Relationships, Sex & Health Education

Introduction

From 2020, Relationships Education will be compulsory in all primary schools in England and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) will be compulsory in all secondary schools. This is in response to the identified risks children and young people may face through their increased online activities and the need to support them to be safe and healthy, and manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.

What is Relationships Education?

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 adults. This will create opportunities to ensure children are taught about positive emotional and mental wellbeing and how friendships can impact on this. Children will also be taught (in an age-appropriate way) to recognise and report different types of abuse, including emotional, physical and sexual. This will include focusing on boundaries and privacy so that children understand that they have rights over their own bodies and know how to seek advice when they suspect or know something is wrong. There will also be opportunities to teach children about boundaries with their peers, including when they are online.

Aims

At Normanton All Saints CE (A) School we will be implementing Relationships Education. To ensure this is effective the school will ensure:

• An age-appropriate curriculum is designed, shared and followed
• A clear policy is in place that includes that this document is statutory and parents do not have the right to withdraw their child from Relationship Education
• For SEND pupils, the head teacher will jointly discuss with parents if a pupil’s specific needs need to be taken into account when making decisions about whether a pupil may be excused.

Our Curriculum

As our children are 7 years and under, we will determine the age-appropriateness of the Primary Objectives set out by the DfE. Meeting these objectives will require a graduated, age-appropriate programme of Relationships Education. Children of the same age may be developmentally at different stages, leading to differing types of questions or behaviours. Our strong curriculum will build on the knowledge pupils have previously acquired, including in other subjects, with regular feedback provided on pupil progress. Lessons are planned to ensure that pupils of differing abilities, including the most able, are suitably challenged. Teaching methods take account these differences (including when they are due to specific special educational needs or disabilities) and the potential for discussion on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. The Headteacher considers what is appropriate and inappropriate in a whole-class setting, as teachers may require support and training in answering questions that are better not dealt with in front of a whole class. All RSHE lessons are taught by trained professionals who have already established a safe relationship with the children. Staff refer to the annexes of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education guidance for further resources and teaching support.

The Primary Objectives defined in the RHE statutory documentation are:
Families and people who care for me
Pupils should know:

• that families are important for children growing up because they can give love, security and stability
• the characteristics of healthy family life, commitment to each other, including in times of difficulty, protection and care for children and other family members, the importance of spending time together and sharing each other’s lives
• that others’ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care
• that stable, caring relationships, which may be of different types, are at the heart of happy families, and are important for children’s security as they grow up
• that marriage represents a formal and legally recognised commitment of two people to each other which is intended to be lifelong
• how to recognise if family relationships are making them feel unhappy or unsafe, and how to seek help or advice from others if needed.

Caring friendships

Pupils should know:

• how important friendships are in making us feel happy and secure, and how people choose and make friends
• the characteristics of friendships, including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences and support with problems and difficulties
• that healthy friendships are positive and welcoming towards others, and do not make others feel lonely or excluded
• that most friendships have ups and downs, and that these can often be worked through so that the friendship is repaired or even strengthened, and that resorting to violence is never right
• how to recognise who to trust and who not to trust, how to judge when a friendship is making them feel unhappy or uncomfortable, managing conflict, how to manage these situations and how to seek help or advice from others, if needed.

Respectful relationships

Pupils should know:

• the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs practical steps they can take in a range of different contexts to improve or support respectful relationships
• the conventions of courtesy and manners
• the importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness
• that in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including those in positions of authority
• about different types of bullying (including cyberbullying), the impact of bullying, responsibilities of bystanders (primarily reporting bullying to an adult) and how to get help
• what a stereotype is, and how stereotypes can be unfair, negative or destructive
• the importance of permission-seeking and giving in relationships with friends, peers and adults.

Online relationships

Pupils should know:

• that people sometimes behave differently online, including by pretending to be someone they are not
• that the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to-face relationships, including the importance of respect for others online including when we are anonymous
• the rules and principles for keeping safe online, how to recognise risks, harmful content and contact, and how to report them
• how to critically consider their online friendships and sources of information including awareness of the risks associated with people they have never met
• how information and data is shared and used online.

Being safe

Pupils should know:

• what sorts of boundaries are appropriate in friendships with peers and others (including in a digital context)
• about the concept of privacy and the implications of it for both children and adults; including that it is not always right to keep secrets if they relate to being safe
• that each person’s body belongs to them, and the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact
• how to respond safely and appropriately to adults they may encounter (in all contexts, including online) whom they do not know
• how to recognise and report feelings of being unsafe or feeling bad about any adult
• how to ask for advice or help for themselves or others, and to keep trying until they are heard
• how to report concerns or abuse, and the vocabulary and confidence needed to do so
• where to get advice, for example family, school or other sources
• Assessment
• All teachers should have the same high expectations of the quality of pupils’ work in these subjects as for other curriculum areas. Teaching should be assessed and assessments used to identify where pupils need extra support or intervention.

Monitoring and Evaluating

The SLT will monitor the impact of the Relationships Education. This is not a standalone subject it is part of the school’s ethos and values and will incorporate our Christian Values, Learning Muscles and SEAL themes.

The effectiveness of the Primary Objectives will be evaluated through:

• Collective worship
• Discussion/debate time
• Questioning and children’s responses
• Stories
• Pupil Questionnaires
• Parent Questionnaires

Dealing with difficult questions, comments and disclosures.

Good practice allows children an open forum to discuss potentially sensitive issues. This in turn can lead to an increase in children disclosing abuse, or of teachers becoming aware of concerns about a child’s wellbeing. Teachers understand how to respond to disclosures of abuse and report any concerns they may have, following the school’s safeguarding procedures. We aim to create an open and safe environment where children can share any questions, comments or worries they may have. Teachers are skilled in discussing and debating key issues with children and will challenge views that may be prejudicial. This will be done in a supportive and age appropriate way that continues to encourage children to talk openly and honestly without judgment. If a child does make a comment or have a question that is more specific and isn’t appropriate to be discussed with the whole class, the teacher will use their professional judgment to decide the best way to respond to the child, this may be that the teacher works with the child during the session and the TA continues the session with the children or this could take place after. It could be appropriate for the Learning Mentor to work with the child further either individually or within a small group. Any concerns should be shared with parents. For disclosures see further guidance detailed below.

Safeguarding and Vulnerable Children

Any child that causes concern should be referred to the DSL following the school’s Child Protection Policy and procedures. If a child is finding the typical aspect of Relationships Education and PSHE difficult in a group/whole class context, staff should discuss this with a DSL or SENCO.

Withdrawal

Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE. However due to the age of our pupils ‘sex education’ will not be taught in the infant phase, therefore there is no right to withdraw from Relationships Education or Health Education.

Parental Engagement

This policy was shared with all stakeholders in September 2020 and again in March 2022 and is available on the school’s website. Parents are encouraged to feedback their views and ideas regarding this policy and the school will respond appropriately.