek help and support for themselves or a friend

Learning objectives

• Identify a range of sexual orientations and explain what LGBT+ means
• Explain the difference between sex, gender, and sexual orientation, including the protected characteristic of gender reassignment
• Describe the impact of stereotyping and ways to promote inclusivity and equality
• Explain why discrimination and bullying related to sexual orientation or gender identity are unacceptable
• Identify how to access local and national health and support services

Learning objectives

• Describe what the term ‘sexuality’ includes and explain why consent is central to healthy sexual expression
• Explain how the legal definition of consent applies in sexual contexts
• Identify examples of sexual harassment, sexual assault and intimate image abuse and explain why they are always unacceptable
• Recognise behaviours that constitute harmful sexual behaviour and understand why they are never the fault of the person they happen to
• Identify sources of help and support for anyone affected by sexual harassment or abuse

Learning objectives

• Explain how gender stereotypes pressure boys and girls differently​
• Identify examples of misogyny in society and the negative impacts it has​
• Describe strategies to challenge stereotypes and harmful attitudes​
• Practise discussing gender respectfully with peers, including differing views​
• Know how to seek support for themselves or a friend​

Learning objectives

• Identify the three main choices someone has when pregnant
• Describe key facts about abortion and the law
• Assess what might be factors in someone’s decision to continue or not continue with a pregnancy
• Describe how to access local health and support services in your area
• Know how to seek help and support for themselves or a friend

Learning objectives

• Describe the differences between marriage, civil partnership, and cohabitation, and reflect on why someone might choose each
• Understand the legal rights and protections that apply to adult relationships, including the Equality Act 2010
• Recognise the characteristics of a healthy relationship
• Understand what relationship abuse and domestic abuse are, and know that domestic abuse is illegal regardless of relationship type
• Know how to access help and support for themselves or a friend

Learning objectives

• Explain what is meant by good sexual health
• Evaluate how social media, personal stories and content creators can influence our understanding of sexual health and contraception
• Analyse online sources of sexual health information to identify trustworthy content and recognise misinformation
• Identify where to get factual, trustworthy information and advice about sexual health

Learning objectives

• Recognise what constitutes sexual harassment in person and online
• Explain Brook's Five Ds approach to safe, active bystander intervention
• Identify ways to apply the Five Ds across a range of realistic scenarios
• Explain the boundaries of safe intervention, including when to involve a safe adult
• Know how to get help and support for themselves or for a friend