Relationship and Sex Education (RSE)

Relationship & Sex Education

Statement of intent

At Cullercoats Primary School, we understand that pupils must be provided with an education that prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. A key part of this relates to relationships education, which must be delivered to every primary-aged pupil. Primary schools also have the option to decide whether pupils are taught sex education. State-funded primary schools are also required to teach health education.

Relationships education focusses on giving pupils the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships, and to build their self-efficacy. Health education focusses on equipping pupils with the knowledge they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

We understand our responsibility to deliver a high-quality, age-appropriate and evidence-based relationships, sex and health curriculum for all our pupils. This policy sets out the framework for our relationships, sex and health curriculum, providing clarity on how it is informed, organised and delivered.

Contents

Statement of intent

  1. Legal framework
  2. Roles and responsibilities
  3. Organisation of the curriculum
  4. Consultation with parents
  5. Relationships education overview
  6. Relationships education per year group
  7. Health education overview
  8. Health education per year group
  9. Sex education
  10. Delivery of the curriculum
  11. Working with external experts
  12. Equality and accessibility
  13. Curriculum links
  14. Withdrawing from the subjects
  15. Behaviour
  16. Staff training
  17. Confidentiality
  18. Monitoring quality
  19. Monitoring, review and definitions

1. Legal framework

1.1  This policy has due regard to legislation and statutory guidance including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Section 80A of the Education Act 2002
  • Children and Social Work Act 2017
  • The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019
  • Equality Act 2010
  • DfE (2019) ‘Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education’
  • DfE (2013) ‘Science programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2’
  • DfE (2020) ‘Teaching about relationships, sex and health

1.2  This policy operates in conjunction with the following school policies:

  • Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
  • PSHE Policy
  • Behaviour Policy
  • SEND Policy
  • Equal Opportunities Policy
  • Pupil Confidentiality Policy
  • Anti-Bullying Policy: Pupils
  • E-safety Policy

2.Roles and responsibilities

2.1 The governing board is responsible for:

  • Ensuring all pupils make progress in achieving the expected educational outcomes.
  • Ensuring the curriculum is well led, effectively managed and well planned.
  • Evaluating the quality of provision through regular and effective self-evaluation.
  • Ensuring teaching is delivered in ways that are accessible to all pupils with SEND.
  • Providing clear information for parents on subject content and their rights to request that their children are withdrawn.
  • Making sure the subjects are resourced, staffed and timetabled in a way that ensures the school can fulfil its legal obligations.

2.2 The headteacher is responsible for:

  • The overall implementation of this policy.
  • Ensuring staff are suitably trained to deliver the subjects.
  • Ensuring that parents are fully informed of this policy.
  • Reviewing requests from parents to withdraw their children from the subjects.
  • Discussing requests for withdrawal with parents.
  • Organising alternative education for pupils, where necessary, that is appropriate and purposeful.
  • Reporting to the governing board on the effectiveness of this policy.
  • Reviewing this policy on an annual

2.3 The relationships, sex and health education subject leader is responsible for:

  • Overseeing the delivery of the subjects.
  • Ensuring the subjects are age-appropriate and high-quality.
  • Ensuring teachers are provided with adequate resources to support teaching of the subjects.
  • Ensuring the school meets its statutory requirements in relation to the relationships, sex and health curriculum.
  • Ensuring the relationships, sex and health curriculum is inclusive and accessible for all pupils.
  • Working with other subject leaders to ensure the relationships, sex and health curriculum complements, but does not duplicate, the content covered in the national curriculum.
  • Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the subjects and providing reports to the headteacher.

2.4 All teachers are responsible for:

  • Delivering a high-quality and age-appropriate relationships, sex and health curriculum in line with statutory requirements.
  • Using a variety of teaching methods and resources to provide an engaging curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils.
  • Ensuring they do not express personal views or beliefs when delivering the programme.
  • Modelling positive attitudes to relationships, sex and health education.
  • Responding to any safeguarding concerns in line with the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.
  • Acting in accordance with planning, monitoring and assessment requirements for the subjects.
  • Liaising with the SENCO to identify and respond to individual needs of pupils with SEND.
  • Working with the relationships, sex and health education subject leader to evaluate the quality of provision.

