Relationship, Sex and Health Education
- Aims
- The aims of relationships and sex education (RSHE) 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 Lickhill Primary School the notion of equality of opportunity is highly valued. The RSHE curriculum should offer children the opportunity to clarify and develop their attitudes and values relating to: gender roles, stereotyping, taking into account equality issues (sex, race and culture, disability, ability, religion, gender expression and sexual orientation).
- Statutory requirements
- As a primary academy school we must provide relationships education to all pupils as per section 34 of the Children and Social work act 2017.
- We do not have to follow the National Curriculum but we are expected to offer all pupils a curriculum that is similar to the National Curriculum including requirements to teach science which would include the elements of sex education contained in the science curriculum.
- In teaching RSHE, we are required by our funding agreements to have regard to guidance issued by the secretary of state as outlined in section 403 of the Education Act 1996.
- At Lickhill Primary School we teach RSHE as set out in this policy.
- What does the new Relationships Education cover?
- Relationships Education in primary schools will cover ‘Families and people who care for me’, ‘Caring friendships’, ‘Respectful relationships’, ‘Online relationships’, and ‘Being safe’.
- The new guidance states that by the end of primary school all children should know: ‘how to report concerns or abuse, and the vocabulary and confidence needed to do so’.
- The new guidance states that Relationships Education should promote equal, safe and enjoyable relationships and be taught in a way which fosters LGBT and gender equality, in line with the Equalities Act 2010.
- The Sex Education Forum define Relationships and Sex Education (RSHE) as learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, human sexuality and sexual health. It should equip children and young people with the information, skills and positive values to have safe, fulfilling relationships, to enjoy their sexuality and to take responsibility for their sexual health and well-being.
- What does the new Relationships Education cover?
- What is covered in sex education?
- In the new guidance, the DfE continues to recommend that all primary schools ‘have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils. Schools are to determine the content of sex education at primary school. Sex education ‘should ensure 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’.
- Health Education will be mandatory in all primary schools in England (except Independent Schools who have separate requirements on PSHE education as per the Independent Schools Standard) from September 2020. Health Education includes a section for primary and secondary schools on puberty, the changing adolescent body, menstrual wellbeing and the menstrual cycle.
- 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.
- Effective RSHE can make a significant contribution to the development of the personal skills needed by pupils if they are to establish and maintain relationships. It also enables children and young people to make responsible and informed decisions about their health and well-being.
- RSHE makes an important contribution to health and well-being by supporting children and young people's ability to learn, achieve and flourish.
- "The right to education includes the right to sexual education, which is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realising other human rights, such as the right to health, the right to information and sexual and reproductive rights."
- Report to the UN General Assembly - July 2010 | Item 69, paragraph 18
- What is covered in sex education?
- Policy development
- This policy has been developed in consultation with staff, pupils and parents. The consultation and policy development process involved the following steps:
- Review – a member of staff or working group pulled together all relevant information including relevant national and local guidance
- Staff consultation – all school staff were given the opportunity to look at the policy and make recommendations
- Parent/stakeholder consultation – parents and any interested parties were invited to attend a meeting about the policy.
- Pupil consultation – we investigated what exactly pupils want from their RSHE
- Ratification – once amendments were made, the policy was shared with governors and ratified
- Definition
- RSHE is about the emotional, social and cultural development of pupils, and involves learning about relationships, sexual health, sexuality, healthy lifestyles, diversity and personal identity. Young people want reassurance about their body image, behaviour, feelings and relationships. They also need knowledge and skills appropriate to their level of maturity and developmental needs’.
- In planning and presenting our RSHE programme we provide an opportunity for pupils to express themselves within a trusted and safe environment. Central to our PSHE programme is the development of pupils’ self-esteem. If young people feel positive and good about themselves, they are more likely to take care of themselves, think positively of other people, and therefore develop non-exploitative, caring relationships. They are also less likely to be exploited by others.
- RSHE involves a combination of sharing information and exploring issues and values. RSHE is not about the promotion of sexual activity.
- Curriculum
- Our curriculum is set out as per Appendix 1 but we may need to adapt it as and when necessary.
- 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 appropriately 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
- Delivery of RSHE
- RSHE is taught within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum using the Jigsaw scheme of work. Biological aspects of RSHE are taught within the science curriculum, and other aspects are included in religious education (RE). Teachers MUST always be present during these sessions and remain responsible for the delivery of the RSHE programme.
