Relationship, Sex and Health Education Policy

Contents

1. Aims        3

2. Statutory requirements        3

3. Policy development        5

4. Definition        5

5. Curriculum        5

6. Delivery of RSHE        6

7. Use of external organisations and materials        7

8. Roles and responsibilities        8

9. Parents’ right to withdraw        9

10. Training        10

11. Monitoring arrangements        10

Appendix 1: Curriculum map        11

Appendix 2: By the end of primary school children should know        12

Appendix 3: Parent form: withdrawal from sex education within RSHE        13

1. Aims

The aims of Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) at our school are to:

• Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place
• Prepare children for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene
• Help children develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy
• Create a positive culture around issues of relationships and identity
• Teach children the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies

At Co-op Academy Princeville we believe that the teaching of RSHE is extremely important for our children. The RSHE that we deliver is carefully planned and intertwines throughout our curriculum. We ensure that RSHE is taught in an age appropriate and sensitive way.

2. Statutory requirements

As a primary academy, we must provide relationships education to all children under section 34 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

We don’t have to follow the National Curriculum, but we are expected to offer all children a curriculum that is similar to the National Curriculum including requirements to teach science. This would include the elements of reproduction contained in the science curriculum, taught in the Year 5 Unit -  ‘Animals, including
Humans’.

In teaching RSHE, we’re 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. 

We also have regard to legal duties set out in:

• Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996
• Part 6, chapter 1 of the Equality Act 2010
• The Public Sector Equality Duty (as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). This duty requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities.

At Co-op Academy Princeville, we teach RSHE as set out in this policy.

3. Policy development

This policy has been developed in consultation with staff, children and parents. The consultation and policy development process involved the following steps:

6. Review – a member of staff or working group pulled together all relevant information including relevant national and local guidance

7. Staff consultation – all school staff were given the opportunity to look at the policy and make recommendations

8. Parent/stakeholder consultation – parents and any interested parties were invited to attend a meeting about the policy

9. Children consultation – we investigated what exactly children want from their RSHE

10. Ratification – once amendments were made, the policy was shared with governors and ratified

4. Definition

RSHE is about the emotional, social and cultural development of children, and this involves learning about relationships, healthy lifestyles, diversity and personal identity.

RSHE involves a combination of sharing information, exploring issues and values.

RSHE is not about the promotion of sexual activity.

5. Curriculum

Our curriculum is set out as per Appendix 1. This is reviewed and adapted on an annual basis.

We have developed the curriculum in consultation with parents, children and staff, taking into account the age, needs and feelings of children.

We base our curriculum on the ‘Coram Life Education and SCARF ’ published curriculum. The chosen content prepares children well for their next stage and for adulthood. We have planned carefully to ensure children build their knowledge in a logical, progressive sequence.

Our curriculum focuses on building resilience and preventative knowledge from an early age, equipping children to navigate the complexities of the modern world, especially online, while mandating greater transparency with parents.

The curriculum will focus on:

• Preparing boys and girls for the changes that adolescence brings.
• Online safety and harms (including sexually harmful online content, image sharing and rights regarding digital privacy, consent and personal data).
• Development of skills and emotional health (including communicating effectively, emotional resilience and bereavement).
• Inclusion and equality (different family arrangements, including same-sex parents, and gender identity).
• Challenging harmful attitudes such as sexism, misogyny and stereotypes.
• RSHE will be taught in line with our Behaviour Policy and SafeguardingPolicy including links to SMSC & British values.

For more information about our curriculum, see our curriculum map in Appendix 1.

https://www.coramlifeeducation.org.uk/scarf/dfe-relationships-health

6. Delivery of RSHE

RSHE is taught within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Biological aspects of RSHE are taught within the science curriculum  (Year 5, ‘Animals, Including Humans’), and other aspects, such as tolerance and respect, are included in religious education (RE).

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

These areas of learning are taught within the context of family life, taking care to make sure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances:

• Foster/Adoptive Families
• Racially Diverse Families
• Culturally Diverse Families
• Blended Families
• Extended Families
• Childless Families
• Amongst other structures and including combinations of arrangements above

Children will also learn that parents may be single, adoptive, foster, same-sex, grand-parents amongst many others. We will ensure that the curriculum is taught sensitively, acknowledging that some children may have a different structure of support around them (for example, looked-after children or young carers).