2.5 In line with 2.4, the teachers who will be delivering relationships, sex and health education are outlined below:

ALL TEACHERS

2.6 The SENCO is responsible for:

  • Advising teaching staff how best to identify and support pupils’ individual needs.
  • Advising staff on the use of TAs in order to meet pupils’ individual needs.

3. Organisation of the curriculum

  • 3.1  Every primary school is required to deliver statutory relationships education and health education.
  • 3.2 For the purpose of this policy, “relationships and sex education” is defined as teaching pupils about healthy, respectful relationships, focussing on family and friendships, in all contexts, including online, as well as developing an understanding of human sexuality.
  • 3.3 For the purpose of this policy, “health education” is defined as teaching pupils about physical health and mental wellbeing, focussing on recognising the link between the two and being able to make healthy lifestyle choices.
  • 3.4  The delivery of the relationships education and of health education coincide with one another and will be delivered as part of the school’s PSHE curriculum.
  • 3.5 The relationships and health curriculum has been organised in line with the statutory requirements outlined in the DfE (2019) ‘Relationships, Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education’ guidance.
  • 3.6 The relationships and health curriculum takes into account the views of teachers, pupils and parents. We are dedicated to ensuring our curriculum meets the needs of the whole-school community.
  • 3.7 The relationships and health curriculum is informed by issues in the school and wider community to ensure it is tailored to pupils’ needs; for example, if there were to be a local prevalence of specific sexually transmitted infections, our curriculum would be tailored to address this issue.
  • 3.8 We consult with parents, pupils and staff in the following ways:
  • Questionnaires and surveys
  • Focus groups
  • Meetings
  • Training sessions
  • Newsletters and letters

 

  • 3.9 Any parent, teacher or pupil wishing to provide feedback about the curriculum can do so at any time during the academic year by:
  • Organising a meeting with the headteacher.
  • Emailing subject co-ordinator jane.mearns@ntlp.org.uk
  • Submitting written feedback into the school office
  • 3.10 The school has organised a curriculum that is age-appropriate for pupils within each year group, based on the views of teachers, parents and pupils.
  • 3.11 When organising the curriculum, the religious backgrounds of all pupils will be considered, so that the topics that are covered are taught appropriately.

4. Consultation with parents

  • 4.1  The school understands the important role parents play in enhancing their children’s understanding of relationships, sex and health. Similarly, we also understand how important parents’ views are in shaping the curriculum.
  • 4.2  The school works with parents by establishing open communication – all parents are consulted in the development and delivery of the curriculum, as outlined in section 3 of this policy.
  • 4.3 Parents are provided with the following information:
  • The content of the relationships, sex and health curriculum
  • The delivery of the relationships, sex and health curriculum, including what is taught in each year group
  • The legalities surrounding withdrawing their child from the subjects
  • The resources that will be used to support the curriculum
  • 4.4  The school aims to build positive relationships with parents by inviting them into school to discuss what will be taught, address any concerns and help parents in managing conversations with their children on the issues covered by the curriculum.
  • 4.5  Parents are consulted in the review of the curriculum and this policy, and are encouraged to provide their views at any time.

5. Relationships education overview

Families and people who care for me

5.1  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:

  • That families are important for them growing up because they can give love, security and stability.
  • The characteristics of healthy family life, commitment to each other, including in times of difficulty, protection and care for children and other family members, the importance of spending time together and sharing each other’s lives.
  • That others’ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care.
  • That stable, caring relationships, which may be of different types, are at the heart of happy families, and are important for children’s security as they grow up.
  • That marriage represents a formal and legally recognised commitment of two people to each other which is intended to be lifelong.
  • How to recognise if family relationships are making them feel unhappy or unsafe, and how to seek help or advice from others if needed.

