Relationships and Sex Education at Cathcart Street
Rationale and aims
At Cathcart Street Primary School, the well-being of children is at the heart of what we do, and our aim is to develop happy, confident and safe children. Our Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) policy and programme have been planned and developed around this aim and to support the physical, moral and emotional development of our pupils. Cathcart Street Primary school considers that RSE is an integral part of the PSHE curriculum and we aim to offer pupils a carefully planned and age appropriate programme which teaches them about family life, healthy relationships, positive self-image and human development whilst also preparing them for the emotional and physical changes of growing up. We believe that these learning opportunities will contribute to the development of ‘happy, confident and safe children’. We view the partnership of home and school as vital in providing the context of these lessons and so the overview of lessons and curriculum has been reviewed and developed after consultation with parents.
Organisation of the curriculum:
The RSE and Health Education curriculum has been organised in line with the statutory requirements outlined in the DfE (2019) ‘Relationships, Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education’ guidance. It also takes into account the views of teachers, pupils and parents. We are dedicated to ensuring our curriculum meets the needs of the whole-school community and will review and adapt when and if necessary. Currently we use resources from both the Jigsaw scheme of work and also the FPA’s PSHE association backed ‘Yasmin and Tom’ interactive resources. We have reviewed both schemes and the lessons in order to organise a curriculum that is age-appropriate for pupils within each year group, based on the views of teachers, parents and pupils. Our RSE curriculum has been organised as outlined as below.
RSE Parent Consultation Feedback – 14th June 2022
Thank you to those parents that joined us for the Relationships and Sex education consultation. Below is a summary of feedback gained from this meeting. We really appreciated your input and suggestions about the curriculum and welcome any more parents/carers who would like to input any suggestions to please contact Mrs Elniff.
Parental Consultation Relationships and Sex Education
29th January 2020
Parents attended a presentation in school outlining the statutory duty to teach RSE, the rationale behind it, to look at curriculum overview and specific examples of lessons to be taught across Y1-Y6
Discussion points
School had carefully gone through the Jigsaw scheme of work, and had re ordered some of the content.
Y2 : felt that the word ‘anus’ should be included as well as bottom. Parents thought correct terminology appropriate. This is taught as the body’s exit point of the digestive system for food waste.
Parents agreed that proper names for body parts e.g breast, penis, and vagina should be introduced throughout the curriculum, and it would become accepted terminology by the children and not cause embarrassment.
When shown the body images picture sheet including pictures of shared body parts e.g hands and feet and also testicles, penis. Parents said they would be happy for children to be shown the images.
Y3: Images shared with the progression from foetus to gestation in the life cycle of a human and growth of a baby. Parents were happy with this and a suggestion made children could also see scanned images. At Y3 conception not covered.
Y3/Y4: In discussion about body changes, parents agreed that discussion about girlfriend and boyfriend should be removed from the content for this age group.
Y4: Consensus that the word ‘vulva’ should be included
Y5: Puberty: there was discussion about the teaching of the female menstrual cycle. Parents felt important to be taught about feminine hygiene, school confirmed included as part of talk about personal hygiene in puberty and also separate talk for girls including what products available. Whilst school would teach types of sanitary protection available, school does not endorse the use of any particular product e.g. tampons, and this would be a matter for discussion at home.
School confirmed awaiting DfE’s free sanitary protection scheme for schools.
It was also discussed the importance of a talk for girls so there is no embarrassment about dealing privately with periods within school. Girls need to feel supported. A parental view was expressed that as girls as young as nine can start menstruating, it would be better that girls were prepared for it.
Y6: Conception taught at this point, through scientific diagrams. Children are not shown videos. It was decided there is no need at this point to discuss IVF and this would not be taught.
Contraception: Discussion that children would be told that adults can take steps to stop a baby being produced, but no specific information given or examples shown about types of contraception . It was noted that in secondary school this is covered as Key Stage 3 curriculum and young people shown various contraceptives.
Parents were shown a range of age appropriate books that were recommended, and school will purchase additional books for parents to loan.
Parents asked what school position was about single sex relationships. Parents were advised that gender is taught as the sex children were born with and that some people identified as different genders. Parents were directed to a display in the entrance hall about gender. Pupils are taught that all families are different, some mixed, some single gender, some single parents, blended families etc. In this way we wish all children to be made to feel accepted and not embarrassed about family make up. Any questions about gender identification arising from the children would be dealt with on an individual basis and discussed with parents with a common sense and supportive approach.
The NCPCC ’Pants’ safety campaign was discussed, what is in your pants is private, but not a secret.
School consulted on taking out ‘masturbation’ and parents agreed this was not necessary to be taught
100% of parents agreed with the content of the year group curriculum as presented.
Parents were shown lesson content examples and images.
Comments from parents:
The session was great, informative and glad that my son will be learning about the body and relationships
Very informative very friendly, well prepared, relaxed Thanks
Happy with the way things are going to be taught
Made us feel much better about what the children will be learning
Very good and informative. I think it is a really good idea to learn from a young age