Relationships and Sex Education
Inspired by our Christian faith, we guide children on a personalised journey towards achievement. As a learning community, we are committed to ensuring that children are equipped with skills and aspirations to reach their full potential in mind, body, heart and spirit.
Intent
All areas of our curriculum are underpinned by our Gospel values and we ensure that our curriculum makes links to these values. At the heart of each subject, is a set of core skills which form a subject learning journey, this journey is built from EYFS through to year 6 and the skills are progressive as you move through the school. Knowledge is communicated to ensure coverage of the National curriculum and it is through this knowledge that children apply their skills.
Children at St Giles’ and St George’s leave with a secure knowledge of both the academic knowledge and skills needed for the next stage of their education. They will have developed a clear set Christian and moral values which they can apply in all areas of their lives and will have taken part in real-life experiences, which will have raised their aspirations and given them a thirst for wisdom and knowledge.
The intention of the St Giles’ and St George’s Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) learning journey is for children to develop positive relationships, that are fundamental to our ethos and being a happy, safe and caring school, prepare for the wider world beyond primary school: a world in which they can keep themselves safe and healthy and thrive with the support of the positive relationships they forge with those around them. RSE has a key part to play in the personal, social, moral and spiritual development of young people
Implementation
St Giles’ and St George’s RSE Learning journey combines the aspects of statutory relationship education and non-statutory sex education in a spiral based curriculum. RSE is taught as explicit lessons through the PSHE and science curriculums but it is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum and day to day life of the school. In Y1-Y6 PSHE, RSE is specifically covered in the PSHE units ‘Relationships’ and ‘Changing Me’ and in science ‘Animals Including Humans’ and ‘Living Things and Their Habitats’. For children in Nursery and Reception, this unit will follow the guidance of the EYFS PSED prime area.
RSE is taught for 1 hour each week in the final summer half-term of each year. For identified lessons linked to puberty and human reproduction, children in mixed classes will be taught their correct age unit lessons. In KS2 classes, children will be taught separately as boys and girls, due to the sensitive content and so that the staff member is able to spend more time on specific topics, e.g. menstruation for girls. In these identified lessons, there will also be 2 members of staff in each room. This is so that one member of staff is able to teach the lesson and the second member of staff is able to facilitate and answer questions where they arise.
As with all PSHE units, each new unit of learning is introduced through a mind map to check the current knowledge and understanding of the topic. At this point, pupils are also asked what they would like to learn about within the broader topic. Children are then introduced to the key knowledge which will be shared during the unit in the form of a knowledge organiser. The knowledge organiser will be shared at the start and end of each lesson with key knowledge for each lesson highlighted. Following this, the Class Charter should also be shared and discussed with the children. During the lesson, activities are differentiated where appropriate and assessment and feedback will focus on misconceptions and next steps for learning. At the end of each unit of learning, children will add to their initial mind map with new knowledge and understanding, this will feed into future planning.
In PSHE, work is recorded through the use of class floorbooks. This may be in the form of photographs, quotes from children, drawings and written work
Impact
In addition to the outcomes shown on our curriculum tree, the specific personal, social and health impact of the St Giles’ and St George’s RSE Learning Journey is that children will:
- Demonstrate confidence and awareness about sex and relationships in an independent and safe way
- Have a good understanding about safety and risks in relationships
- Be prepared for the physical and emotional changes they undergo during puberty
- Prepare learners for the challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities of adult life
We continuously assess the implementation and impact of our RSE curriculum in order to achieve the highest outcomes possible across all year groups and ensure we provide the support that is necessary for all children to have a good understanding of the complexities of relationships and sexual matters and a secure knowledge and skills base to navigate their way through these, now and in the future. This is carried out through staff voice and training, pupil voice, parent consultations of RSE materials and planning scrutinies by the RSE lead. Through our RSE curriculum, we believe we can enhance children’s education and help them to become confident individuals who have positive body awareness, an in-depth knowledge of how to keep themselves safe and healthy and who will, through respect, tolerance and understanding, forge and maintain positive relationships with a diverse range of family and friendship groups.
Formative assessment takes part in each lesson and misconception and next steps of the focus for feedback. In PSHE, there is no summative assessment. Please click the link below to access the Relationships and Sex Education policy.
https://www.stgilesstgeorgesacademy.co.uk/general-information/general-school-policies/
Parent Consultation for the RSE curriculum
Slides for the parent consultation for each year group’s RSE curriculum can be found below.