Intent
The intent of sex and relationship education (SRE) at our school are to:
- Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place
- Prepare pupils for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene
- Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy
- Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships
- Teach pupils the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies
At All Saints, we are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, stimulating and challenging environment, where all children develop a love of learning and strive to reach their full potential within a Christian caring community, where individuals are respected and valued. The teaching and learning principles of RSE in our school aim to ensure that everyone feels represented, listened to, cared for and have their individual needs met, regardless of any characteristic they may have.
Statutory requirements
As a maintained primary school we must provide relationships education to all pupils as per section 34 of the Children and Social work act 2017.
However, we are not required to provide sex education but we do need to teach the elements of sex education contained in the science curriculum.
In teaching RSE, we must have regard to guidance issued by the secretary of state as outlined in section 403 of the Education Act 1996.
Definition
RSE is about the emotional, social and cultural development of pupils, and involves learning about relationships, sexual development (in line with the science curriculum), healthy lifestyles, diversity and personal identity.
RSE involves a combination of sharing information and exploring issues and values.
RSE is not about the promotion of sexual activity.
Implementation
We have developed the curriculum in consultation with parents, pupils and staff, taking into account the age, needs and feelings of pupils. If pupils ask questions outside the scope of this policy, teachers will respond in an appropriate manner so they are fully informed and don’t seek answers online.
Primary sex education will focus on:
- Preparing boys and girls for the changes that adolescence brings
- How a baby is conceived and born
For more information about our curriculum, see our curriculum map.
SRE is taught within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Biological aspects of SRE are taught within the science curriculum, and other aspects are included in religious education (RE).
Pupils will be taught in paired year groups on a rolling programme. These will be organised as follows: Nursery / Reception, Year 1 / Year 2, Year 3 / Year 4, Year 5 / Year 6. This approach will ensure that all content is age-appropriate.
Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 also receive stand-alone puberty education sessions delivered by experienced members of staff. Where appropriate some elements of these sessions will be delivered in single sex groups.
Relationships education focuses on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships including:
- Families and people who care for me
- Caring friendships
- Respectful relationships
- Online relationships
- Being safe
These areas of learning are taught within the context of family life taking care to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances (families can include single parent families, LGBT parents, families headed by grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents/carers amongst other structures) along with reflecting sensitively that some children may have a different structure of support around them (for example: looked after children or young carers).
Parents’ right to withdraw
Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from relationships education.
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the non-science components of sex education within SRE.
Requests for withdrawal should be in person to the headteacher, who will explore and discuss the reasons behind such requests before deciding on the most appropriate course of action.
