RSHE Parent letter June 2024

 

4th June 2024

Dear Parents

 ‘Growing and Changing’ Relationships and Sex Education unit

Promoting the health and well-being of our pupils is an important part of children’s overall education. We do this through our Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum. This looks at many topics including physical and emotional health, all kinds of relationships, and living in the wider world.

 In the next few weeks, our school will be focusing on part of our SCARF PSHE scheme to deliver some of the relationships and sex education (RSE) aspects of our PSHE programme to children. It became a legal requirement in September 2020 for relationships and sex education to be taught across the school, in an age- and developmentally-appropriate way. The design of the programme has taken into account the requirements of statutory guidance, up-to-date best practice guidance, and the needs of our children. 

As parents you do not have the right to withdraw your child from lessons in which they learn about growth and reproduction in plants and animals including the names of the human body and also puberty. You do however have the right to withdraw your child from the non-science components of sex education within RSHE. These elements include human conception (how a baby is made). The content taught  is totally age appropriate but if you have any questions or would like to know more details of what each lesson contains please speak to your child’s class teacher. 

Year 1 Your child will be exploring themes including ‘Keeping Privates Private’ and ‘Inside my Wonderful Body’. During these lessons, correct vocabulary will be taught and shared with your child. This includes the scientific vocabulary of penis, vulva and vagina. These scientific names are used across all years, so that children are able to express themselves clearly when talking about these body parts.

Year 2 Your child will be exploring themes including ‘My Body, Your Body’ and ‘Respecting Privacy. The children will use the same language of body parts as in year 1. 

Year 3 Your child will be exploring themes including ‘Body Space’ and ‘My Changing Body.’ During these lessons, the children will learn about puberty and again use the correct language of body parts.

 

Year 4 Your Year 4 child will be exploring the menstruation cycle and how bodies and emotions change during puberty. During these lessons, correct vocabulary will be taught and shared with your child. Appropriate questions that arise from the children during the lessons will be answered honestly and factually. Each pupil's privacy will be respected, and no one will be asked to reveal personal information. All resources that will be used have been reviewed by the school for their suitability and have been tailored to suit our children’s needs.

We recognise that parents and carers play a vital part in their child’s RSE, and we encourage you to look at this parent’s support page for further support and ideas.

https://www.coramlifeeducation.org.uk/rse-for-Y6-and-P7

If further advice/support is required or you have any questions about the programme, please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher or the Headteacher. 

Please refer to the RSHE policy available on our website for more detailed information.

Please let us know by Friday 14^th June if you wish to withdraw your child from any of these lessons.

Many thanks as always for your continued support

 

Catherine Cresswell

Headteacher