Latymer All Saints CE Primary School

Sex and Relationship Education Policy

Date: November 2014 Review Date: November 2016

RATIONALE

Sex Education is an integral part of preparing pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. Before reaching adulthood, pupils will go through a number of physical, emotional and social changes in their lives. They will be experiencing, from a very young age and from many sources, a variety of information - myths as well as facts, about relationships and growing up. It is therefore crucial that school should give pupils an opportunity, through sex education, to explore these issues and consider and reflect upon them. Schools need to provide young pupils with the skills to feel empowered and have control over their own sexual health and identity.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Latymer All Saints School believes that sex and relationships education should be developmental and a foundation for further work in secondary school.

Sex and relationships education in the school contribute to the requirements of the Education Act (1996) and the Learning and Skills Act (2000) which states that the curriculum should:

  • Promote the spiritual, moral, mental and physical development of the pupils at the school;
  • Prepare each pupil for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life;
  • Teach the pupils, as part of the National (Key Stage 1 & 2) Curriculum for science, about the human body and its development.

The sex and relationship education programme should;

  • Enable pupils to consider their own attitudes and to make informed reasoned and responsible decisions about the way they will live while they are at school, and at home in adult life;
  • Ensure pupils have opportunities to develop social skills, assertiveness and decision making skills.
  • Help pupils to develop: self-esteem, self-respect, respect for others, understanding and sensitivity todifferences including: gender, sexuality, ethnicity, faith, age and disability.
  • Provide an appropriate vocabulary for discussing personal, social and health matters.
  • Present information to the pupils in an objective and balanced manner so as to enable pupils to comprehend the range of attitudes and behaviours in present day society.
  • Help and support pupils through their physical, emotional, spiritual and moral development.
  • Give pupils an understanding of human reproduction.

Equal Opportunities

See Equal Opportunities policy.

Organization And Delivery Of Sex And Relationship Education

Sex and relationship education will be delivered in a number of ways:

  • Through PHSE/SEAL delivery
  • Through planned aspects of science that relate directly to the National Curriculum.
  • Through R.E.
  • Through pastoral care
  • Through visits to the school from various speakers and health workers.

The programme for sex and relationship education should be implemented by all staff in the school including, welfare and classroom assistants. Where it is deemed appropriate single gender group teaching may occur.

Elements of sex and relationship education in the science curriculum will be formally assessed.

Resources

Resources used should provide information that is easy to understand, relevant and appropriate to the age and maturity of the pupils.

Resources used to deliver sex education and relationship education:

  • Books
  • Information packs
  • Television programmes
  • Online Videos
  • Talks from outside agencies

Working with parents

  • Under the Education Act 1996 pupils can be withdrawn by their parents from part of sex education which is neither a part of National Curriculum Science nor included in this Act. However parents are strongly invited to view for themselves resources used for sex education. If parents still wish to withdraw their children we will ask that the request be submitted in writing.

Answering difficult questions

  • Sometimes an individual child will ask an explicit or difficult question in the classroom. Questions do not have to be answered directly and may be addressed individually later. This school believes that individuals must use their skill and discretion in these situations and refer to the Head Teacher if they are concerned. It may also be appropriate for the teacher to suggest that the child ask his/ her parents.

Use of visitors

  • When a visitor comes into school to support sex and relationship education, a teacher must always be present.

Procedure For Policy Monitoring

The policy will be reviewed every two years by Head Teacher, staff and governors.

Dissemination of the Policy

All staff members and governors will receive a copy of this policy. Copies for parents will be available from the office on request.