Relationships and Sexuality Education: for educators

In Aotearoa New Zealand, Relationships and Sexuality Education is compulsory from years 1 to 10.

Relationships and Sexuality Education is one of the seven key areas of learning under Health and Physical Education.

Schools have flexibility around the content and delivery of their Relationships and Sexuality Education to ensure that they are meeting the needs of their students and communities.

There are key learnings that any Relationships and Sexuality Education programme must meet – and these align with the Health and Physical Education Achievement Objectives in the New Zealand Curriculum.

Under the Education and Training Act 2020, schools are required to consult with their community at least once every two years.  This consultation is about how a school plans to implement their health education curriculum – which includes Relationships and Sexuality Education.

Quality Relationships and Sexuality Education in schools is evidence-based. It teaches rangatahi knowledge and skills — supporting them to form and explore their own ideas, beliefs, and values, rather than telling what to believe. 

Quality Relationships and Sexuality Education celebrates the diversity of rangatahi, their whānau, and their communities. It supports rangatahi of all genders, sexual orientations, abilities, cultures, ethnicities, and religions. 

The Ministry of Education is currently refreshing the New Zealand Curriculum. Their website has information about the different topics that covered by the Health and Physical Education learning area at each level.

We create comprehensive Relationships and Sexuality Education programmes and resources to be used in schools and educational settings. Our programmes and resources support teachers and educators to deliver quality Relationships and Sexuality Education.

Our most popular programme, Navigating the Journey: Relationships and Sexuality Education for Years 1-10, is used in almost 50% of schools across Aotearoa. This programme is designed to meet rangatahi at their stage of development — and build on their previous year’s learning.

Learn more about Navigating the Journey: Relationships and Sexuality Education for Years 1-10

Another popular relationships and sexuality programme that we provide is The Colours of Sexuality — designed for intellectually disabled rangatahi.  

Learn more about The Colours of Sexuality

Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa provides schools with resources and training to support teachers to deliver Relationships and Sexuality Education themselves. We offer regular online Navigating the Journey forums throughout the school year, and we have Community Health Promoters across the country that can be contacted for support if needed. 

We are building a suite of resources, web content, and trainings to support teachers, parents and whānau, and other professionals working with young people in this space. Our goal is to build your knowledge so that you can confidently teach Relationships and Sexuality Education to your students.

• Encourages safer sex 
• Helps prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmissible infections (STIs) by encouraging condom and contraceptive use 
• Rangatahi are less likely to take sexual risks — such as unprotected sex 
• Increases the use of contraception and condoms for first-time sexual experiences 

• Teaches young children about bodily autonomy and communication 
• Rangatahi are more likely to tell an adult that they trust if they are sexually abused 

•  Encourages rangatahi to seek help when they need it 

• Addresses the root causes and cultures of sexual violence 
• Effectively reduces rape culture by supporting rangatahi to critically examine common attitudes towards sex and sexual violence 

• Supports rangatahi to think about the impact of technology and how this affects their sense of self and self-worth 
• Helps them to understand the impact of taking and sharing nudes or sexual images 
• Increases awareness of the impact of pornography on relationships and sexuality, sexual identity, and sense of self 

• Queer positive RSE makes rangatahi feel safer and experience lower levels of bullying 

• More likely to stay in education, training, or employment 
• Improved mental health and wellbeing 
• Remain physically healthy 
• Improved mental health and physical wellbeing 
• Seeking help and support when needed for all aspects of their lives