 

Caring friendships

5.2. By the end of primary school, pupils will know:

  • How important friendships are in making us feel happy and secure, and how people choose and make friends.
  • The characteristics of friendships, including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences, and support with problems and difficulties.
  • That healthy friendships are positive and welcoming towards others, and do not make others feel lonely or excluded.
  • That most friendships have ups and downs, but that these can often be worked through so that the friendship is repaired or even strengthened, and that resorting to violence is never right.
  • How to recognise who to trust and who not to trust.
  • How to judge when a friendship is making them feel unhappy or uncomfortable.
  • How to manage conflict.
  • How to manage different situations and how to seek help from others if needed.

 

Respectful relationships

5.3  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:

  • The importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), make different choices, or have different preferences or beliefs.
  • Which practical steps they can take in a range of different contexts to improve or support respectful relationships.
  • The conventions of courtesy and manners.
  • The importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness.
  • That in school and wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including those in positions of authority.
  • About the different types of bullying (including cyberbullying), the impact of bullying, responsibilities of bystanders to report bullying to an adult, and how to seek help.
  • What a stereotype is, and how they can be unfair, negative or destructive.
  • The importance of permission-seeking and giving in relationships with friends, peers and adults.

Online relationships

5.4  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:

  • That people sometimes behave differently online, including pretending to be someone they are not.
  • That the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to-face relationships, including the importance of respect for others online, even when we are anonymous.
  • The rules and principles for keeping safe online.
  • How to recognise harmful content and contact online, and how to report these.
  • How to critically consider their online friendships and sources of information.
  • The risks associated with people they have never met.
  • How information and data is shared and used online.

 

Being safe

5.5  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:

  • What sorts of boundaries are appropriate in friendships with peers and others – including in a digital context.
  • About the concept of privacy and the implications of it for both children and adults.
  • That it is not always right to keep secrets if they relate to being safe.
  • That each person’s body belongs to them, and the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact.
  • How to respond safely and appropriately to adults they may encounter, including online, who they do not know.
  • How to recognise and report feelings of being unsafe or feeling bad about any adult.
  • How to ask for advice or help for themselves and others, and to keep trying until they are heard.
  • How to report concerns or abuse, and the vocabulary and confidence needed to do so.
  • Where to seek advice, for example, from their family, their school and other sources.

6. Relationships education per year group

  • 6.1  The school is free to determine, within the statutory curriculum content outlined in section 5, what pupils are taught during each year group.
  • 6.2  The school always considers the age and development of pupils when deciding what will be taught in each year group.
  • 6.3 The school plans a progressive curriculum in which topics are built upon prior knowledge taught in previous years as children progress through school, with a view to providing a smooth transition to secondary school.
  • 6.4  Reception and Year 1

TEAM: This unit teaches teamwork, new beginnings and cooperation, developing classroom skills like listening and making good choices.

Be Yourself: This unit teaches children about recognising and expressing emotions, skills of self-regulation and positive self-esteem.

  • 6.5  Year 2

Growing Up: This unit introduces Relationships Education, including RSE themes such as parts of the body and the process of growing up, keeping safe and consent

VIP’s: This unit teaches children about special people in families and friendships, and how to care and be kind to them.

  • 6.6  Year 3

TEAM: This unit teaches new beginnings, cooperation and teamwork, developing skills like conflict resolution and compromise.

Be Yourself: This unit explores recognising and expressing feelings, being assertive, media influences and making amends.

  • 6.7  Year 4

Growing Up: Teach relationships education with this unit, including parts of the body, human reproduction, puberty, healthy relationships

VIP’s Use this unit to teach about friendships and relationships, including making friends, falling out and bullying and teasing.

  • 6.8  Year 5

TEAM: This unit teaches positive learning behaviour, cooperation, effective team working skills and explores children’s responsibilities towards their classmates.

Be Yourself: This unit teaches self-esteem, assertiveness, recognising and expressing emotions and managing difficult situations.

  • 6.9  Year 6

Growing Up: This unit teaches relationships education, including body image, emotional changes, puberty, human reproduction and relationships.