- 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
- Relationships education focuses on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships including:
- 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).
- Teachers need to be aware that sometimes disclosures may be made during these sessions; in which case, safeguarding procedures must be followed immediately. Sometimes it is clear that certain children may need time to talk one-to-one after the circle closes. It is important to allow the time and appropriate staffing for this to happen. If disclosures occur, the school’s disclosure and/or confidentiality policy is followed. The school believes that individual teachers must use their skill and discretion in this area and refer to the Designated Safeguarding Lead if they are concerned.
- Our school believes that RSHE and Drug and Alcohol Education should meet the needs of all pupils, answer appropriate questions and offer support. In Jigsaw Pieces that cover RSHE provision, this should be regardless of their developing sexuality and be able to deal honestly and sensitively with sexual orientation, answer appropriate questions and offer support. Homophobic bullying is dealt with strongly yet sensitively. The school liaises with parents/carers on this issue to reassure them of the content and context.
Confidentiality and Child Protection/Safeguarding Issues
- As a general rule a child’s confidentiality is maintained by the teacher or member of staff concerned. If this person believes that the child is at risk or in danger, she/he talks to the named Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead who takes action as laid down in the Child Protection Policy. All staff members are familiar with the policy and know the identity of the member of staff with responsibility for Child Protection issues. The child concerned will be informed that confidentiality is being breached and reasons why. The child will be supported by the teacher throughout the process.
- Roles and responsibilities
The governing board
- The governing board will approve the RSHE policy, and hold the headteacher to account for its implementation.
The headteacher
- The headteacher is responsible for ensuring that RSHE is taught consistently across the school, and for managing requests to withdraw pupils from non-statutory components of RSHE (see section 8).
Staff
- Staff are responsible for:
- Delivering RSHE in a sensitive way using Jigsaw.
- Modelling positive attitudes to RSHE
- Monitoring progress
- Responding to the needs of individual pupils
- Responding appropriately to pupils whose parents wish them to be withdrawn from the non-statutory components of RSHE
- Staff do not have the right to opt out of teaching RSHE. Staff who have concerns about teaching RSHE are encouraged to discuss this with the headteacher and Subject Leads.
- Those responsible for the teaching of RSHE are the teachers in each year group/class, who may be supported by other members of staff such as TAs/THRIVE practitioner.
- Staff are responsible for:
Pupils
- Pupils are expected to engage fully in RSHE and, when discussing issues related to RSHE, treat others with respect and sensitivity.
- 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-statutory components of sex education within RSHE. Requests for withdrawal should be put in writing using the form found in Appendix 3 of this policy and addressed to the headteacher.
- Alternative work will be given to pupils who are withdrawn from sex education.
- Training
- Staff are trained on the delivery of RSHE as part of their induction and it is included in our continuing professional development calendar.
- The headteacher will also invite visitors from outside the school, such as school nurses or sexual health professionals, to provide support and training to staff teaching RSHE.
- Monitoring arrangements
- The delivery of RSHE is monitored by Kate Jones (Assistant Headteacher) and Joss McLeod (Year 6 teacher) through:
- Staff meetings; book reviews; discussion.
- Pupils’ development in RSHE is monitored by class teachers as part of our internal assessment systems.
- This policy will be reviewed by Kate Jones (Assistant Headteacher) annually. At every review, the policy will be approved by the governing board.
Appendix 1: Curriculum map
Jigsaw RSHE Content
The grid below shows specific learning intentions for each year group in the ‘Relationships’ Puzzle.
