At Urchfont Primary School, RSE is currently and will continue to be taught through Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons using the Jigsaw programme. For schools in England, the Jigsaw is fully compliant with the statutory relationships and health education guidance (2019).

From September 2020, RSE and Health Education forms part of the National Curriculum. This means we have needed to, as a school, review our curriculum and policy so we can ensure our provision is appropriate for our pupils in terms of: age, physical and emotional maturity, religious and cultural background and special educational needs and disabilities.

From September 2020, Relationships, along with Health Education, will be statutory, and form part of the National Curriculum. For Secondary schools Sex Education will also become statutory. However, the DfE continue to recommend that all primary schools should have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils. Where schools provide sex education at key stages 1 and 2, parents will have the right to withdraw their child from sex education but not from statutory Relationships Education, Health Education or what is taught in the Science National curriculum.

This means that we have been reviewing our RSE (Relationship and Sex Education) curriculum and policy so we can be sure our RSE provision is appropriate for our pupils based on their:

Age
Physical and emotional maturity
Religious and cultural backgrounds
Special educational needs and disabilities

Whilst I am sure that there will be differences of opinion about this, we hope that consulting with you will help to inform our schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered, and enable us to reach a general consensus. Consequently, as part of our curriculum review we would appreciate your views on our draft policy for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).

What is taught, and how, is ultimately a decision for the school and consultation does not provide a parental veto on curriculum content as schools are legally required to teach the National Curriculum. The right to withdraw children from some lessons is explained within the policy and FAQs which is on our website.

We have a duty to consult our parents on our approach and your views are important to us. Please clink on the link to read our consultation letter to parents.

Relationship & Sex Education Consultation letter to Parents

The results to the consultation questionnaire can be found here.

We thank the 9 parents who responded to our consultation. The demographics of these parents were spread through the year groups.  

89% of these parents felt that no changes or amendments were required to our RSE policy. There was a spread of answers at what age correct body part names, puberty and hunman reproduction should be taught. After reflection with governors, we have decided that we will continue to teach our RSE curriculum using the Jigsaw resources, adapting them where necessary to reflect the needs of our children. We will continue to inform our parents when RSE is to be taught in the school year and be available to answer any concerns of questions they may have.