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<p>The department wants all children to leave school with the knowledge, skills and
values that will prepare them to be citizens in modern Britain. There are many aspects
of the curriculum that help young people develop essential life skills, including
through the teaching of Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), citizenship,
mathematics and design and technology (D&T).</p><p>In primary schools, age-appropriate
relationships education involves supporting children to learn how to develop mutually
respectful relationships in all contexts, including online. In secondary schools,
this broadens to become age-appropriate relationships and sex education. In health
education, there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing, including a recognition that
mental wellbeing and physical health are linked. The statutory guidance is available
at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education</a>.</p><p>The
department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. The review has been
informed by an independent expert panel to advise the Secretary of State for Education
on the introduction of age limits for sensitive subjects. A draft of the amended guidance
will be published for consultation as soon as possible.</p><p>The national curriculum
for secondary citizenship develops pupils’ awareness and understanding of democracy,
government and how laws are made and upheld. Teaching should equip pupils with the
skills and knowledge to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence,
debate and make reasoned arguments. The citizenship programmes of study are available
at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study</a>.</p><p>Primary
maintained schools and all academies are encouraged to cover citizenship as part of
their duty to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum following the non-statutory
framework for citizenship.</p><p>Pupils should be prepared to manage their money well,
make sound financial decisions and know where to seek further information when needed.</p><p>Financial
knowledge is a compulsory part of the national curriculum for mathematics at key stages
1 to 4 and citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. The mathematics curriculum provides
young people with the mathematical knowledge that underpins their ability to make
important financial decisions. At primary schools, there is a strong emphasis on enabling
pupils to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly
sophisticated problems. At secondary schools and in GCSE mathematics, pupils solve
problems in financial contexts. The mathematics programme of study can be found on
GOV.UK.</p><p>Through primary citizenship curriculum, pupils should be taught to realise
that money comes from different sources and can be used for different purposes. They
should also be taught how to spend and save money sensibly and that economic choices
affect individuals and communities. This is expanded in secondary citizenship where
pupils are taught the function and uses of money, how to budget, and manage credit
and debt, as well as concepts like insurance, savings and pensions.</p><p>Cooking
and nutrition is a discrete strand of the national curriculum for D&T. This was
introduced as part of the 2014 D&T curriculum and is compulsory for key stages
1 to 3. The curriculum aims to teach children how to cook, with an emphasis on savoury
dishes, and how to apply the principles of healthy eating and nutrition. It recognises
that cooking is an important life skill that will help children to feed themselves
and others healthy and affordable food.</p><p>RSHE and citizenship sit alongside extra-curricular
programmes to develop a variety of life skills such as resilience, leadership, persistence,
and teamwork. Schools are best placed to understand and meet the needs of their pupils
and so have flexibility to decide how they deliver the curriculum and what range of
extra-curricular activities to offer. The department supports a range of initiatives
to expand access to extra-curricular activities through schools, such as working with
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
to all state secondary schools in England.</p>
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