Year Group | Piece Number and Name | Learning Intentions ‘Pupils will be able to…’ |
FS1/2 | Piece 1 My Family and Me! | I can tell you about my family I can identify some of the jobs I do in my family and how I feel like I belong |
Piece 2 Make friends, make friends, never ever break friends! – Part 1 | I understand how to make friends if I feel lonely I know how to make friends to stop myself from feeling lonely | |
Piece 3 Make friends, make friends, never ever break friends! – Part 2 | I can tell you some of the things I like about my friends I can think of ways to solve problems and stay friends | |
Piece 4 Falling out and bullying – Part 1 | I know what to say and do if somebody is mean to me I am starting to understand the impact of unkind words | |
Piece 5 Falling out and bullying – Part 2 | I can use Calm Me time to manage my feelings | |
Piece 6 Being the best friend we can be | I can work together and enjoy being with my friends I know how to be a good friend | |
1 | Piece 1 Families | I can identify the members of my family and understand that there are lots of different types of families I know how it feels to belong to a family and care about the people who are important to me |
Piece 2 Making friends
| I can identify what being a good friend means to me I know how to make a new friend | |
Piece 3 Greetings | I know appropriate ways of physical contact to greet my friends and know which ways I prefer I can recognise which forms of physical contact are acceptable and unacceptable to me | |
Piece 6 Celebrating my special relationships | I can tell you why I appreciate someone who is special to me I can express how I feel about them | |
2 | Piece 1 Families | I can identify the different members of my family, understand my relationship with each of them and know why it is important to share and cooperate I accept that everyone’s family is different and understand that most people value their family |
Piece 2 Keeping safe – exploring physical contact | I understand that there are lots of forms of physical contact within a family and that some of this is acceptable and some is not I know which types of physical contact I like and don’t like and can talk about this | |
Piece 3 Friends and conflict | I can identify some of the things that cause conflict with my friends I can demonstrate how to use the positive problem-solving technique to resolve conflicts with my friends | |
Piece 4 Secrets | I understand that sometimes it is good to keep a secret and sometimes it is not good to keep a secret I know how it feels to be asked to keep a secret I do not want to keep and know who to talk to about this | |
Piece 5 Trust and appreciation | I recognise and appreciate people who can help me in my family, my school and my community I understand how it feels to trust someone | |
Piece 6 Celebrating My Special Relationships
| I can express my appreciation for the people in my special relationships I am comfortable accepting appreciation from others | |
3 | Piece 1 Family roles and responsibilities | I can identify the roles and responsibilities of each member of my family and can reflect on the expectations for males and females I can describe how taking some responsibility in my family makes me feel |
Piece 2 Friendship | I can identify and put into practice some of the skills of friendship, e.g. taking turns, being a good listener I know how to negotiate in conflict situations to try to find a win-win solution | |
Piece 3 Keeping myself safe | I know and can use some strategies for keeping myself safe I know who to ask for help if I am worried or concerned | |
Piece 6 Celebrating my web of relationship | I know how to express my appreciation to my friends and family I enjoy being part of a family and friendship groups | |
4 | Piece 1 Relationship web | I can identify the web of relationships that I am part of, starting from those closest to me and including those more distant I know how it feels to belong to a range of different relationships and can identify what I contribute to each of them |
Piece 2 Love and loss
| I can identify someone I love and can express why they are special to me I know how most people feel when they lose someone or something they love | |
Piece 6 Celebrating my relationships with people and animals | I know how to show love and appreciation to the people and animals who are special to me I can love and be loved | |
5 | Piece 2 Getting on and falling out | I can recognise how friendships change, know how to make new friends and how to manage when I fall out with my friends I know how to stand up for myself and how to negotiate and compromise |
Piece 3 Girlfriends and boyfriends | I understand how it feels to be attracted to someone and what having a boyfriend/ girlfriend might mean I understand that relationships are personal and there is no need to feel pressured into having a boyfriend/ girlfriend | |
Piece 4 Girlfriends and boyfriends | I understand how it feels to be attracted to someone and what having a boyfriend/girlfriend might mean I can recognise the feeling of jealousy, where it comes from and how to manage it | |
Piece 5 Relationships and technology | I understand how to stay safe when using technology to communicate with my friends I can recognise and resist pressures to use technology in ways that may be risky or may cause harm to others | |
Piece 6 Relationships and technology | I can explain how to stay safe when using technology to communicate with my friends I can recognise and resist pressures to use technology in ways that may be risky or may cause harm to myself or others | |
6 | Piece 1 My relationships web | I can identify the most significant people to be in my life so far I understand how it feels to have people in my life that are special to me |
Piece 4 Power and control | I can recognise when people are trying to gain power or control I can demonstrate ways I could stand up for myself and my friends in situations where others are trying to gain power or control | |
Piece 5 Being safe with technology 1 | I understand how technology can be used to try to gain power or control and I can use strategies to prevent this from happening I can take responsibility for my own safety and well-being | |
Piece 6 Being safe with technology 2 | I can use technology positively and safely to communicate with my friends and family I can take responsibility for my own safety and well-being |
Sex Education in Primary schools – what should be included and how does Jigsaw provide the solution?
