Relationships and Sex Education at Singleton School
Secretary of State Foreword
Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.
This is why we have made Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools in England and Relationships and Sex Education compulsory in all secondary schools, as well as making Health Education compulsory in all state-funded schools. The key decisions on these subjects have been informed by a thorough engagement process, including a public call for evidence that received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people, schools and experts and a public consultation where over 40,000 people contacted the Department for Education.
The depth and breadth of views is clear, and there are understandable and legitimate areas of contention. Our guiding principles have been that all of the compulsory subject content must be age appropriate and developmentally appropriate. It must be taught sensitively and inclusively, with respect to the backgrounds and beliefs of pupils and parents while always with the aim of providing pupils with the knowledge they need of the law.
We are clear that parents and carers are the prime educators for children on many of these matters. Schools complement and reinforce this role and have told us that they see building on what pupils learn at home as an important part of delivering a good education. We agree with this principle and congratulate the many schools delivering outstanding provision to support the personal development and pastoral needs of their pupils. We are determined that the subjects must be deliverable and give schools flexibility to shape their curriculum according to the needs of their pupils and communities.
In primary schools, we want the subjects to put in place the key building blocks of healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships, in all contexts, including online. This will sit alongside the essential understanding of how to be healthy. At secondary, teaching will build on the knowledge acquired at primary and develop further pupils’ understanding of health, with an increased focus on risk areas such as drugs and alcohol, as well as introducing knowledge about intimate relationships and sex.
Teaching about mental wellbeing is central to these subjects, especially as a priority for parents is their children’s happiness. We know that children and young people are increasingly experiencing challenges, and that young people are at particular risk of feeling lonely. The new subject content will give them the knowledge and capability to take care of themselves and receive support if problems arise.
All of this content should support the wider work of schools in helping to foster pupil wellbeing and develop resilience and character that we know are fundamental to pupils being happy, successful and productive members of society. Central to this is pupils’ ability to believe that they can achieve goals, both academic and personal; to stick to tasks that will help them achieve those goals, even when the reward may be distant or uncertain; and to recover from knocks and challenging periods in their lives.
This should be complemented by development of personal attributes including kindness, integrity, generosity, and honesty. We have endeavoured to ensure the content is proportionate and deliverable. Whilst we are not mandating content on financial education or careers, we want to support the high quality teaching of these areas in all schools as part of a comprehensive programme, which complements the national curriculum where appropriate and meets the ambitions of the Careers Strategy. We know that many schools will choose to teach the compulsory content within a wider programme of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education or similar. Schools are encouraged to continue to do so, if this is right for them, and build on established, high quality programmes.
These subjects represent a huge opportunity to help our children and young people develop. The knowledge and attributes gained will support their own, and others’, wellbeing and attainment and help young people to become successful and happy adults who make a meaningful contribution to society.
Should you require further information please follow the following link which will take you to the 50 page DfE guidance document.
Information for Parents
Our policy has been written taking into account the above DfE guidance document but also with the support, advice and guidance from Blackburn Diocese.
- The relationships policy is available to all parents via the link below
- Our teaching of relationships is done in a positive and sensitive way and is underpinned by our Christian Vision.
- Our policy encompasses all the statuary requirements
- We use the LCC recommended teaching materials provided by Coram Life Education and RSE – Please click the link below for more details. There is an excellent section for parents. https://www.coramlifeeducation.org.uk/
- It is important for parents to note that at primary level the Relationships Education and the Health Education is statutory so there is no option to withdraw from these subjects
- The Sex Education at primary level includes puberty, conception, reproduction and birth. Puberty is statutory under health Education and national Curriculum Science as are birth and reproduction so there is no right to withdraw from these This leaves conception – which we deem to refer to what happens during sexual intercourse before the egg and sperm meet. This part of sex education is non statutory and as a school we have opted not to teach this aspect. We do however have access to recommended teaching materials (SCARF) and should parents wish to address this aspect you can find the document below – Making Babies
- Parents can view all of the planning and teaching content – see below
- Parents are encouraged to use these resources at home if they wish to address the non-statutory elements that will not be taught in school.
Relationships and Sex Education Policy
Relationships and Sex Ed Policy – 2024
Planning and Teaching content