PSHE & RSE Curriculum

Below you will find documents and information relating to the PSHE Curriculum at Cornwallis Academy.

For further information or enquiries regarding the curriculum, please contact Mrs S Andrews, Lead teacher of PSHE, at sandrews@cornwallisacademy.com.

PSHE Newsletters

Academic Year 2025/2026

Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 & 9)

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11)

Key Stage 5 (Years 12 & 13)

Right to withdraw

Parents/carers have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE (but cannot withdraw their child from Relationships or Health Education). At Cornwallis Academy we will be hosting a PSHE information evening with parents to discuss the benefits of receiving this important education and any detrimental effects that withdrawal might have on the child. We will respect the parents’ request to withdraw the child, up to and until three terms before the child turns 16. After that point, if the child wishes to receive sex education rather than be withdrawn, the school should make arrangements to provide the child with sex education during one of those terms. Parents/carers are not permitted to withdraw their child from the Sex Education included in the National Curriculum Science, as this is a statutory subject.

If a pupil is removed from sex education, it is the school’s responsibility to ensure that the pupil receives appropriate, purposeful education during the period of withdrawal. Please note that there is no right to withdraw from Relationships Education or Health Education for any student. If you are considering taking your child out of RSE lessons within PSHE Education, please consider the following:

All the other students in your child’s class will have been taught this information and may well talk to your child about it and potentially mislead them or confuse them as a result. It may prove far better to allow experienced and sensitive teaching staff to teach your child in a progressive, developmental way that is grounded in research.
They will be learning about sex and reproduction in Science lessons. The RSE in PSHE Education will echo this and will concentrate on teaching young people how to enjoy healthy relationships, improve self-esteem and self-confidence, and make healthy, informed choices. When viewed this way, it is hoped that RSE won’t be seen as contentious.
Talk to Miss Hodges or any of the PSHE teachers. Often, when parents and carers find out what is in the PSHE Education curriculum, their fears are allayed as they can appreciate it is in the best interests of their child’s lifelong learning.