VIP’s: This unit teaches about healthy relationships including kindness, conflict, peer pressure and managing secrets and dares.

7. Health education overview

  • 7.1  The focus at primary level is teaching the characteristics of good physical health and mental wellbeing.

Mental wellbeing

  • 7.2  By the end of primary school pupils will know:
  • That mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health.
  • That there is a normal range of emotions, e.g. happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise and nervousness.
  • The scale of emotions that humans experience in response to different experiences and situations.
  • How to recognise and talk about their emotions, including having a varied vocabulary of words to use when talking about their own and others’ feelings.
  • How to judge whether what they are feeling and how they are behaving are appropriate and proportionate.
  • The benefits of physical exercise, time outdoors, community participation, and voluntary and service-based activity on mental wellbeing and happiness.
  • Simple self-care techniques, including the importance of rest, time spent with friends and family, and the benefits of hobbies and interests.
  • How isolation and loneliness can affect children, and that it is very important they seek support and discuss their feelings with an adult.
  • That bullying (including cyberbullying) has a negative and often lasting impact on mental wellbeing.
  • Where and how to seek support (including recognising the triggers for seeking support), extending to who in school they should speak to if they are worried about themselves or others.
  • That it is common to experience mental ill health and, for the many people who do, the problems can be resolved if the right support is made available, especially if accessed early enough.

Internet safety and harms

  • 7.3  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:
  • That for most people, the internet is an integral part of life and has many benefits.
  • About the benefits of rationing time spent online.
  • The risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices.
  • The impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others’ mental and physical wellbeing.
  • How to consider the effect of their online actions on others.
  • How to recognise and display respectful behaviour online.
  • The importance of keeping personal information private.
  • Why some social media, some computer games and online gaming are age-restricted.
  • That the internet can also be a negative place where online abuse, trolling, bullying and harassment can take place, which can have a negative impact on mental health.
  • How to be a discerning consumer of information online, including understanding that information, inclusive of that from search engines, is ranked, selected and targeted.
  • Where and how to report concerns and get support with issues online.

 

Physical health and fitness

  • 7.4  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:
  • The characteristics and mental and physical benefits of an active lifestyle.
  • The importance of building regular exercise into daily and weekly routines and how to achieve this, for example by walking or cycling to school, a daily active mile, or other forms of regular, vigorous exercise.
  • The risks associated with an inactive lifestyle, including obesity.
  • How and when to seek support, including which adults to speak to in school, if they are worried about their health.

Healthy eating

  • 7.5  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:
  • What constitutes a healthy diet, including an understanding of calories and other nutritional content.
  • The principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals.
  • The characteristics of a poor diet and risks associated with unhealthy eating, including obesity, and other behaviours, e.g. the impact of alcohol on health.

Drugs alcohol and tobacco

  • 7.6  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:
  • The facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use and drug-taking.

Health and prevention

  • 7.7  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:
  • How to recognise early signs of physical illness, such as weight loss or unexplained changes to the body.
  • About safe and unsafe exposure to the sun, and how to reduce the risk of sun damage, including skin cancer.
  • The importance of sufficient good-quality sleep for good health, and that a lack of sleep can affect weight, mood and ability to learn.
  • About dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene and dental flossing, including regular check-ups at the dentist.
  • About personal hygiene and germs, including bacteria and viruses, how they are spread and treated, and the importance of hand washing.
  • The facts and science relating to immunisation and vaccination.

Basic first aid

  • 7.8  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:
  • How to make a clear and efficient call to emergency services if necessary.
  • Concepts of basic first-aid, for example dealing with common injuries, including head injuries.

Changing adolescent body

  • 7.9  By the end of primary school, pupils will know:
  • Key facts about puberty and the changing adolescent body, particularly from age 9 through to age 11, including physical and emotional changes.
  • About menstrual wellbeing and key facts relating to the menstrual cycle.

