Myself & My Relationships
We deliver Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) as part of our wider provision of Personal, Social and Health Education, which incorporates Citizenship. PSHE includes statutory Health Education. The aims of Relationships Education are further supported by interventions, extracurricular and enrichment activities we provide. For example: social skills interventions, Peer Mediation, the House system and nurture groups.
In PSHE we also learn about our relationships between ourselves and others. Here are some examples of our learning.
RSE
Vision
Excellence achieved through care, creativity and challenge.
Intent
RSE combines elements of Relationships Education (e.g. learning about families, personal safety and emotional wellbeing) with aspects of Health Education (e.g. learning about the spread of illnesses and the changing adolescent body). This combination offers the best location for our provision of non-statutory Sex Education. Our RSE curriculum design ensures all pupils have age-appropriate access to knowledge and skills linked to Healthy Relationships and Sex Education. It explores risks, choices, rights, responsibilities and attitudes.
Following guidance from the DfE, we define Sex Education as learning about ‘how a (human) baby is conceived and born’. This extends the learning about sexual reproduction in ‘some plants and animals’ required through the Science national curriculum. It also complements the statutory requirement to teach about puberty as part of Science and Health Education, as understanding the processes of puberty in humans enables children to better understand sexual reproduction.
Implementation
At KHEF, we use the Cambridgeshire Primary Personal Development Programme, which has detailed teaching notes, ideas for activities and photocopiable resources. These resources support staff at school and include a script to use for certain knowledge-based aspects of RSE.
A teacher, who knows the needs and natures of the children, will deliver RSE, through engaging lessons including sorting, discussion and thinking through scenarios. In Sex Education, there is a certain amount of knowledge, which has to be imparted. Teachers will give the facts in an accessible way using a range of approaches. We acknowledge that sensitive and complex issues will arise, as pupils will naturally ask questions. When spontaneous discussion arises, vigilant staff will manage these questions in a way that reflects the stated school aims and curriculum content will guide it.
Vocabulary progression is mapped carefully; building on vocabulary used in our Nursery, with the recent addition of terms that will be newer to pupils, including harassment, coercion and protected characteristics. Information about content of lessons is available to parents/carers in the termly Home/School Booklets and on the school website-this includes an invitation to talk to staff if they have questions about the curriculum content or would like to view teaching materials. In addition, parents/carers of Y5 and Y6 pupils receive notification regarding the teaching of puberty(Y5) and sexual reproduction(Y6). After consultation with the Head Teacher, parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from Sex Education part of RSE in Y6.
An emphasis on regular teaching about healthy relationships-maintaining, restoring and developing, is an area we feel is particularly important for us. Many of our pupils come from family settings which are fluid, sometimes unstable and often challenging. Due to high CP/CIN/DA, we have to teach our children what healthy relationships are. To that end, we also take time to develop good emotional literacy.
Impact
Relationships Education will be taught throughout the whole school. The impact of Relationships Education will be to see pupils manage themselves well, using essential skills for building and maintaining positive, enjoyable, respectful and non-exploitative relationships.
Enhancement
Alongside PSHE designated lessons, other curriculum areas and enrichment activities can enable further development of skills and attitudes eg work with Peer Mediation, or special days to celebrate Families and Friends.
