The Context of Langshott Primary School’s Relationships and Sex Education Policy

What is Relationship and Sex Education?

RSE “is learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, human sexuality and sexual health.  Some aspects are taught in science, and others are taught as part of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE).

A comprehensive programme of SRE provides accurate information about the body, reproduction, sex, and sexual health.  It also gives children and young people essential skills for building positive, enjoyable, respectful and non-exploitative relationships and staying safe both on and offline”. (Brook, SEF, PSHE Association, 2014: 3)

Requirements for Schools

The National Curriculum framework (DfE, 2013) states:

‘Every state-funded school must offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based and which:

• promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society
• prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.’

Our school is committed to the teaching of Relationships and Sex education.

We believe:

• Relationships and Sex education is lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development. It is also about the teaching of sex, sexuality and sexual health. It is not about the promotion of any particular sexual orientation or sexual activity.
• Effective RSE is essential if young people are to make responsible and well-informed decisions about their lives. This is best achieved through a whole school approach.
• RSE is most effective when provided in the wider context of social and emotional development. In schools, successful RSE is firmly rooted in personal, social and health education (PSHE)
• RSE must enable young people to gain information, develop and transfer skills and explore attitudes and values, in order to support informed decision-making.