Relationship, Sex and Health Education Curriculum Statement
Intent
At Clee Hill Community Academy we are committed to providing all pupils with a planned Personal, Social, Health, Education (PSHE) programme to enable them to acquire the knowledge, understanding, skills and strategies they need to develop an understanding of themselves, empathy and the ability to work with others to help pupils form and maintain good relationships, develop the essential skills for future employability and better enjoy and manage their lives. This includes Relationship and Sex Education.
Implementation
Our Sex and Relationship Curriculum follows the PSHE materials however the exact content of the curriculum is reviewed and agreed every three years by our Sex and Relationship Committee consisting of staff, parents/carers and governors. The impact of this collaborative approach enables us to debate and discuss the content of lessons to ensure that our curriculum is suited to the needs of our community.
The SRE Committee
The Government made Relationships Education and Health Education statutory for all schools from September 2020 and produced some information leaflets for parents to explain what the curriculum consists of and is trying to achieve. To view these resources, please visit the link below to find out more.
Teaching staff approach this aspect of the curriculum very sensitively and are aware of how it contributes to pupil’s development; supporting them to develop healthy relationships, keep themselves safe and having factually correct information and the skills to positively manage the physical and emotional changes that will happen as they grow into hopefully happy, confident and responsible teenagers.
The role of Parents & Carers
Parents and carers also play a vital role in talking to their child(ren) about this important part of growing up and keeping themselves safe. To help you understand the type of questions children of different ages may ask and how to best respond to them further information can be obtained from the family planning association website – parent/carers section at https://www.fpa.org .uk/for-parents/
Some aspects of this curriculum are delivered through the National Curriculum for Science and some through the PSHE/RSHE curriculum. Since September 2020, parents are unable to withdraw children from the Relationships Education and Health Education.
At Clee Hill Community Academy, we teach specific Sex Education lessons in Years 4, 5 and 6, and provide parents with the information they require in advance to make the decision over whether they wish to withdraw their children from lessons. We will provide parents the opportunity to review the resources prior to teaching the lessons in order to help them to make an informed decision.
Although parents/carers have the right to request to withdraw their child from any or all of sex education as part of Relationships Education, it is our aim to encourage parents to see the value of RSE learning and its contribution to keeping children safe, developing their emotional, social and physical wellbeing and for promoting equality and social justice.
The SRE policy can be found on the school curriculum page and contains a lot of detail about the teaching of SRE however, if you still have questions, feel free to make an appointment with Mrs Little who will happily go through any part of the curriculum in more detail.
Supporting Pupils with SEND
PSHE plays an important role for learners with SEND — rehearsing and embedding the practical skills and understanding they need to lead independent and fulfilling lives and enjoy safe and healthy relationships. The PSHE Association materials provides adapted documentation to support staff ensuring that PSHE lessons provide an inclusive environment where learners have the opportunity to explore and reflect upon issues that affect them and can develop strategies and skills to manage different real-life situations. For more information, visit the PSHE association website below:
PSHE education for pupils with SEND (pshe-association.org.uk)
Impact
By the end of their academic journey at Clee Hill Community Academy, pupils should be able to demonstrate confidence and awareness
about sex and relationships in an independent and safe way.
They will have developed a good understanding about safety and
risks in relationships and will be prepared for the
physical and emotional changes they undergo during puberty.
The RSE curriculum will have supported pupils' wellbeing and will prepare them for the challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities of adult
life.