We will actively promote the rights of people who may experience prejudice in their everyday lives, paying attention to the law and relevant legal requirements. We will challenge prejudice and ensure that children understand their legal responsibility not to engage in illegal political activity, such as violent action against people, criminal damage to property, hate crime, terrorism or the illegal use of drugs.

•  Inclusivity

We will teach in a manner which:

• Considers how materials and topics relate to a diverse range of children
• Is sensitive to all children’s experiences
• Makes children feel safe, supported and able to engage with the key messages

We will also make sure that children learn about these topics in an environment that’s appropriate for them, for example in:

• A whole-class setting
• Small groups or targeted sessions
• Using a variety of formats
• Give careful consideration to the level of differentiation needed

•  Use of resources

We will consider whether any resources we plan to use:

• Are aligned with the teaching requirements set out in the statutory RSHE guidance
• Would support children in applying their knowledge in different contexts and settings
• Are age-appropriate, given the age, developmental stage and background of our children
• Are evidence-based and contain robust facts and statistics
• Fit into our curriculum plan
• Are from credible sources
• Are compatible with effective teaching approaches
• Are sensitive to children' s experiences and won’t provoke distress  

7. Use of external organisations and materials

We will make sure that an agency and any materials used are appropriate and in line with our legal duties around political impartiality.

The school remains responsible for what is said to children. This includes making sure that any speakers, tools and resources used don’t undermine the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.  

We will:

• Make appropriate checks and engage with external agencies to make sure that their approach to teaching about RSHE is balanced and the resources they intend to use:

• Are age-appropriate
• Are in line with children’ developmental stage
• Comply with:

• This policy
• The Teachers’ Standards 
• The Equality Act 2010 
• The Human Rights Act 1998 
• The Education Act 1996 

• Only work with external agencies where we have full confidence in the agency, its approach and the resources it uses
• Make sure that any speakers and resources meet the intended outcome of the relevant part of the curriculum
• Review any case study materials and look for feedback from other people the agency has worked with

• Be clear on:

• What they’re going to say
• Their position on the issues to be discussed

• Ask to see in advance any materials that the agency may use  
• Know the named individuals who will be there, and follow our usual safeguarding procedures for these people
• Conduct a basic online search and address anything that may be of concern to us, or to parents and carers
• Check the agency’s protocol for taking pictures or using any personal data they might get from a session
• Remind teachers that they can say “no” or, in extreme cases, stop a session  
• Make sure that the teacher is in the room during any sessions with external speakers  

We won’t, under any circumstances:

• Work with external agencies that take or promote extreme political positions
• Use materials produced by such agencies, even if the material itself is not extreme

8. Roles and responsibilities

8.1 The governing board

The governing board will hold the headteacher to account for the implementation of this policy.

The governing board has retained responsibility for the approval of this policy to the Headteacher.

8.2 The headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for ensuring that RSHE is taught consistently across the school, and for managing requests to withdraw children from components of RSHE (see section 9).

8.3 Staff

Staff are responsible for:

• Delivering RSHE in a sensitive way
• Modelling positive attitudes to RSHE
• Monitoring progress
• Responding to the needs of individual children
• Responding appropriately to children whose parents wish them to be withdrawn from 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.

All teaching staff are expected to take part in the delivery of the RSHE curriculum.

8.4 Children

Children are expected to engage fully in RSHE and, when discussing issues related to RSHE, treat others with respect and sensitivity.

9. Parents’ right to withdraw

Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from relationships education. The Academy will ensure that RSHE is taught in a sensitive manner, taking into account children’s context and prior experiences.

10. Training

Staff are trained on the delivery of RSE 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.

11. Monitoring arrangements

The delivery of RSHE is monitored by Sam Furniss through termly learning walks, scrutiny of work and children voice

Children' s development in RSHE is monitored by class teachers as part of our internal assessment systems.

This policy will be reviewed by Sam Furniss (DSL) and Rimah Aasim (Executive Headteacher). At every review, the policy will be approved by the governing board and The Co-op Academies Trust.

Appendix 1: Curriculum map

PSHE including relationships and sex education curriculum map

DfE Parents Guide

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907638/RSE_primary_schools_guide_for_parents.pdf

Appendix 2: By the end of primary school children should know

Appendix 3: Parent form: withdrawal from sex education within RSE