RSE
JOURNEY IN LOVE
‘Love is an art to be learned.
It is a giving experience, a selfless act.
Every experience of love gives us yet another glimpse of the meaning of love in God himself.
Human love is the instrument we can use to explore the mystery of love which God is’
Cardinal Basil Hume
A Journey in Love is a resource created by Sister Jude Groden. It is the recommended programme for Catholic schools for Sex and Relationship Education, and has been written as a progressive scheme of work that supports the Religious Education, PSHE and Science curricular taught within the school.
As children progress through school, they discover more and more and more about themselves and the wider world. This thirst for learning new things in all aspects of life is fostered by the school so as to create a safe, stimulating environment for learning, supporting all children in their development.
Central to our work within the school is learning about our faith, understanding ourselves, our position in the community and how we develop as human beings – our spiritual, social, emotional and physical development. This is how 'A Journey in Love' fits into the school’s curriculum. The scheme permeates through all levels of learning throughout the school. It focuses on friendship, family, community, relationships and spirituality.
As you might expect, not all issues related to personal development are covered by the end of Year 6. The content is age appropriate and is taught with sensitivity, taking into account the children’s level of maturity in regard to the delivery of the lessons.
The context of Sex and Relationships Education in Catholic Schools
Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, Chair of the Catholic Education Service(CES), has said, “Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) forms part of the mission of Catholic schools to educate the whole person. Our schools have a long track record of educating young people who are prepared for adult life as informed and engaged members of society, and high quality RSE plays an important part in this. The CES welcome the Government’s commitment to protect parental right of withdrawal and involve parents in all stages of the delivery and development of RSE in all schools. It is essential that parents fully support the school’s approach to these sensitive matters.”
A Journey in Love programme content
An aspect of the mystery of love is taught in each year group; children are encouraged to marvel at the wonder and beauty of God’s creative love. This is reflected through a series of progressive and developmental tasks, activities and reflections which focus on physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development.
The following themes & objectives are studied in each year group:
|
Year group |
Theme |
Objectives |
|
EYFS |
The wonder of being special and unique |
To recognise the joy of being a special person in my family. To recognise that we are all different and unique. To celebrate the joy of being a special person in God's family. |
|
Year 1 |
We meet God’s love in our family |
To recognise signs that I am loved in my family. To recognise how I am cared for and kept safe in my family. To celebrate ways in which God cares for and loves us. |
|
Year 2 |
We meet God’s love in the community |
To recognise the joy & friendship of belonging to a diverse community. To describe ways of being safe in communities. To celebrate ways of meeting God in our communities. |
|
Year 3 |
How we live in love |
To describe and give reasons how friendships make us feel happy and safe. To describe and give reasons why friendships can break down, how they can be repaired and strengthened. To celebrate the joy and happiness of living with God and others. |
|
Year 4 |
God loves us in our differences |
To describe how we should all be accepted and respected. To describe how we should treat others, making links with the modern diverse society we live in. To celebrate the uniqueness and innate beauty in each of us. |
|
Year 5 |
God loves us in our changing and development |
To show knowledge and understanding of emotional relationship changes as we grow & develop. To show knowledge and understanding of physical changes in puberty. To celebrate the joy of growing physically and spiritually. |
|
Year 6 |
The wonder of God’s love in creating new life |
To develop a secure understanding that stable and caring relationships, which may be of different types, are at the heart of happy families. To explain how human life is conceived. To show an understanding of how being made in the image and likeness of God informs decisions and actions when building relationships with others, including life-long relationships. |
As with all aspects of learning, children are naturally curious and many will have questions related to their lessons. Opportunities to discuss questions form part of the lessons and again these are treated with care and understanding.
A Journey In Love, highlights the importance of parental input. You may withdraw your children from RSE at anytime if you wish to do so, after a discussion with the Headteacher.
Click here for our RSE policy.