Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education
From September 2020, it is mandatory for all schools in England and Wales to include Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) as a core part of their curriculum. This includes the teaching of sex education and drugs education.
RSE supports pupils to develop resilience, to know when to ask for help, to know where to access support and how to identify and report sexual harassment and abuse. It aims to support the development of self-respect and empathy for others and promotes the development of skills and understanding necessary to manage conflict peaceably and learn how to recognise and avoid exploitation and abuse.
In RSHE we teach life skills which will enable the children to make informed decisions about their well-being. We wish to develop children’s resilience to enable them to become happy, well adapted and successful adults in the future. We recognise the importance of equipping children with the skills and strategies needed to enable them to form healthy relationships with others, build self efficacy and develop their capacity to face risks and challenges in a considered way.
The Governors have decided that the pupils will receive sex education lessons as appropriate for their ages. RSE is primarily delivered through the PSHE curriculum, but relevant aspects are also covered in RE and Science lessons. This will occur mainly in KS2 and in depth for year 5 and 6. Parents can request information with regard to curriculum content and are able to see the materials used in the sex education lessons before they are shown in class.
The RSHE curriculum focuses on the following areas:
- Families and close positive relationships
- Friendships
- Managing hurtful behaviour and bullying
- Safe relationships (understanding privacy, internet safety)
- Respecting self and others (kindness, recognizing differences)
- Understanding bodily changes over time
Over both key stages we teach and discuss with children alcohol and substance use and misuse and help them to develop decision making skills.
Right to Withdraw
It is also a parent’s statutory right that they may withdraw their child from Sex Education lessons. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from sex education but not from statutory Relationships Education or Health Education.
Parents must inform the Principal in writing if they intend to do this.