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RSE

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education

Relationship and Sex education (RSE) and Health education supports children’s lifelong learning about wellbeing and, more particularly, physical, moral, emotional and cultural development. RSE is about understanding of the importance of loving and caring relationships and focuses on the teaching of sexual health, sexuality, 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.

Research demonstrates that good, comprehensive Relationship and Sex Education does not make young people more likely to become sexually active at a younger age.

Statutory Requirements

As a primary academy we must provide relationships education to all pupils as per section 34 of the Children and Social work act 2017.

As an academy, 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 RSE, we are required by our funding agreements to have regard to guidance (RSE and Health Education Guidance 2019, DfE) issued by the secretary of state as outlined in section 403 of the Education Act 1996.

Aims and Objectives for Relationship and Sex Education

The aim of RSE is to provide children with age appropriate information, explore attitudes and values and develop skills in order to empower them to make positive decisions about their health related behaviour.

This should take place with consideration of the qualities of relationships within families.

The objectives of Relationship and Sex Education and Health Education are:

To provide the knowledge and information to which all pupils are entitled;
To clarify/reinforce existing knowledge;
To raise pupils’ empathy, self- esteem and confidence, especially in their relationships with others in all contexts, including online;
To help pupils understand their feelings and behaviour (including sexual feelings), so they can lead fulfilling and enjoyable lives and also know how to take care of themselves and receive support if problems arise;
To help pupils’ develop skills (language, decision making, choice, assertiveness) and make the most of their abilities;
To develop pupils personal attributes including kindness, integrity, generosity, honesty, perseverance and resilience;
To develop pupils’ confidence to be participating members of society and to value themselves and others;
To develop pupils’ skills for a healthier, safer lifestyle;
To support pupils’ development and use of skills including communication skills and assertiveness skills to cope with the influences of their peers and the media;
To teach pupils respect and care for their bodies;
To prepare pupils for puberty and adulthood and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene.
To allow pupils to develop a positive, inclusive attitudes towards all types of family relationships, including same-sex or relationships with include transgender people.

RSE is taught within the personal, social, health education (PSHE) curriculum. Biological aspects of RSE are taught within the science curriculum, and other aspects are included in religious education (RE). Pupils also receive stand-alone sex education sessions delivered by a trained health professional.

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

Primary sex education will focus on:

How a baby is conceived and born

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.

However, the school is free to determine whether pupils should be taught sex education beyond what is required of the national curriculum. At Goldenhill Primary Academy, we have chosen not to teach pupils sex education beyond what is required of the science curriculum.

Coverage

The content covered as part of each year group can be seen in the Changing Me part of our PSHE curriculum. The grid can be viewed in our RSE policy.

Parents’/carers’ right to withdraw

Parents/carers do not have the right to withdraw their children from relationships education or health education.

Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their children from some or all of the [non-statutory/non-science] components of sex education within RSE.

At Goldenhill Primary Academy, puberty is taught as a statutory requirement of Health Education and covered by our Jigsaw PSHE Programme in the ‘Changing Me’ Puzzle (unit).

We have tailored our PSHE (Jigsaw) curriculum to meet the needs of the children that attend Goldenhill Primary. The Changing Me unit will be happening throughout Summer 2 in our PSHE sessions (1hour weekly) over the next 6 weeks from Reception through to Year 6. Each year group will be receiving Changing Me lessons which will cover the following:

Reception Growing up: how we have changed since we were babies
Year 1 Boys’ and girls’ bodies; naming body parts
Year 2 Boys’ and girls’ bodies; body parts and respecting privacy (which parts of the body are private and why this is, including the correct vocabulary)
Year 3 How babies grow and including boys’ and girls’ bodies. Gender stereotypes
Year 4 Internal and external reproductive body parts
Year 5 Puberty for boys and girls including self-image
Year 6 Puberty for boys and girls and self esteem