Medlock Primary School

Relationships Education Policy

Ratified: March 2022

Review: March 2023

Contents

1. Aims 2

2. Statutory requirements 2

3. Policy development 2

4. Definition 2

5. Curriculum 4

6. Delivery of Relationships Education 4

7. Roles and responsibilities 4

8. Parents’ right to withdraw 5

10. Monitoring arrangements 5

Appendix 1: Curriculum map 6

Appendix 2: Medlock Primary School letter to parents issued every summer term 7

Appendix 3: National Curriculum for Science 8

Appendix 4: School expectations 9

Appendix 5: British values 10

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1. Aims

The aims of relationships education at Medlock Primary School are to:

● Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place: ● Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy: ● Create a positive platform for open discussions about the nature of relationships, their purpose and the roles taken in them:

● Understand and recognise the many forms a relationship can take: ● Understand all relationships are mutual and consensual:

● Place relationships within the context of the Medlock School Expectations:

● Discuss relationships within the context of the 5 British Values. 2. Statutory requirements

As a maintained primary school we must provide relationships education to all pupils as per section 34 of the Children and Social work act 2017.

In teaching Relationships Education, we must have regard to guidance issued by the secretary of state as outlined in section 403 of the Education Act 1996.

At Medlock Primary School we teach Relationships Education as set out in this policy.

3. Policy development

Our curriculum scheme of work follows the Manchester Healthy Schools’ IMatters curriculum. It outlines the ages in which aspects of relationship and sex education is taught ensuring that it is age appropriate. The IMatters curriculum was written to reflect the diverse and inclusive community that is the City of Manchester. The policy was shared with governors before ratification.

4. Definition

We define ‘relationships education’ as learning:

● Accurate and age-appropriate skills, exploring values and attitudes, developing skills to enable them to build positive, respectful relationships, enabling them to lead fulfilling, happy lives with particular reference to friendships, family relationships and relationships with other children and adults.

● Respect for others in terms of understanding their and others’ boundaries in play.

● How to stay safe on and offline in the digital world in which they live. 2

● About emotional and mental wellbeing including how relationships can support emotional wellbeing.

We define ‘sex education’ as enabling children and young people to acquire knowledge about the body, reproduction and how a baby is made.

This will include learning about:

● The main external parts of the body.

● The human body and how it changes from birth to old age (including puberty)

● Reproduction in some plants and animals.

Pupils will be taught about diversity. This will include:

● Identifying similarities and differences between people.

● Recognising and celebrating diversity within our communities. ● Describe different groups to which we are part of in our communities. ● Demonstrating respect for difference and communicating this to others.

When pupils are taught about gender roles they will cover the following topics:

● Identifying gender stereotypes

● Defining the meaning of terms ‘stereotype’ and ‘discrimination’ ● Reflecting on what they feel about difference and that different things contribute to identity.

All pupils will be taught to:

● Respect and value similarities and differences.

● Recognise that we are all equal and that it is acceptable to be different. ● Understand who to speak to when they need support, have at least one trusted adult in school that they can name and go to for support.

Our agreed definition of the differences between ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ are based on the UK government’s definition, the UK government defines sex as: ● referring to the biological aspects of an individual as determined by their anatomy, which is produced by their chromosomes, hormones and their interactions 

● generally male or female 

● something that is assigned at birth. 

The UK government defines gender as: 

● a social construction relating to behaviours and attributes based on labels of masculinity and femininity; gender identity is a personal, internal perception of oneself and so the gender category someone identifies with may not match the sex they were assigned at birth 

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● where an individual may see themselves as a man, a woman, as having no gender, or as having a non-binary gender – where people identify as somewhere on a spectrum between man and woman. 

5. Curriculum

Our curriculum is set out as per Appendix 1 and is based on the IMatters curriculum. Relationships teaching is child led and question driven. If pupils ask questions outside the scope of this policy, teachers will respond in an appropriate manner so all pupils are fully informed and don’t seek answers online.

6. Delivery of Relationships Education

Relationships Education is taught within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum.

