A practical school-wide check for international schools
Relationships and Sexual Health Education (RSE) is more than a collection of lessons.
Effective RSE requires a coherent approach that connects curriculum, policy, safeguarding, staff confidence, student needs and the wider school community.
Use this quick check to identify where your school is strong — and where there may be opportunities to develop.
THE RSE SCHOOL READINESS CHECK
01 — POLICY & CONTEXT
□ We understand the legal requirements relating to RSE in our country.
□ Our RSE approach reflects our school’s values and context.
□ We have a clear RSE policy to support teachers with their delivery of lessons
How confident are you?
○ Strong ○ Developing ○ Needs attention
02 — CURRICULUM
□ We have a clear RSE curriculum across the school.
□ Learning is age-appropriate and progressively developed.
□ Lessons build on previous learning rather than simply repeating topics.
□ The curriculum reflects current evidence and the needs of our students.
How confident are you?
○ Strong ○ Developing ○ Needs attention
03 — STAFF CONFIDENCE
□ Staff feel confident delivering RSE lessons.
□ Teachers know how to respond professionally to unexpected or challenging situations.
□ Staff use consistent language and approaches.
How confident are you?
○ Strong ○ Developing ○ Needs attention
04 — SAFEGUARDING
□ RSE is clearly connected to our wider safeguarding provision.
□ Staff understand how disclosures should be managed.
□ Staff understand professional boundaries when teaching sensitive topics.
How confident are you?
○ Strong ○ Developing ○ Needs attention
05 — STUDENT NEEDS
□ Student voice informs our RSE provision.
□ We understand the questions, concerns and issues students are experiencing.
□ Our curriculum responds to emerging issues affecting young people.
□ Students know how and where to access reliable information and support.
How confident are you?
○ Strong ○ Developing ○ Needs attention
06 — PARENT PARTNERSHIP
□ Parents understand what RSE looks like in our school.
□ We communicate the purpose and content of RSE clearly.
□ Parents have opportunities to ask questions, contribute and engage with the programme.
□ Our approach supports constructive relationships between school, home. and young people.
How confident are you?
○ Strong ○ Developing ○ Needs attention
07 — EVALUATION
□ We evaluate whether students are learning what we intend.
□ We use feedback from students, parents and teachers to improve our RSE provision.
□ We can identify the strengths and gaps in our current programme.
How confident are you?
○ Strong ○ Developing ○ Needs attention
WHAT DOES YOUR SCHOOL NEED?
Look back over your responses.
YOUR STRENGTHS
Where are you already confident?
YOUR PRIORITIES
Where did you identify the most areas for development?
YOUR NEXT STEP
What is one action you could take to strengthen your RSE provision?
FROM RSE LESSONS TO A WHOLE-SCHOOL APPROACH
A strong RSE programme doesn’t happen by accident.
Choice & Consent supports international schools to develop RSE that is coherent, evidence-informed, contextually appropriate and sustainable.
MY APPROACH
01 — AUDIT
Understand where you are.
Review your existing provision, identify strengths and uncover gaps.
02 — MAP
Understand what and how students need to learn.
Create clear progression across year groups and ensure essential knowledge and skills are covered.
03 — ALIGN
Connect the different parts of your provision.
Bring together curriculum, policy, safeguarding, staff practice, student needs and local context.
04 — DEVELOP
Build the confidence and resources to deliver it well.
Develop high-quality curriculum materials, provide professional learning for staff and parent workshops to encourage communication.
05 — EVALUATE
Know whether it is working.
Use student, parent and teacher feedback to continually improve provision.
WHERE CAN I SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL?
CURRICULUM DESIGN & REVIEW
Developing or reviewing progressive, evidence-informed RSE programmes.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Building teacher knowledge, confidence and consistency when delivering RSE.
STUDENT PROGRAMMES
Age-appropriate RSE sessions designed around the needs of your students.
PARENT WORKSHOPS
Helping parents understand RSE and become confident partners in their children’s learning.
POLICY & COMPLIANCE GUIDANCE
Supporting schools to consider legislation, safeguarding and local context.
A FINAL THOUGHT
Good RSE is not simply about what we teach.
It is about creating a school environment where young people can develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to build healthy relationships and make informed decisions.
CHOICE & CONSENT
Supporting international schools to deliver high-quality, evidence-informed relationships and sexual health education.