 

8. Health education per year group

  • 8.1  The school is free to determine, within the statutory curriculum content outlined in section 7, what pupils are taught during each year group.
  • 8.2  The school always considers the age and development of pupils when deciding what will be taught in each year group.
  • 8.3  The school plans a progressive curriculum, in which topics are built upon prior knowledge taught in previous years as children progress through school, with a view to providing a smooth transition to secondary school.
  • 8.4Reception and Year 1

IT’S MY BODY: This unit incorporates healthy lifestyles, looking after your body, making healthy choices and consent.

AIMING HIGH: This unit teaches children about careers, aspirations and

goal setting while developing resilience and growth mind-set.

  • 8.5  Year 2

THINK POSITIVE: This unit teaches mental health and emotional wellbeing, developing gratitude, mindfulness and self-regulation skills.

SAFETY FIRST: This unit teaches personal safety indoors and out, including online safety, people who can help and the underwear rule.

  • 8.6  Year 3

IT’S MY BODY: This unit explores sleep, healthy eating, exercise and teaches children about body autonomy and making healthy choices.

AIMING HIGH: Use this unit to develop resilience and growth mind-set while learning about careers, personal goals and aspirations.

  • 8.7  Year 4

THINK POSITIVE: Teach mental health and emotional wellbeing with this unit, including growth mind-set, resilience, positive thinking and self-care.

SAFETY FIRST: This unit teaches children about online safety, road safety, dares, assessing dangers and when to seek help.

  • 8.8 Year 5

IT’S MY BODY: This unit explores healthy lifestyles, personal hygiene, harmful substances, making healthy choices and body image.

AIMING HIGH: This unit teaches careers education such as aspirations, goal setting, equal opportunities, innovation and enterprise

  • 8.9  Year 6

THINK POSITIVE: This unit teaches the skills of mindfulness and a growth mind-set to develop a positive attitude, resilience and self-regulation.

SAFETY FIRST: Use this unit to explore online safety, behaving responsibly, assessing risk and what to do in an emergency.

9. Sex education

  • 9.1  All pupils must be taught the aspects of sex education outlined in the primary science curriculum – this includes teaching about the main external parts of the human body, how it changes as it grows from birth to old age, including puberty, and the reproductive process in some plants and animals.
  • 9.2  The school is free to determine whether pupils should be taught sex education beyond what is required of the national curriculum.
  • 9.3  At our school, we do teach pupils sex education beyond what is required of the science curriculum.
  • 9.4 Parents are fully consulted in the organisation and delivery of our sex education curriculum, in accordance with section 3 and section 4 of this policy.
  • 9.5 Parents are given the opportunity to advise on what should be taught through sex education.
  • 9.6   The age and development of pupils is always considered when delivering sex education.
  • 9.7  Year 2

GROWING UP: This unit introduces Relationships Education, including RSE themes such as parts of the body and the process of growing up, keeping safe and consent.

  • 9.8  Year 4

GROWING UP: Teach relationships education with this unit, including parts of the body, human reproduction, puberty, healthy relationships.

  • 9.9  Year 6

GROWING UP: This unit teaches relationships education, including body image, emotional changes, puberty, human reproduction and relationships.

