At Holy Spirit Catholic Academy, we aim to embrace the spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, moral and social development of children and young people, and through an agreed approach to Relationship Education. We believe that we can promote the development of the whole child, so that children can grow in virtue, wisdom and stature, understanding both the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing spiritually, as well as moral aspects of relationships within a context of a Christian vision for the purpose of life.
At Holy Spirit Catholic Academy, children enjoy their learning in Relationship Education and take every opportunity to learn, love and grow throughout their journey from Nursey – Year 6.
Intent
The curriculum for Relationship Education aims to ensure that all pupils are involved in Relationship Education precisely because of our Christian beliefs about God and about the human person. The belief in the unique dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God underpins the approach to all education in a Catholic school. Our approach to Relationship Education therefore is rooted in the Catholic Church’s teaching of the human person and presented in a positive framework of Christian ideals.
At the heart of the Christian life is the Trinity; Father, Son and Spirit in communion, united in loving relationship and embracing all people and all creation. As a consequence of the Christian belief that we are made in the image and likeness of God, gender and sexuality are seen as God’s gift, reflect God’s beauty, and share in the divine creativity.
Following the guidance of the Bishops of England and Wales and as advocated by the DFE Relationship Education will be firmly embedded in the Personal Social and Health Education /Relationship Education framework as it is concerned with nurturing human wholeness and integral to the physical, spiritual, emotional, moral, social and intellectual development of pupils. It is centred on Christ’s vision of being human as good news and will be positive and prudent, showing the potential for development, while enabling the dangers and risks involved to be understood and appreciated.
All Relationship Education will be in accordance with the Church’s moral teaching. It will emphasise the central importance of marriage and the family whilst acknowledging that all pupils have a fundamental right to have their life respected, whatever household they come from. It will also prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.
Implementation
The curriculum for Relationship Education at Holy Spirit is taught using ‘Journey in Love’ as recommended by the Archdiocese of Liverpool. An aspect of the mystery of love is treated in each year group; children and young people are encouraged to marvel at the wonder and beauty of God’s creative love. This is reflected in each stage of a person’s growth in the primary years through a series of progressive activities that focus on social, emotional, physical and spiritual development.
