Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP)
Co-designing the curriculum with Gypsy/Traveller familiesThe Robert Smillie Memorial Primary School case study illustrates a collaborative approach to bridging cultural tensions surrounding Scotland’s Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) curriculum. With your teams, explore the self-led training slides and community perspectives.
Case Study
Robert Smillie Memorial Primary School co-design the RSHP curriculum with their Gypsy/Traveller families.
Training presentation
Self-led training describing the co-design approach to use with your families and prompt discussion in your staff teams.
Community members share their views on the curriculum and their cultural values
As far as being gay is concerned. We dont discuss this in our culture. We dont bother other people and we get on with our own ways.
The women talk to the women and the men talk to the men about private things. This is the way it has been for generations.
They don’t need to think about their safety. We don’t let them get involved in drink or drugs. We want to keep them seperate so that they don’t hear about all that is going on with the older kids. That’s one of the reasons we don’t want them going to secondary.
We see it as the mothers’ job to tell the girls about their bodies and their periods. This is all kept within the family and it will never be discussed in front of the men.
I don’t want my wee boy using grown-up words. They grow up too quickly anyway – I see him as just a wean. I know other families think it’s ok but it’s just not for me. I would rather take him out of the school.
I don’t want my wee boy using grown-up words. They grow up too quickly anyway – I see him as just a wean. I know other families think it’s ok but it’s just not for me. I would rather take him out of the school.
Reflective questions
What range of data and information do we use to understand the social and cultural context of our local Gypsy/Traveller community?
How do we know that staff are confident in their knowledge of Gypsy/Traveller beliefs and values?
To what extent have we established processes for reaching out and building trusting relationships with the Gypsy/Traveller community?