Relationships education focuses on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships including:

● Families and people who care for me

● Caring friendships

● Respectful relationships

● Online relationships

● Family structures, marriages and civil partnerships

● Being safe

For more information about our RSE curriculum, see Appendix 1. 7. Roles and responsibilities

The Governing Board

The governing board will approve the Relationships policy and hold the headteacher to account for its implementation.

The Headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for ensuring that Relationships are taught consistently across the school.

Staff

Staff are responsible for:

● Delivering Relationships Education in a sensitive way

● Modelling positive attitudes to different forms of relationship ● Monitoring progress

● Responding to the needs of individual pupils

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8. Parents’ right to withdraw

Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from relationships education.

At Medlock Primary, sex education lesson that parents can withdraw from is ‘How a baby is made.’ (Year 6, lesson 3 on the school’s website). All other lessons are compulsory. During the summer term an email / letter will be sent to all parents / carers drawing their attention to the three RSE lessons (appendix 2).

Parents/ carers who wish to withdraw from the sex education lesson in year 6 may be invited in to see the Head Teacher / RSE Co-ordinator who may explore any concerns and discuss any impact that withdrawal may have on the child.

Provision will be made for those children withdrawn from the sex education lesson via an alternative PSHE lesson with a teacher or TA present. Please note that withdrawal from sex education in RSE does not withdraw your child from these elements in the statutory National Curriculum for Science (Appendix 3).

9. Monitoring arrangements

The delivery of Relationships curriculum is monitored by RSE co-ordinator through:

● work scrutiny

● professional conversations

● pupil feedback and questionnaires

● learning walks

Pupils’ development in RSE is monitored by class teachers as part of our internal assessment systems.

This policy will be reviewed by the RSE co-ordinator in conjunction with the school’s senior leadership team annually. At every review, the policy will be approved by the governing board.

10. Monitoring arrangements

The delivery of Relationships Education is monitored by the school leadership team. Monitoring takes the form of planning scrutinies, learning walks and in some instances paired or team teaching.

Pupils’ development in Relationships Education is monitored by class teachers as part of our internal assessment systems.

This policy will be reviewed annually.

At every review, the policy will be approved by the governing board. 5

Appendix 1 - Curriculum Map

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Appendix 2 - Medlock Primary School letter to parents issued every summer term (from summer 2022)

Dear Parent/Carer

Re: Sessions on …………………….

As part of the school’s Personal, Social and Health Education programme, your child will soon receive relationship and sex education.

This will include a unit of lessons on self-esteem, healthy relationships, personal safety and growing up.

There is a vast amount of, and sometimes confusing, information about relationships and sex on the internet, on TV, in magazines, etc. which children and young people are exposed to. This can sometimes make an already confusing time seem even more complicated.

The purpose of the upcoming unit is to provide your child with the knowledge and skills to keep them safe in the modern world. The unit will develop attitudes which will help pupils form relationships in a responsible and healthy manner, based on love and respect.

If students are provided with timely and age appropriate information about their bodies and relationships, they can make their transition into adulthood with the confidence and knowledge to understand what is happening to them, and hopefully grow into confident and healthy adults able to make positive choices.

The session in school may reinforce what you are already speaking to your child about at home.

Resources and content of the sessions are available on the school’s website www.medlockprimaryschool.com under the curriculum tab.

Yours faithfully

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Appendix 3 - Statutory Provision in Science Curriculum

Detailed below are sections taken directly from the updated Science Curriculum Statutory (2014).

The sections detailed are those which specifically mention relationships and sex education. There are other relevant sections, which could create opportunity to discuss relationships and sex education further.

Key Stage 1 Children (Years 1 and 2) should learn to:

• Identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense

• Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults

Key Stage 2 Children (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6) should learn to:

• Describe the changes as humans develop to old age

• Describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals

• Recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents

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Appendix 4

Medlock School Expectations

School Expectations 

We are kind and helpful We listen to each other We are responsible

We love challenge

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Appendix 5

British Values

Please see the government publication ‘Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools’

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/atta chment_data/file/380595/SMSC_Guidance_Maintained_Schools.pdf 

The 5 British Values are as follows;

Democracy.

The rule of law.

Individual liberty.

Mutual respect.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.

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