10. Delivery of the curriculum

  • 10.1  The relationships, sex and health curriculum will be delivered as part of our PSHE curriculum.
  • 10.2  Through effective organisation and delivery of the subject, we will ensure that:
  • Core knowledge is sectioned into units of manageable size.
  • The required content is communicated to pupils clearly, in a carefully sequenced way, within a planned scheme of work.
  • Teaching includes sufficient and well-chosen opportunities and contexts for pupils to embed new knowledge so that it can be used confidently in real-life situations.
  • 10.3  The curriculum is delivered proactively, such that it addresses issues in a timely way in line with current evidence on children’s physical, emotional and sexual development.
  • 10.4  Teaching of the curriculum reflects requirements set out in law, particularly the Equality Act 2010, so that pupils understand what the law does and does not allow, and the wider legal implications of the decisions they make.
  • 10.5  Pupils will be taught the facts and the law about sex, sexuality, sexual health and gender identity in an age-appropriate, inclusive and respectful way. We will endeavour to support all pupils to feel that the content is relevant to them and their developing sexuality.
  • 10.6 At the point we consider it appropriate to teach pupils about sexual relationships, we will ensure that LGBTQ+ content is fully integrated into the relationships, sex and health curriculum, rather than delivered as a standalone unit or lesson.
  • 10.7  The school will ensure that all teaching and materials are appropriate for the ages of the pupils, their religious backgrounds, their developmental stages and any additional needs, such as SEND.
  • 10.8  Lesson plans will provide appropriate challenge for pupils and be differentiated for pupils’ needs.
  • 10.9  Classes may be taught in smaller groups, dependent upon the nature of the topic being delivered at the time, and the cultural background of pupils where it is appropriate to deal with these issues with heightened sensitivity.
  • 10.10  Throughout every year group, appropriate diagrams, videos, books, games, discussion and practical activities will be used to assist learning.
  • 10.11  Inappropriate images, videos, etc., will not be used, and resources will be selected with sensitivity given to the age, developmental stage and cultural background of pupils.
  • 10.12  Pupils will be prevented from accessing inappropriate materials on the internet when using such to assist with their learning. The prevention measures taken to ensure this are outlined in the school’s E-safety Policy.
  • 10.13  Teachers will establish what is appropriate for one-to-one and whole-class settings, and alter their teaching of the programme accordingly.
  • 10.14  Teachers will ensure that pupils’ views are listened to and will encourage them to ask questions and engage in discussion. Teachers will answer questions sensitively, honestly and in a manner appropriate to the pupil’s age.
  • 10.15  Teachers will ensure pupils are aware of the expectation of them to participate sensitively and respectfully in class discussions of sensitive issues.
  • 10.16  Teachers will stop full class discussions where pupils begin to reveal personal, private information related to sensitive issues. If teachers feel concerned about anything shared by a pupil, they will follow the appropriate response as laid out in the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy. The programme will be designed to incorporate all pupils, and activities will be planned to ensure all are actively involved.
  • 10.17  Teachers will focus heavily on the importance of healthy relationships, though sensitivity will always be given as to not stigmatise pupils based on their home circumstances.
  • 10.18  Teachers will ensure that lesson plans are centred around reducing stigma, particularly in relation to mental wellbeing, and encouraging openness through discussion activities and group work.
  • 10.19  Teachers will ensure lesson plans focus on challenging perceived views of pupils based on protected characteristics, through exploration of, and developing mutual respect for, those different to themselves.
  • 10.20  Any resources or materials used to support learning will be formally assessed by the relationships, sex and health education subject leader before use to ensure they are appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and sensitive to their needs.
  • 10.21  In teaching the curriculum, teachers will be aware that pupils may raise topics such as self-harm and suicide. When talking about these topics in lessons, teachers will be aware of the risks of encouraging these behaviours and will avoid any resources or material that appear as instructive rather than preventative.
  • 10.22  At all points of delivery of this programme, parents will be consulted, and their views will be valued. What will be taught and how, will be planned in conjunction with parents.
  • 10.23  Whilst there are no formal examinations for the relationships, sex and health curriculum, the school will undertake informal assessments to determine pupil progress – these include the following:
  • Tests
  • Written assignments
  • Group presentations
  • Group tasks
  • Projects

11. Working with external experts

  • 11.1  External experts may be invited to assist from time-to-time with the delivery of the programme and will be expected to comply with the provisions of this policy.
  • 11.2  The school will ensure all visitor credentials are checked before they are able to participate in delivery of the curriculum, in line with the usual visitor rules.
  • 11.3  The school will ensure that the teaching delivered by the external expert fits with the planned curriculum and this policy.
  • 11.4  Before delivering the session, the school will discuss the details of the expert’s lesson plan and ensure that the content is age-appropriate and accessible for the pupils.
  • 11.5  The school will also ask to see the materials the expert intends to use, as well as a copy of the lesson plan, to ensure it meets all pupils’ needs, including those with SEND.
  • 11.6  The school will agree with the expert the procedures for confidentiality, ensuring that the expert understands how safeguarding reports should be dealt with in line with the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.
  • 11.7  The intended use of external experts is to enhance the curriculum delivered by teachers, rather than as a replacement for teachers.

