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RSE Policy

Relationships and sex education at The Royal School

 

At The royal school our vision is to light up our communities and the world through being - big thinkers – resourceful - independent and resilient - generous of spirit - honest and - team players

 

Relationships and sex education is interwoven throughout our school vision, in particular the aspects of:

  • Independent and resilient
  • Generous of spirit
  • Honest
  • Team players

 

RSE is included in curriculum planning as part of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PHSE) and Science at The Royal School.

 

Sex education beyond the scope of the science curriculum up to lower Key Stage 2 is not delivered at The Royal School.

 

The delivery of RSE is not solely through planned lessons but also through the way that we relate to each other and the way that adults at the school model appropriate behaviour within relationships. Our school mission statement states that on a daily basis children are “learning to love” and this idea that friendships and positive relationships are based on skills that we can learn is taught incidently throughout the school day.

 


1. Aims

The aims of relationships and sex education (RSE) at our school are to:

   Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place

   Prepare pupils for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene

   Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy

   Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships

   Teach pupils the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies

 

2. Statutory requirements

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

However, we are not required to provide sex education, but we do need to teach the elements of sex education contained in the science curriculum.

In teaching RSE, we must have regard to guidance issued by the secretary of state as outlined in section 403 of the Education Act 1996.

At The Royal School we teach RSE as set out in this policy.

 

3. Policy development

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

  1. Review – the headteacher pulled together all relevant information including relevant national and local guidance
  2. Education committee consultation.  Governors on the education committee were given the opportunity to look at the policy and make recommendations
  3. Staff consultation – all school staff were given the opportunity to look at the policy and make recommendations
  4. Parent/stakeholder consultation – parents and any interested parties were given the opportunity to look at the policy and submit a written response.  Parents who submit a written response will then be invited to attend a meeting about the policy
  5. Ratification – once amendments were made, the policy was shared with governors and ratified

 

4. Definition

RSE is about the emotional, social and cultural development of pupils, and involves learning about relationships, 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.

RSE teaching will be delivered via two areas of the curriculum – Science and PSHE. 

 

At Key Stage 1: - 

  • Children should know that humans develop at different rates. 
  • The animals including humans, move, feed, grow, use their senses and reproduce 
  • To recognise and compare the main external parts of bodies of the humans 
  • That humans and animals can produce off spring and these grow into adults 
  • To recognise the similarities between themselves and others and treat others with sensitivity. 

 

At Key Stage 2:- 

 

  • Begin to know about and have some understanding of the physical, emotional and social changes, which take place at puberty. 
  • Know that there are many different kinds of friendship; be able to talk about friends with important adults. 
  • That the life processes common to humans and other animals include nutrition, growth and reproduction 
  • The main stages of the human life cycle 

 

Our Governors have agreed that no formal teaching of sex education beyond this scope will take place in the classrooms. Where children ask questions the teaching staff will direct this topic to parents.  

 

6. Delivery of RSE

RSE is taught within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Biological aspects of RSE are taught within the science curriculum, and other aspects are included in religious education (RE)  and Information technology (staying safe online)

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 ensure that there is no stigmatization of children based on their home circumstances (families can include single parent families, LGBT parents, families headed by grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents/carers among other structures) along with reflecting sensitively that some children may have a different structure of support around them (for example: looked after children or young carers).

 

7. Roles and responsibilities

7.1 The governing board

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

The governing board has delegated the approval of this policy to the headteacher

7.2 The headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for ensuring that RSE is taught consistently across the school.

7.3 Staff

Staff are responsible for:

   Delivering RSE in a sensitive way

   Modelling positive attitudes to RSE

   Monitoring progress

   Responding to the needs of individual pupils

   Reporting to parents if a child has requested information beyond the scope of The Royal School RSE curriculum.

   Responding appropriately to pupils who ask questions beyond the scope of the curriculum by guiding them to have a further discussion with their parents.

    

All teachers are responsible for planning, RSE to meet the learning needs of their class.  The Headteacher is the curriculum leader for RSE.

 

7.4 Pupils

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

 

8. Parents’ right to withdraw

Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from relationships education.

 

9. 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 health professionals, to provide support and training to staff teaching RSE.

 

10. Monitoring arrangements

The delivery of RSE is monitored by the headteacher through, planning scrutinise and samples of pupils work.

Pupils’ development in RSE is monitored by class teachers as part of our internal assessment systems.

This policy will be reviewed by the headteacher annually in September.  It is a live document and any changes or recommendations should be forwarded to the headteacher.

 

 

 

By the end of primary school pupils should know

Topic

Pupils should know

Families and people who care about me
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 e.g. family, school and/or other sources