This policy applies to staff, volunteers, Governors, sub-contractors and those on work placements.
To be read and used in conjunction with the Safe Guarding Policy.
The aim of the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Policy is to clarify the content and manner in which RSE is delivered. It will comply with the Department of Education’s legal, and policy, requirements.
A copy will be available within the School and on the wiki for parents. All staff will have access through the wiki. All Governors will have access to a copy.
The aims of the policy :
*To provide pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding which will enable them to: form healthy relationships: manage the changes which occur physically and emotionally as they mature: keep themselves and others safe and live happily in an ever changing soociety.
We believe that the parents and guardians are the main educators in children learning to cope with the emotional and physical aspects of growing up and that it is the schools role to support them. The school is committed to working in partnership with parents and to acknowledge that Parents / Guardians do have the right to withdraw their child(ren) from RSE lessons which fall beyond the science programme of study, having consulted with the class teacher/ Headteacher.
Confidentiality and sensitivity
Because of the personal and sensitive nature of some of the issues raised in school, pupils may occasionally make disclosures, either in class or to individual staff members. Staff do not offer pupils, or their parents, unconditional confidentiality. All staff will make it clear that although most information can be kept confidential some may need to be passed on in the best interests of the a pupil. However, the pupil will know when this has to happen, what will be done with the information and who will have access to it. In class, teachers establish that it is important that pupils agree not to pressure one another to answer questions about their experiences. Some topics raised may arouse strong feelings – these topics may include sex, drugs, politics, family values, law, environmental issues, bullying and bereavement. Staff will ensure pupils establish ground rules about how they will behave and react towards each other and how issues will be dealt with, in a manner relevant to the year group.
Answering difficult questions
Sometimes an individual child will ask an explicit or difficult question in the classroom. Questions do not have to be answered directly, and can be addressed individually later. The school community believes that individual staff members must use their judgement, skill and discretion in these situations and refer to the Head Teacher/Senior Management Team if they are concerned.
The Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) lessons on
The learning will largely be led by the schools teaching staff with support from DESC if necessary.
Content
RSE is presented within a framework that stresses personal responsibility, respect for self and others, and the importance of family life. It should be an integral part of the lifelong learning process beginning in early childhood and continuing in adult life.
It will
- support pupils through their physical, emotional and moral development.
- give pupils an understanding of their own growth and development and the rates and times at which changes take place.
- generate an atmosphere where questions about sexuality and reproduction can be asked and answered with confidence and without embarrassment.
- provide an acceptable, uniform, scientific vocabulary for all parts of the body in all year groups.
- make pupils aware of external influences e.g. the internet, social media, newspapers, magazines and television, and help them to make sensible judgements in this context.
- The sequence of teaching RSE
Age 4-5
- what people in my life do for me and what I do for them; happy relationships;
- my moods - feeling happy, sad, excited etc;
- friendships and how to be a good friend;
- loss and mourning (for example, a person, a pet);
- keeping safe on and offline - risk assessing
- my body and other people's bodies - similarities and differences, how I am unique;
- the beginning of life - me, animals, plants;
- growth in people, animals and plants;
- ageing - how we know things are alive, dead, young, old.
Ages 6-7
- changes as we grow;
- different types of families;
- feelings in families (for example, love, jealousy);
- what helps people to get on with each other (for example, listening/ sharing);
- what I like or don't like about other people and how to deal with it;
- keeping safe on and offline; risk assessing;
- caring for myself- hygiene, food, sleep, exercise;
- people who help me to care for myself;
- my body
- stereotypes
- privacy and the NSPCC PANTS underwear rule
Ages 8-9
- feelings - things which make me happy, sad, embarrassed, scared and so on;
- difficult situations - for example, teasing and bullying;
- changes in my own body;
- keeping healthy - exercise, diet, the immune system,
- friendship - who our friends are, how we make and lose friends;
- making decisions - influences on me; how to say no
- keeping safe on and offline; risk assessing
- varied lifestyles in the class and community - differences in others
- how we feel about differences;
- introducing puberty and growing up
- privacy and secrecy
- gender stereotypes
- being transgender
- pregnancy and birth
Ages 10-11
- decision-making, risk-taking, conflict resolution;
- keeping safe on and offline; risk assessing, abuse and neglect;
- feelings about the future (for example, changing schools);
- families and how they behave - what members expect of each other;
- celebrations of birth, marriage and death in different cultures;
- expressing feelings and how we do this; being assertive, not bullying;
- differences and similarities in people;
- gender and sexuality - what is it and what words describe it, protected characteristics;
- sex and conception;
- physical and emotional changes in puberty;
- equality and human rights;
Parents will be informed in writing when the lessons that deal specifically with sex education will occur in Year 5 and/or 6 and written agreement for all children will be sought before the child is involved in any lesson of this nature.
Resources
Any resources used will be available for review on request to the Headteacher. The School Nurse can also be asked to be involved in the delivery of Y5/6 lessons.
Monitoring and Evaluation of the Policy
Staff will monitor the impact of the policy on the attitudes and understanding of the pupils. The findings of the process will be shared with Governors. Equal Opportunities Andreas School is committed to an Inclusive policy of equal opportunity for all pupils. All children are entitled to a SRE lessons.
Sept 2012 Reviewed Autumn 2014 2015 2016 2017, 2018, Jan 2020, June 2021, November 2022
Next review November 2023