12. Equality and accessibility

  • 12.1  The school understands its responsibilities in relation to the Equality Act 2010, specifically that it must not unlawfully discriminate against any pupil because of their protected characteristics. These include:
  • Age
  • Sex or sexual orientation
  • Race
  • Disability
  • Religion or belief
  • Gender reassignment
  • Pregnancy or maternity
  • Marriage or civil partnership
  • 12.2  The school is committed to making reasonable adjustments wherever possible to promote accessibility and inclusivity of the curriculum.
  • 12.3  The school understands that pupils with SEND or other needs, such as those with social, emotional or mental health needs, are entitled to learn about relationships, sex and health education, and the programme will be designed to be inclusive of all pupils.
  • 12.4  Teachers will understand that they may need to be more explicit and adapt their planning of work and teaching methods in order to appropriately deliver the programme to pupils with SEND or other needs.
  • 12.5  Provisions under the Equality Act 2010 allow our school to take positive action, where it can be evidenced to be proportionate, to respond to particular disadvantages affecting a group because of a protected characteristic. For example, we could consider taking positive action to support girls if there was evidence that they were being disproportionately subjected to sexual violence of sexual harassment.
  • 12.6  When deciding whether support is necessary to support pupils with a particular protected characteristic, we will consider our pupils’ needs, including the gender and age range of our pupils.
  • 12.7  In order to foster healthy and respectful peer-to-peer communication and behaviour between all pupils, the school implements a robust Behavioural Policy, as well as a Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, which set out expectations of pupils.
  • 12.8  The school understands that relationships, sex, and health education may include topics which are triggers for teaching staff, and could relate to historic, recent, or current trauma. If this is the case, the school encourages staff to approach their line manager or the school’s designated wellbeing lead to discuss this.

13. Curriculum links

  • 13.1  The school seeks opportunities to draw links between relationships, sex and health education and other curriculum subjects wherever possible to enhance pupils’ learning.
  • 13.2  Relationships, sex and health education will be linked to the following subjects in particular:
  • Science – pupils learn about the main external parts of the body and changes to the body as it grows from birth to old age, including puberty.
  • Computing and ICT – pupils learn about e-safety, including how to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, how to keep personal information private and how to access help and support.
  • PE – pupils explore various physical activities, are physically active for sustained periods of time, engage in competitive sport and understand how exercise can lead to healthier lifestyles.
  • Citizenship – pupils learn about the requirements of the law, their responsibilities and the possible consequences of their actions.
  • PSHE – pupils learn about respect and difference, values and characteristics of individuals.

14. Withdrawing from the subjects

  • 14.1  Relationships and health education are statutory at primary and parents do not have the right to withdraw their child from the subjects.
  • 14.2  As sex education is not statutory at primary level, other than what must be taught as part of the science curriculum, parents have the right to request to withdraw their child from all or part of the sex education curriculum.
  • 14.3  The headteacher will automatically grant withdrawal requests in accordance with point 14.2; however, the headteacher will discuss the request with the parent and, if appropriate, their child, to ensure that their wishes are understood and to clarify the nature and purpose of the curriculum.
  • 14.4  The headteacher will discuss with the parent, the benefits or receiving this important education and any adverse effects that withdrawal may have on the pupil – this could include, for example, social and emotional effects of being excluded.
  • 14.5  The headteacher will keep a record of the discussion between themselves, the pupil and the parent.
  • 14.6  The headteacher will grant a parent’s request to withdraw their child from sex education, other than the content that must be taught as part of the science curriculum.
  • 14.7  The parent will be informed in writing of the headteacher’s decision.
  • 14.8  Where a pupil is withdrawn from sex education, the headteacher will ensure that the pupil receives appropriate alternative education.

