Relationship and Sex Education (RSE)

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

At St. John’s, Relationships Education and RSE are rooted in our school values, the Christian faith and the needs of our individual children.

‘Everyone will be treated with dignity as all people are made in the image of God and loved equally by God. All pupils have a right to an education which enables them to flourish and is set in a learning community where differences of lifestyle and opinion (within that which is permissible under UK law) are treated with dignity and respect; bullying of all kinds is eliminated; and where they are free to be themselves and fulfil their potential without fear.’ (The Church of England Education Office, 2019)

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in primary schools teaches the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships and relationships with other peers and adults. It provides lifelong learning about physical, sexual, moral and emotional development. It provides the understanding of the importance of stable and loving relationships, respect, love and care, as well as puberty, conception, reproduction and birth.

At St John’s, we believe children should learn about relationships as well as the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, human sexuality and sexual health in an age-appropriate way. This goes beyond learning about relationships, to include puberty, how a baby is conceived and born, body ownership, and safeguarding.

We use a leading children’s health and wellbeing charity, Coram Life Education to support us in meeting the requirements of RSE. The SCARF resources help children to be safe, healthy and happy, both as they grow, and into their future lives. RSE is delivered through PSHE and Science lessons.

Our curriculum ensures both boys and girls are prepared for the changes adolescence brings and drawing on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the National Curriculum for Science, understanding human reproduction and birth. Health Education, which is statutory from September 2020, covers the key facts about puberty and the changing adolescent body.

Relationships and Sex Education

• Puberty (statutory within Health Education and Science National Curriculum)
• Conception including sexual intercourse and IVF (non-statutory – parents have the right to withdraw from this element of the curriculum)
• Reproduction - egg and sperm meeting (statutory within Science National Curriculum)
• Birth (statutory within Science National Curriculum)

Our spiral curriculum ensures both boys and girls are prepared for the changes adolescence brings and drawing on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the National Curriculum for Science, understand how a baby is conceived and born. Health Education, which is statutory from September 2020, covers the key facts about puberty and the changing adolescent body.

Relationship and Sex Education is taught by the class teacher and ground rules are set at the beginning of each session. Staff are responsive to the needs of our pupils and will adapt planning accordingly.