EC Meeting Papers March 2018

‘Education professionals must feel confident and equipped to deliver the

curriculum. Statutory guidance must be accompanied by a comprehensive and

well-funded package of support for schools. This includes ensuring staff have access

to the relevant professional development as well as a range of high quality

resources. Crucially, RSE must be given space in the curriculum and must not be

crowded out by a testing and target culture driven by the high stakes accountability

system . The Government must work closely with the profession to seriously address

these concerns if the RSE reform is to be a success.’

Deborah Lawson, General Secretary of Voice, said:

‘We welcome the 12 Principles for bringing relevance, clarity and value to RSE.

‘Education should prepare children for adult life, and RSE is a fundamental part of a

healthy journey to becoming an adult.

‘High-profile issues such as mental health, body image and identity are all

interconnected. Much of the associated uncertainty and angst happens in

adolescence, or even before, and many life choices are made during this period of

development. Sound RSE should support young people with the process of making

those choices.

‘These Principles place RSE in the wider context of children’s spiritual, moral, cultural,

mental and physical development.’

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT said:

‘It’s so important for all pupils in all schools to be taught about appropriate

relationships and for that teaching to be effective. So we endorse this set of 12

principles as they provide a clear aspiration for schools and government on what

makes high quality RSE. Schools will need support to achieve these. The government

must be prepared to invest in what is needed for the potentially positive impact of

RSE to be a reality for pupils. Funding must be made available for training and

quality assured resources to support teaching and learning must be made

accessible and available to all schools.’