Sex and Relationships Education Policy

Download our Sex and relationships education policy

This Sex and Relationships Education Policy (SRE) explains the aims of SRE, and it complements Personal, Social, Health Education and Citizenship (PSHE).  It also describes what we teach and the approaches we use.

This policy helps ensure that the whole school community (parents, staff, governors and pupils) have a shared understanding of this important area of the curriculum.  Work on SRE is a requirement for NationalHealthySchool status; we are currently working towards this at NewingtonGreenSchool.

Aims of Sex and Relationship Education

SRE helps to prepare children for adult life.  It starts in the Foundation Stage thinking about feelings, working and playing together and developing children’s self esteem.  As children grow up the curriculum extends to look at the physical and emotional changes that happen as we grow older, different relationships, respecting ourselves and other people, decision-making and reproduction.

SRE has three main elements enabling children to:

• Explore      their own and other people’s attitudes and values
• Develop      and practise personal and social skills
• Increase      their knowledge and understanding

These are some of the aims of SRE at Newington Green School:

Attitudes and values

To consider social and moral dilemmas

To value and respect different types of relationships

To foster respect and responsibility for myself/my body and for others

To clarify myths and misconceptions

To address stereotyping

Personal and social skills

To acquire the knowledge and skill necessary to develop successful relationships

To encourage self awareness and an understanding of how their actions affect others

To develop decision making skills, including critical thinking, awareness of choices and how to act on decisions made

To develop communication skills with peers, parents and other adults

Knowledge and understanding

To provide appropriate information that is relevant to the needs, age and maturity the pupils

To be able to recognise, acknowledge and positively deal with emotions

To understand the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty

To create opportunities to ask questions and clarify ideas in a safe environment

To know what help is available and how to access it

Content of the SRE programme

Where is SRE taught?

SRE forms part of our PSHE programme and is also complemented by work in circle time across the school.  This helps to ensure that it is delivered in the wider context of relationships and that pupils are prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.

There are specific topics in Years 2, 5 and 6 but all classes will cover elements in PHSCE such as feelings, cooperation, friendships and relating well to other people; other areas such as life cycles and body parts are covered within the science curriculum.

Who teachers SRE? The class teacher teachers SRE.

How is SRE taught?

Before beginning SRE teachers establish ‘ground rules’ with their class to ensure a safe and comfortable teaching environment.  In order to best engage pupils the curriculum has been carefully considered to meet pupils’ needs and enable them to develop confidence in talking, listening and thinking about issues surrounding the subject.

We use active and participatory methods allowing for both small and large group discussion and time for the pupils to reflect on what they have learnt.  The majority of the SRE curriculum is delivered to classes in mixed settings.  On occasion single sex settings will be used to discuss more sensitive issues, for example menstruation for girls and nocturnal emission for boys.

In Year 5 and Year 6 a ‘question box’ is used to enable pupils to ask confidential questions on pieces of paper.  The teacher at the end of the programme, drawing on pupils’ learning throughout, answers these.  Teachers will need to consider the age and maturity of the pupils when answering questions and consider how they relate to the intended learning for that class.  There are a number of options on how to respond to a question:

• Answer to      the whole class if it age appropriate and relates to the learning      intentions for that class
• Answer to      an individual child following the lesson
• Refer the      question to be answered at home

Pupils need to feel able to talk in confidence to any member of staff about anything which may be concerning them without fear of being judged or told off.  The welfare of our children is central to our policy and practice.  However, teachers will not be able to promise complete confidence if they consider the child to be at risk.

Teachers need to be mindful that if discussions raise issues of concern for a particular child they should follow the school’s child protection procedures.

What is taught and when?

SRE is taught as part of the PHSCE curriculum in Years 2, 5 and 6 at Newington Green.

The Year 2 SRE programme covers the following areas:  Understanding and respecting the differences and similarities between people, the biological differences between male and female, labelling body parts(vagina, penis), the human life cycle, caring for themselves and others and different types of families and how each are special.

In Year 5 pupils learn about growing and changing, the physical changes associated with puberty, how changes at puberty affect bodily hygiene, how puberty affects emotions and behaviour, menstruation and nocturnal emissions and how to deal with feelings in the context of relationships.

The Year 6 Programme of study covers: Puberty, including physical, emotional, and behavioural changes, gender stereotyping and sexuality, building good relationships, sexual relationships and human reproduction, conception and pregnancy and the roles and responsibilities of being a parent.

The learning intentions and detailed lesson plans for each lesson can be referred to in the SRE scheme of work.

At Newington Green we don’t teach about contraception although if a pupil asks a question during the Year 6 programme we will explain that contraception stops an egg and sperm joining and therefore stops a baby being made.  Should a particular issue arise that is not covered by the Programme of study, e.g. abortion, teachers will address this with the individual student if appropriate or refer their question to their parents.

Evaluation and Assessment

Assessment is an integral part of teaching SRE and enables teachers to measure what pupils have learnt and decide what to teach next.  The programme is evaluated to ensure it meets the changing needs of the young people and reflects the views and values of the school community; this is carried out both by teachers and pupils.

SRE, Equal Opportunities and Inclusion

The SRE curriculum has been developed to take into account the diversity of the school population and to meet the needs of the children at Newington Green.  The teaching materials we use are regularly reviewed to ensure their suitability.  The children are taught in mixed sex groupings for most SRE lessons although teachers use single sex settings when this is deemed to be more appropriate.

Working with Parents and Carers

Parents and Carers have an especially important role to play in SRE; they need to feel confident that Newington Green’s programme complements and supports their role.  To enable this an information session for parents is held to discuss the SRE programme.  Teaching resources will be shown and opportunities will be given for discussion and questions.

Parents and carers have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of a school’s SRE programme, except those parts covered by the statutory national curriculum in science.  Parents who have concerns about SRE are encouraged to talk to the class teacher to discuss the programme in detail.

The Role of the Headteacher

It is the responsibility of the headteacher and the governing body to ensure that both staff and parents are informed about our SRE policy, and that the policy is implemented effectively.  It is also the headteacher’s responsibility to ensure that members of staff are given sufficient training, so that they can deliver the SRE programme effectively, and handle any difficult issues with sensitivity.  Training is provided for teachers through school based and centrally provided INSET, through team-teaching and peer observation.

Reviewed: February 2015