15. Behaviour

  • 15.1  The school has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying. We aim to foster a culture based on mutual respect and understanding for one another.
  • 15.2  Any bullying incidents caused as a result of the relationships, sex and health education programme, such as those relating to sexual orientation, will be dealt with as seriously as other bullying incidents within the school.
  • 15.3  Any occurrence of these incidents will be reported to a member of school staff, who will then discipline the pupil once they are on school premises.
  • 15.4  These incidents will be dealt with following the processes in our Behavioural Policy and Anti-Bullying Policy.
  • 15.5  The headteacher will decide whether it is appropriate to notify the police or an anti-social behaviour coordinator in their LA of the action taken against a pupil.

16. Staff training

  • 16.1  All staff members at the school will undergo training on an annual basis to ensure they are up-to-date with the relationship, sex and health education programme and associated issues.
  • 16.2  Members of staff responsible for teaching the subjects will undergo further training on a termly basis, led by the relationships, sex and health education subject leader, to ensure they are fully equipped to teach the subjects effectively.
  • 16.3  Training of staff will also be scheduled around any updated guidance on the programme and any new developments, such as ‘sexting’, which may need to be addressed in relation to the programme.

17. Confidentiality

  • 17.1  Confidentiality within the classroom is an important component of relationships, sex and health education, and teachers are expected to respect the confidentiality of their pupils as far as is possible.
  • 17.2  Teachers will, however, alert the headteacher about any suspicions of inappropriate behaviour or potential abuse as per the school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.
  • 17.3  Pupils will be fully informed of the school’s responsibilities in terms of confidentiality and will be aware of what action may be taken if they choose to report a concern or make a disclosure.
  • 17.4  Any reports made during lessons, or as a result of the content taught through the curriculum, will be reported to the DSL and handled in accordance with the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

18. Monitoring quality

  • 18.1  The relationships, sex and health education subject leader is responsible for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning for the subjects.
  • 18.2  The relationships, sex and health education subject leader will conduct subject assessments on an annual basis, which will include a mixture of the following:
  • Self-evaluations
  • Topic feedback forms
  • Learning walks
  • Work scrutiny
  • 18.3  The relationships, sex and health education subject leader will create annual subject reports for the headteacher and governing board to report on the quality of the subjects.
  • 18.4  The relationships, sex and health education subject leader will work regularly and consistently with the headteacher and RSE link governor, e.g. through termly review meetings, to evaluate the effectiveness of the subjects and implement any changes.

19. Monitoring and review

  • 19.1  This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the relationships, sex and health education subject leader and headteacher. The next scheduled review date for this policy is date January 2022.
  • 19.2  This policy will also be reviewed in light of any changes to statutory guidance, feedback from parents, staff or pupils, and issues in the school or local area that may need addressing.
  • 19.3 The governing board is responsible for approving this policy.
  • 19.4  Any changes made to this policy will be communicated to all staff, parents and, where necessary, pupils.

Definitions

For the purpose of clarity, a note about definitions

Relationships Education is the building blocks of healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships, including online. It gives children and young people the essential skills to build positive, enjoyable, and non-exploitative relationships and supports children to be safe, happy and healthy in their interactions with others now and in the future.

 

Sex Education is learning about the physical, social, legal and emotional aspects of human sexuality and behaviour, including human reproduction. The Sex Education curriculum ensures that both boys and girls are prepared for the changes that adolescence brings and – drawing on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the national curriculum for science – how a baby is conceived and born. (Combination of Sex Education Forum definition and Government RSHE guidance page 23)

 

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is lifelong learning about physical, social, moral, and emotional aspects of growing up.  It is about the understanding of the importance of stable and loving relationships both on and offline, respect, love, and care, for family life. It involves acquiring information, developing skills, and forming positive beliefs, values and attitudes.

 

Relationships Education, Health Education, science and sex education work together to protect children by ensuring they have knowledge of their bodies, the human life-cycle, emotions, acceptable behaviour and right and wrong (Sex Education Forum)