Holding Together Legal Compliance and Christian Vision

RSHE in our schools is shaped by both statutory government guidance and the Church of England’s vision for human flourishing. 

 

What the government requires 

RSHE is a statutory entitlement for all pupils and must be: 

• Safeguarding-focused and designed to keep children safe 
• Carefully planned, age-appropriate and well-sequenced 
• Rooted in teaching about relationships, health, the law and equality 
• Evidence-informed and transparent, with clear communication to parents 

Schools are required to ensure pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills to: 

• form safe and healthy relationships 
• understand boundaries, consent and risk 
• recognise and respond to harm 
• develop physical and emotional wellbeing 

What the Church of England brings 

As Church schools, we go further by grounding RSHE in a Christian vision of the human person and flourishing. 

This includes: 

• A belief that every child is made in the image of God (Imago Dei) 
• A commitment to “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10) 

RSHE is therefore not simply a subject, but part of a wider commitment to: 

• dignity and worth of every individual 
• belonging and community 
• hope, purpose and vocation 

In this vision, inclusion and anti-bullying are not optional extras, but essential expressions of Christian love and justice. 

Putting this into Practice 

Holding together legal compliance and Christian vision 

Effective RSHE in Church schools is both: 

• fully compliant with statutory requirements, and 
• deeply rooted in a Christian understanding of human flourishing 

This means: 

Teaching clearly about law, safeguarding and equality and embedding a moral and theological framework shaped by: 

• dignity of the person 
• relationships and community 
• character and moral formation 

Our schools avoid treating faith as an “add-on”. Instead, Christian vision is woven throughout the curriculum and school life. 

Relationships at the heart 

At its core, RSHE is about relationships. 

Government guidance emphasises that children begin learning about relationships from the very start of school, building the knowledge and skills to become kind, respectful and safe individuals. 

The Church of England vision deepens this by recognising that: 

Human flourishing happens in relationship 

• with God 
• with others 
• with ourselves 
• with the wider world 

What this means for schools 

RSHE is not just taught—it is lived. 

Schools are called to demonstrate: 

• a relational ethos rooted in care and respect 
• practices such as restorative approaches and reconciliation 
• cultures of belonging, inclusion and hospitality 

RSHE should never sit in isolation. It is part of the whole-school vision and ethos, alongside collective worship, behaviour, safeguarding and pastoral care. 

A Whole-School Commitment 

In our diocesan schools, RSHE is: 

✔ Safe and compliant 

✔ Relational and inclusive 

✔ Rooted in Christian vision 

✔ Focused on flourishing for all 

We aim to ensure that every child and young person: 

• knows they are valued and loved 
• is equipped to navigate relationships wisely 
• is supported to grow into adulthood with dignity, confidence and hope