Families (Secondary)

Curriculum content:

1. That there are different types of committed, stable relationships.
2. How these relationships might contribute to wellbeing, and their importance for bringing
up children.
3. Why marriage or civil partnership is an important relationship choice for many couples.
The legal status of marriage and civil partnership, including that they carry legal rights,
benefits and protections that are not available to couples who are cohabiting or who
have, for example, undergone a non-legally binding religious ceremony.
4. That ‘common-law marriage’ is a myth and cohabitants do not obtain marriage-like status
or rights from living together or by having children.
5. That forced marriage and marrying before the age of 18 are illegal.8
6. How families and relationships change over time, including through birth, death,
separation and new relationships.
7. The roles and responsibilities of parents with respect to raising children, including the
characteristics of successful parenting and the importance of the early years of a child’s
life for brain development.
8. How to judge when a relationship is unsafe and where to seek help when needed,
including when pupils are concerned about violence, harm, or when they are unsure who
to trust.