Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) – Junior Cycle, Transition Year & Senior Cycle
SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education) is a core part of student learning at post-primary level. It helps young people to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to support their wellbeing, build positive relationships, and make responsible, healthy choices. While SPHE is not examined in the State Exams, it plays a central role in preparing students for life both inside and outside school.
Junior Cycle SPHE
In Junior Cycle, SPHE is part of the Wellbeing programme and is taught over three years (a minimum of 100 hours). The curriculum is organised into four strands:
- Understanding Myself and Others – developing self-confidence, personal identity, and awareness of how choices affect ourselves and others.
- Making Healthy Choices – exploring nutrition, sleep, substance use, online safety, and personal safety.
- Relationships and Sexuality – learning to form healthy, respectful relationships; understanding consent and boundaries; exploring reproductive health and digital responsibility.
- Emotional Wellbeing – building resilience, coping with stress, managing emotions, and knowing when and where to seek help.
Transition Year SPHE
In Transition Year (TY), SPHE remains a compulsory part of the timetable, with one class per week. TY SPHE provides continuity between Junior and Senior Cycle and allows students to engage with topics in a more mature and flexible way.
- Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is a required part of the TY SPHE programme.
- Schools have flexibility to design their own TY SPHE modules, tailoring content to the needs and interests of their students.
- Possible areas include mental health and resilience, digital wellbeing, decision-making, relationships, substance awareness, physical health, and preparation for adult life.
- TY SPHE may also involve workshops, projects, or external speakers, depending on each school’s programme.
Senior Cycle SPHE
In Senior Cycle (Fifth and Sixth Year), SPHE is timetabled for 60 hours across the two years. It focuses on supporting students as they prepare for adult life through three strands:
- Health and Wellbeing – exploring the factors that influence physical, emotional, and mental health, and developing strategies to maintain balance.
- Relationships and Sexuality – developing skills for building respectful, supportive relationships; understanding consent and safety; recognising and responding to unhealthy or harmful behaviours.
- Into Adulthood – preparing for life beyond school by learning about rights and responsibilities, independence, managing transitions, and planning for the future.
LCA students receive SPHE through the Social Ed programme.
Why SPHE Matters
SPHE supports students in developing resilience, confidence, empathy, and respect for themselves and others. It ensures they are equipped to manage challenges, make informed decisions, and thrive as they move through adolescence and into adulthood.
Parents/Guardians are key partners in this process, and Scoil Pól may provide opportunities to share resources or information sessions to help support learning at home.
Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE)
Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) is a developmental process through experiential learning in which students participate to cultivate a healthy attitude towards themselves and others, particularly in the area of sexuality and relationships. RSE will allow students to acquire knowledge, understanding and develop attitudes, beliefs and values about sexual identity, relationships and intimacy.
Aims of the programme
- To provide young people with the opportunity to learn about relationships and sexuality in ways that help them to think and act in a moral, caring and responsible way.
- To facilitate this process a Relationships and Sexuality Programme (RSE) will be taught to all classes in Scoil Pól.
The RSE Programme will be taught to all students in SPHE classes.
All students in Scoil Pól will receive a minimum of 6 block classes of RSE throughout the year. All parents will be notified of these classes in advance and all parents have the right to withdraw their child from these classes.
Please be aware that topics relating to RSE often come up for discussion in different classes throughout the year.
If you have any questions about the RSE programme, please see our RSE policy.
Withdrawal from RSE
RSE is an obligatory requirement of the Department of Education and it should be inclusive. However, a parent’s right to withdraw a student from themes pertaining to sensitive issues will be respected on the understanding that the parent is taking full responsibility for this aspect of education. Parents are obliged to inform the school in writing of their decision to withdraw the child from the classes based on sensitive issues.
The school cannot be responsible for any information which a child may receive outside the direct teaching of RSE lessons.
SPHE Parent Resources
- Making the Big Talk Many Small Talks (RSE Guide for Parents)
Practical advice on talking to teenagers (ages 13–18) about relationships and sexuality.
👉 Read the guide - ISPCC Shield Programme (Anti-Bullying)
We are part of the Shield programme, which provides “Smart Moves” each year for 1st years.
👉 Visit the Parenting Hub - The Shona Project
A survival guide for teens, with free resources and books sent to 1st and 2nd year girls.
👉 Explore The Shona Project - FUSE – Anti-Bullying Hub
A Department of Education–recommended programme supporting parents to tackle bullying.
👉 Go to the Parent Hub - HSE – Drugs & Alcohol Information
Reliable information on drugs and alcohol for parents and young people.
👉 Visit drugs.ie - HSE SPHE Resources (Junior & Senior Cycle)
Curriculum specifications and resources to support SPHE learning in schools.
👉 Junior Cycle Resources
👉 Senior Cycle Resources
