RSE (Relationship and Sex Education)

Statutory Relationships and Health Education

(our RSE policy is included in our PSHE policy attached below)

Relationships Education

What does the DfE statutory guidance on Relationships Education expect children to know by the time they leave primary school?

Relationships Education in primary schools will cover ‘Families and people who care for me’, ‘Caring friendships’, ‘Respectful relationships’, ‘Online relationships’, and ‘Being safe’.

The expected outcomes for each of these elements can be found further on in this policy. The way the Jigsaw Programme covers these is explained in the mapping document: Jigsaw 3-11 and Statutory Relationships and Health Education.

It is important to explain that whilst the Relationships Puzzle (unit) in Jigsaw covers most of the statutory Relationships Education, some of the outcomes are also taught elsewhere in Jigsaw e.g. the Celebrating Difference Puzzle helps children appreciate that there are many types of family composition and that each is important to the children involved. This holistic approach ensures the learning is reinforced through the year and across the curriculum.

Parents should also be aware that the Church of England states in “Valuing All God’s Children”, 2019, that Relationships and Sex education should: “Make it clear that relationships and sex education is designed to prepare all pupils for the future, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. RSE must promote gender equality and LGBT equality and it must challenge discrimination. RSE must take the needs and experiences of LGBT people into account and it should seek to develop understanding that there are a variety of relationships and family patterns in the modern world.” (Page 34)

Health Education

What does the DfE statutory guidance on Health Education expect children to know by the time they leave primary school?

Health Education in primary schools will cover ‘Mental wellbeing’, ‘Internet safety and harms’, Physical health and fitness’, Healthy eating’, ‘Drugs, alcohol and tobacco’, ‘Health and prevention’, ‘Basic First Aid’, ‘Changing adolescent body’.

The expected outcomes for each of these elements can be found further on in this policy. The way the Jigsaw Programme covers these is explained in the mapping document: Jigsaw 3-11 and Statutory Relationships and Health Education.

It is important to explain that whilst the Healthy Me Puzzle (unit) in Jigsaw covers most of the statutory Health Education, some of the outcomes are taught elsewhere in Jigsaw e.g.emotional and mental health is nurtured every lesson through the Calm me time, social skills are grown every lesson through the Connect us activity and respect is enhanced through the use of the Jigsaw Charter.

Also, teaching children about puberty is now a statutory requirement which sits within the Health Education part of the DfE guidance within the ‘Changing adolescent body’ strand, and in Jigsaw this is taught as part of the Changing Me Puzzle (unit).

Again, the mapping document transparantly shows how the Jigsaw whole-school approach spirals the learning and meets all statutory requirements and more.

Sex Education

The DfE Guidance 2019 (p.23) recommends that all primary schools ‘have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils.

However, ‘Sex Education is not compulsory in primary schools’. (p. 23)

Schools are to determine the content of sex education at primary school. Sex education ‘should ensure that both boys and girls are prepared for the changes that adolescence brings and – drawing on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the national curriculum for science - how a baby is conceived and born’.

At Quainton C of E School School, we believe children should understand the facts about human reproduction before they leave primary school.  At secondary school Sex Education is statutory and we believe that primary schools should prepare children with accurate knowledge about puberty and human reproduction before they transfer to secondary school.

We define Sex Education as understanding human reproduction.

We intend to teach this as part of PSHE and not science. Therefore the Sex education, as defined above , is not statutory and parents can withdraw their child from these specific lessons.

Parents’ right to request their child be excused from Sex Education

 “Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory Relationships and Sex Education” DfE Guidance p.17

At Quainton C of E School,  puberty is taught as a statutory requirement of Health Education and covered by our Jigsaw PSHE Programme in the ‘Changing Me’ unit. We conclude that sex education refers to Human Reproduction, and therefore inform parents of their right to request their child be withdrawn from the PSHE lessons that explicitly teach this i.e. the Jigsaw Changing Me unit e.g.

Year 5, Lesson 4 (Conception) Please note this was previously a Year 4 lesson

Year 6, Lesson 4 (Conception, birth)

The school will inform parents of this right by a parent before the Changing Me unit is taught.

Monitoring and Review

The full governing body monitors this policy on an annual basis. This committee reports its findings and recommendations to the full governing body, as necessary, if the policy needs modification. The full governing body gives serious consideration to any comments from parents about the PSHE (RSHE) programme, and makes a record of all such comments. Governors scrutinise and ratify teaching materials to check they are in accordance with the school’s ethos.