The Relationships Education, RSHE, and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019 have made Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools. Sex education is not compulsory in primary schools and the content set out in the DfE guidance therefore focuses on Relationships Education.
The grid below shows specific learning intentions for each year group in the ‘Changing Me’ Puzzle.
Year Group | Piece Number and Name | Learning Intentions ‘Pupils will be able to…’ |
FS1/2 | Piece 3 Growing Up | D4 - Seek out others to share experiences. Show affection and concern for people who are special to them D6 - Explain own knowledge and understanding, and ask appropriate questions of others ELG - Show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings |
1 | Piece 4 Boys’ and Girls’ Bodies | identify the parts of the body that make boys different to girls and use the correct names for these: penis, testicles, vagina
respect my body and understand which parts are private |
2 | Piece 4 Boys’ and Girls’ Bodies | recognise the physical differences between boys and girls, use the correct names for parts of the body (penis, testicles, vagina) and appreciate that some parts of my body are private
tell you what I like/don’t like about being a boy/girl |
3 | Piece 1 How Babies Grow | understand that in animals and humans lots of changes happen between conception and growing up, and that usually it is the female who has the baby
express how I feel when I see babies or baby animals |
Piece 2 Babies | understand how babies grow and develop in the mother’s uterus and understand what a baby needs to live and grow
express how I might feel if I had a new baby in my family | |
Piece 3 Outside Body Changes | understand that boys’ and girls’ bodies need to change so that when they grow up their bodies can make babies
identify how boys’ and girls’ bodies change on the outside during this growing up process
recognise how I feel about these changes happening to me and know how to cope with those feelings
| |
Piece 4 Inside Body Changes | identify how boys’ and girls’ bodies change on the inside during the growing up process and why these changes are necessary so that their bodies can make babies when they grow up
recognise how I feel about these changes happening to me and how to cope with these feelings
| |
4 | Piece 2 Having A Baby | correctly label the internal and external parts of male and female bodies that are necessary for making a baby
understand that having a baby is a personal choice and express how I feel about having children when I am an adult |
Piece 3 Girls and Puberty | describe how a girl’s body changes in order for her to be able to have babies when she is an adult, and that menstruation (having periods) is a natural part of this
know that I have strategies to help me cope with the physical and emotional changes I will experience during puberty
| |
5 | Piece 2 Puberty for Girls | explain how a girl’s body changes during puberty and understand the importance of looking after myself physically and emotionally
understand that puberty is a natural process that happens to everybody and that it will be OK for me
|
Piece 3 Puberty for Boys and Girls | describe how boys’ and girls’ bodies change during puberty
express how I feel about the changes that will happen to me during puberty
| |
Piece 4 Conception | understand that sexual intercourse can lead to conception and that is how babies are usually made understand that sometimes people need IVF to help them have a baby
appreciate how amazing it is that human bodies can reproduce in these ways
| |
6 | Piece 2 Puberty | explain how girls’ and boys’ bodies change during puberty and understand the importance of looking after myself physically and emotionally
express how I feel about the changes that will happen to me during puberty
|
Piece 3 Girl Talk/Boy Talk | ask the questions I need answered about changes during puberty
reflect on how I feel about asking the questions and about the answers I receive | |
Piece 4 Babies – Conception to Birth | describe how a baby develops from conception through the nine months of pregnancy, and how it is born
recognise how I feel when I reflect on the development and birth of a baby | |
Piece 5 Attraction | understand how being physically attracted to someone changes the nature of the relationship
express how I feel about the growing independence of becoming a teenager and am confident that I can cope with this |
Appendix 2: By the end of primary school pupils should know
Relationship Education in Primary schools – what should be included and how does Jigsaw provide the solution?
The focus in primary school should be on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults.
The guidance states that, by the end of primary school:
| Pupils should know… | How Jigsaw provides the solution |
Families and people who care for me
|
| All of these aspects are covered in lessons within the Puzzles
|
Online relationships |
| All of these aspects are covered in lessons within the Puzzles
|
Being safe |
| All of these aspects are covered in lessons within the Puzzles
|
Appendix 3: Parent form: withdrawal from sex education within RSHE
To be completed by parents | |||
Name of child |
| Class |
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Name of parent |
| Date |
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Reason for withdrawing from sex education within relationships and sex education | |||
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Any other information you would like the school to consider | |||
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Parent signature |
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To be completed by the school | |
Agreed actions from discussion with parents |
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