Relationships and Sex Education
At Blessed Thomas Holford we view Relationships and Sexuality (RSE) as an important step towards achieving our Mission Statement 'May God's Love be Our Guide'. The morals and values of our Catholic ethos are the core principles that underpin the teaching of RSE. Sexuality includes all aspects of the human person that relate to being male and female and develops throughout life.
In line with The BTH Way, RSE should provide opportunities that enable students to Be Kind, Work Hard and Develop My Whole Self. This will allow them to form values and establish behaviour within a moral, spiritual and social framework consistent with our Catholic ethos, learn how to develop and enjoy personal relationships and friendships which are based on responsibility and mutual respect, build the foundations for developing more positive personal relationships in later life and make positive, responsible choices about themselves and others and the way they live their lives.
Catholic Social Teaching promotes the dignity of the human person. This is the foundation of the pastoral care of children at BTH. Human dignity, and the inherent respect that should be shown to every individual, originates from God. Every person has an inalienable and inherent dignity because they are all made in the image and likeness of God. Any behaviour which undermines someone’s dignity is completely unacceptable and must be challenged in the context of a Christian community. BTH should be a haven of respect and a guardian of the true dignity of each human being. Any form of marginalisation, harassment, bullying and/or discrimination of children on grounds of race, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation is not consistent with the Christian vision of the human person as a child of God.
Pope Francis in Gaudete et Exsultate encapsulates this when he says: We need to remind young people that they are children of God and that they are all called to be holy by living lives with love and by bearing witness to everything they do, and wherever they find themselves. In the call to holiness, God speaks to each person and says, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’ (Lev 11:44: 1 Pet 1:16).
The relationships and sexuality education programme helps young people to grow in holiness by acting responsibly and generously towards others.