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Gladstone Primary Academy

Relationships and Sex Education

In school, we aim to help children to learn to respect themselves and others and move safely and confidently from childhood, through adolescence, into adulthood. We deliver much of this work through Relationships Education and Health Education, which are statutory parts of the broader subject, PSHE. As part of our programme, we provide Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). This programme begins as soon as children arrive in school and continues until the end of secondary school. There is more information about the areas your child will be covering below.

We are very aware that the RSE we deliver in school is only a small part of children’s learning about their bodies, keeping safe, emotions, relationships and themselves. The majority of children’s learning in this area takes place with you at home.

We hope this letter gives you some more information about our partnership in developing children’s knowledge, skills and attitudes relating to RSE. Our Relationships Education Policy, which covers RSE, is available from the website.

You have the right to withdraw your child from the elements of our programme defined as sex education i.e., learning about human conception and birth. Please contact the Head Teacher if you would like to discuss this. If you would like to discuss any issues relating to our work on RSE or to find out more about the lessons, please contact your child’s class teacher.

We can provide you with a link to a video for parents, from Cambridgeshire PSHE Service, explaining how RSE is taught and the areas that are covered in our academy. Please contact the academy if you would like to see this video.

In each year group  children will be engaging with the following questions as part of this work:

Reception 
  • What does my body look like?
  • How has my body changed as it has grown?
  • What can my body do?
  • What differences and similarities are there between our bodies?
  • How can I look after my body and keep it clean?
  • How am I learning to take care of myself and what do I still need help with?
  • Who are the members of my family and trusted people who look after me?
  • How do I feel about growing up?
  • How can I be a good friend?
  • Can I recognise and show my emotions?
Year 1
  • What are the names of the main parts of the body?
  • What can my amazing body do?
  • When am I in charge of my actions and my body?
  • How can I keep my body clean?
  • How can I avoid spreading common illnesses and diseases?
Year 2
  • How do babies change and grow?*
  • How have I changed since I was a baby?*
  • What’s growing in that bump?*
  • What do babies and children need from their families?
  • Which stable, caring relationships are at the heart of families I know?
  • What are my responsibilities now I’m growing up?

*Part of the National Curriculum for Science

Year 3
  • How are male and female bodies different and what are the different parts called?
  • When do we talk about our bodies, how they change, and who do we talk to?
  • What can my body do and how is it special?
  • Why is it important to keep myself clean?
  • What can I do for myself to stay clean and how will this change in the future?
  • How do different illnesses and diseases spread and what can I do to prevent this?
Year 4
  • What are the main stages of the human life cycle?*
  • How did I begin? This is defined as Sex Education.
     
  • What does it mean to be ‘grown up’?
  • What am I responsible for now and how will this change?
  • How do different caring, stable, adult relationships create a secure environment for children to grow up?

*Part of the National Curriculum for Science

Year 5
  • What are male and female sexual parts called and what are their functions?
  • How can I talk about bodies confidently and appropriately?
  • What happens to different bodies at puberty?
  • What might influence my view of my body?
  • How can I keep my growing and changing body clean?
  • How can I reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria?
Year 6
  • What are the different ways babies are conceived and born? This is defined as Sex Education.
     
  • What effect might puberty have on people’s feelings and emotions?
  • How can my words or actions affect how others feel, and what are my responsibilities?
  • What should adults think about before they have children?
  • Why might people get married or become civil partners?
  • What are different families like?

We have carefully reviewed the resources we use to support our teaching, to ensure they are appropriate to the age and needs of the children.

For more information please the DfE parent leaflet on RSE at the bottom of this page.

These are some useful sources of support:

To read the government guidance for Primary parents on RSE follow this link assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812593/RSE_primary_schools_guide_for_parents.pdf

For some ideas on how you might want to answer your children’s questions go to www.bbc.com/teach/class-clips-video/pshe-ks2-the-big-talk/zn8f7nb

For information on talking about RSE to your children, try:

www.fpa.org.uk/advice-parents-and-carers/how-start-talking-about-it

www.bigtalkeducation.co.uk/parents/how-to-talk-about-sex/

www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/healthy-sexual-behaviour-children-young-people/

Documents below - 

 

 

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