Healthy Relationships Education for Schools & Colleges

Safer Futures-our programmes-healthy-relationships

Our Healthy Relationships Education for children and young people is committed to changing social norms that allow domestic and sexual abuse to persist. Early intervention and education are key to breaking this cycle. By providing high-quality, meaningful healthy relationships education, we aim to create a generational shift, reducing domestic abuse and sexual violence in society.

We provide primary and secondary schools across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with direct training and a universal support offer. Aligned with PHSE and RSE legislation, our goal is to ensure all children and young people understand what a healthy and respectful relationship looks like, empowering them to make informed, safe choices throughout life.

Our programmes are developed in consultation with schools and are designed to be inclusive of LGBTQIA+ students and adaptable for diverse groups and demographics.

We offer the following types of support:

1. Direct delivery in schools

We provide in-person healthy relationships education to primary, secondary, and further education establishments, focusing on priority communities such as Cornwall’s ‘Safer Towns’ before expanding to wider areas.

We work in partnership with Operation Encompass to ensure best practices
Specialised programmes for vulnerable children and young people, including those in specialist education settings
Training for school nurses, safeguarding leads, and welfare practitioners to champion domestic abuse and sexual violence awareness within schools

2. Universal ‘Train the Trainer’ Programme

We equip designated school staff with training and resources to deliver healthy relationships education within their own schools. This includes:

Specialist consultancy for DASV (Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence) champions and school staff
Age-appropriate learning materials tailored for different educational stages

3. Primary School Programmes (KS1 & KS2)

We offer separate sessions for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children, covering:

Understanding safe relationships and who to trust
The difference between safe & unsafe secrets
Managing anger and conflicts in friendships
Internet safety and responsible online behaviour
Engaging delivery methods, including puppetry, to meet diverse learning needs

4. Secondary School Programmes

Our Healthy Relationships Education programme for secondary schools covers:

Consent & boundaries
Sexting and online safety
Healthy vs. unhealthy relationships
Impact of pornography
Building emotional resilience

Designed in collaboration with a Young People’s Steering Group, our programme also promotes digital support tools for students.

5. Partnership with Brook

We have partnered with Brook, ensuring alignment between their Sexual Health Education programmes and our Healthy Relationships Education across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Staff Training on Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence (DASV)

We offer interactive 90-minute training sessions for school staff, delivered during training days or as twilight sessions. Training Covers:

Understanding the scope of Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence, including Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Recognising the signs and impact of abuse on victims and children
Identifying available support services for students and staff

Contact us
For more information or to refer a school for training email healthyrelationshipscornwall@barnardos.org.uk

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