Relationships and Sex Education
In school we aim to help children to learn to respect themselves and others and move safely from childhood, through adolescence, into adulthood. As part of this work, we deliver an ongoing programme of Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). We believe that by working in partnerships with parents we can encourage children and young people to make healthy choices as they grow and change.
RSE has an important part to play in learning about emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up. It enables young people to develop the essential life skills for building and maintaining positive, enjoyable, respectful and non-exploitative relationships. It also supports learning about identity and the importance of staying safe, both physically and emotionally, including on and off line.
Our programme of learning begins as soon as children arrive in school and continues until the end of secondary school. There is more information on our primary programme inside the leaflet at the bottom of the page.
Our curriculum map shows what children learn at each stage of their primary education and how this links to the wider curriculum for Personal, Social, Health and Economic education.
For more information see our Relationships and Sex Education Policy.
We are very aware that the RSE we deliver in school is only a small part of children’s learning about their bodies, keeping safe, emotions, relationships and themselves. The majority of children’s learning in this area takes place with you at home. We have carefully reviewed the resources we use to support our teaching, to ensure they are appropriate to the age and needs of the children.
All parents have the right to withdraw their child from the elements of our programme defined as sex education i.e. learning about human conception and birth. As detailed in our letters below, sex education is covered at the following times:
In Key Stage 1 there is no learning about how humans reproduce, but children will learn that animals have offspring – cats have kittens, cows have calves and humans have babies – this is part of Science.
In Year 3/4, we teach that babies are made from a seed and an egg (but not how these join together).
In Year 5/6, we teach about human sexual reproduction, how the sperm and egg join together and the ways babies are born.
If you would like to find out more about our topics or would like to discuss any issues relating to our work on RSE, please arrange a time to come and chat to us in school.