Information, guidance, and teaching resources about relationships and sexual health in schools.
These resources may help if you're completing one of our healthy schools awards.
Overview of relationships and sexual health
Good sexual and reproductive health matters to individuals and communities, whose needs will vary according to a range of physical, emotional, social, cultural and economic factors.
There are certain core needs common to all. These include the:
- availability of high-quality information and education to make informed decisions
- freedom from stigma and discrimination
- access to high quality prevention, testing, diagnostic and treatment services and interventions
Compulsory relationship education
Primary and secondary schools have compulsory relationship education:
- Relationships Education is now compulsory for all pupils receiving primary education
- Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is compulsory for all pupils receiving secondary education
Children and young people need good quality RSE in schools in order to:
- stay safe
- understand how their bodies work, including understanding puberty
- take responsibility for their sexual health
- form healthy and fulfilled relationships later in life
Young people also need signposting to services relating to their sexual health needs. Schools can do this by promoting local services (see below for local services).
All young people should:
- be able to get confidential advice and support about relationships and sexual health
- feel comfortable asking for help
The positive impact of Relationships and Sex Education
According to the Sex Education Forum Go to https://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/resources/evidence/relationships-and-sex-education-evidence (opens new window), national and international research shows that good quality RSE protects young people.
Young people who have good RSE and easy access to services are more likely to:
- choose to have sex for the first time when they're older
- use contraception to protect themselves from STDs and unplanned pregnancies
RSE aims to raise awareness of the law, reduce harmful and abusive behaviours and teach about consent.
Sexual health services for young people
It's important that teachers and support staff can tell young people where and how to access confidential sexual health services.
This may include:
- on site sexual health services offered by school nurses and Brook, the sexual health and wellbeing charity
- young people's clinics offered by Unity Sexual Health
- advice and services from their GP practice and at pharmacies
For full range of services, see below.
Unity sexual health
Unity is a partnership of organisations led by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation (UHBW). UHBW in collaboration with Brook, THT, MSI, BPAS and NBT provide the following services:
- Unity: Open access sexual health services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) which provides:
- Free STI testing, treatment and partner notification
- All forms of contraception including Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC- coils and implants)
- Termination of pregnancy services
- HIV treatment and PrEP.
- Dedicated Teenage Pregnancy Outreach Nurses to support YP <18 who are pregnant
- Dedicated clinics for people under 25 years old
- Brook (Unity): young people’s sexual health and wellbeing services with dedicated clinics providing a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception and running the C-Card scheme
- Terrence Higgins Trust (Unity): As part of unity, THT lead on comms, prevention, health promotion and outreach.
- Termination of pregnancy services
- Marie Stopes International Reproductive Choices (MSI)
- British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS)
- North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT)
School nursing service
School health nurses run weekly drop-in clinics at schools and offer text messaging support service, ChatHealth.
Open: Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm
They can support around sexual health and healthy relationships. ChatHealth is also available during school holidays.
Primary care sexual health services
General Practices (GP), provide:
- all forms of contraception including Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives, such as LARC: coils and implants,
- young people’s sexual health services, such as issuing chlamydia screening kits for women under 25 and Condom Card registration for people under 25
Pharmacies, provide:
- emergency hormonal contraception, free if under 25
- young people’s sexual health services, such as issuing chlamydia screening kits and chlamydia treatment and Condom Card registration
Services for people living with HIV
- Terrence Higgins Trust: 1-1 Health and Wellbeing Support for people living with HIV, peer support and HIV Awareness Training.
- Brigstowe: HIV peer support across Bristol, HIV awareness raising, tackling HIV stigma.
- CHIVA: Chiva works to ensure young people living with HIV have the treatment and care, knowledge, understanding, skills and wider support needed to live well and achieve their greatest potential.
Relationships and sex education resources and information
Brook offers free Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) accessing Sexual Health Services assemblies to young people, and free professionals training through Unity Sexual Health. They're also able to deliver RSE sessions and workshops on a large range of topics.
FPA, the sexual health charity Go to http://www.fpa.org.uk/ (opens new window) has advice on sexual health, sex and relationships, including free downloadable RSE resources.
Sex Education Forum has useful guidance and resources for schools including Three steps to RSHE success and latest research evidence relating to relationships and sex education (RSE).
The Oak Teacher Hub: PSHE units for early years up to key stage 4.
NSPCC’s Talk Relationships: support for all UK secondary schools to confidently deliver inclusive sex and relationships education (includeing a Whole-School Approach Framework for sex and relationships education , eLearning courses, lesson plans, dedicated helpline.
Barnardo’s has created Real Love Rocks, Healthy Relationships & Exploitation Education Resources).
Split Banana: a Bristol-based RSHE Training for Educators to increase their confidence and provide inclusive resources to use directly in the classroom. They provide training on topics like consent, sexuality and reducing harmful sexual behaviour
Find more information on our PSHE page.