Checklist for How to Approach SRE in Schools

Recommendations of How to Approach SRE in Schools

Preparing to deliver SRE in schools can be more unsettling and worrying for staff and parents than the actual teaching of the subject itself. This is mainly due to misconceptions from the parents and fear of confrontation from the staff.

However SRE does not need to be this way and hopefully, by following these suggestions, SRE can become a subject that can be comfortably discussed and taught in your school.

Teaching

• Staff Consultation – Scheme of Work -Before teaching or delivery begins staff must decide which resources and SOW your school wants to use from Early Years to Year 6. There are many to choose from and it is not necessary to use the same scheme for every year group.

Resources –Schemes and resources can be adapted; if you only want to use diagrams and drawings that is fine, as long as the objectives are achieved. Videos and photos do not need to be used.

• Statutory & Non-Statutory Requirements - Whilst choosing the resources and SOW to use, make sure all staff initially and parents later know the statutory requirements for SRE that appear in the Science curriculum. These will also help to plan what each year group will learn.

• How to Teach - Will you teach it as a unit, once or twice a week or over a half term? Do you want to teach it towards the end of each academic year when the children are a little older? Would it be better for the lessons to be spread over the course of the year? There are no right or wrong answers; it is what is best for your school.

• Mixed Gender Classes - Make decisions which lessons are going to be mixed classes and which, if any, are going to be taught as single sex lessons.

Parents

• Using the Word “Sex” - When preparing to meet with parents to discuss what is going to be taught, it is not necessary to refer to the subject as SRE as this can sometimes make parents feel uncomfortable before they have even been to a meeting. There are a range of optionsincluding; ‘Personal Health Education’ or ‘Relationships Education’.

• Separate Meetingsto Discuss SRE - A separate meeting does not always have to occur to inform parents what their children are going to be learning in this subject alone. Some schools choose to include it when they have meetings each term to tell parents what their children will be learning in every subject. This sometimes helps as it is not made into such a big issue and is treated as just another subject and part of their child’s education.

• Size of Meeting -It is usually helpful for the meetings to be small and only for one or two year groups at a time, rather than whole school meetings, so the content discussed is more age appropriate. Year 1 parents can become worried hearing about periods even though that is not taught until Year 5.

• Informal is Best - If your school does decide to have a separate meeting it is often helpful to make the meeting as informal and comfortable as possible. This can be achieved in several ways; using a classroom with the chairs in a circle and the teachers sitting as part of that circle is often a less formal and confrontational environment than rows of chairs in a hall with the teachers standing at the front. It has also proved more successful when staff who are leading the meeting have spent some time welcoming and chatting to the parents before the meeting begins to build good relationships.

• Separate Gender Meetings - Some schools have found it helpful to hold a separate meeting for Mums and Dads – if there is a male member of staff the meetings can occur at the same time – parents sometimes feel more comfortable asking questions when they are with the same gender.

• Translator - Make sure you have a translator for those parents who require one. A discussion does need to occur with the person who translates before the meeting to see if they feel comfortable talking about this subject with the parents and they can be informed of the words and topics that are going to be discussed and are able to ask any questions themselves or raise any concerns.

• Bullet Points of Learning Outcomes - Provide parents with a brief breakdown of bullet points of what the children will learn each year so they are able to see that there is a natural and age appropriate progression. This needs to be brief and easy to read.

• Time for Questions - Allow parents time to speak and ask questions. Regularly stop in the meeting and check that everyone feels ok about what has been spoken about so far and ask if they have any questions or want anything explained again. The more the parents understand the more accepting they usually are.

• Opting Out - If after the meetings a parent still does not want their child to be part of the lessons they will need to have a separate meeting to express their concerns and beinformed about which parts are statutory. The parent also needs to be asked how they will teach their child. It is good to reiterate that at school their child will receive scientific, accurate and age appropriate lessons in a safe environment where they do not have to be embarrassed to ask questions.

• Reassurance - The aim is to make parents feel informed and comfortable and that SRE is not a taboo subject so that their children can receive the full education they are entitled to.

• Resources –If you choose to show parents the resources you will be using,ensure you are clear as to the reasons why you have chosen these resources. Some schools choose resources to reflect the community they are in; so some schools may choose to use diagrams rather than moving images.