Isham CofE Primary School
Nurturing the infinite worth of every person through love, respect, perseverance, honesty and forgiveness
Policies & Documents
Relationships, Sex and Health Education policy – consultation.
We all recognise that today’s children are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This environment presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. Children need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.
This year, for the first time, the government has made Relationships and Health Education compulsory in all primary schools in England and has published statutory guidance which sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply when teaching this. The government is clear, however, that parents / carers are the prime educators for children on many of these matters. Schools complement and reinforce this role; building on what children learn at home is an important part of delivering a good education.
The government’s guidance includes statutory content that schools have to teach. In primary schools, the government’s aim for the teaching of Relationships and Health Education is to put in place the key building blocks of healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships, in all contexts, including online. These building blocks sit alongside the essential understanding of how to be healthy; teaching about mental wellbeing is also regarded as central to these subjects. This compulsory content will be taught within the wider programme of Personal, Social, Health and Education.
The guidance also sets out the rights of parents/carers to withdraw pupils from Sex Education (but not Relationships or Health Education) and the process that headteachers should follow in considering a request from a parent. Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of Sex Education in primary schools.
In view of the information above, we would like to invite you to give your views on Isham’s specifics in PDET’s draft RSHE policy. Documentation is currently on our website, and any comments should be emailed to head@isham.northants-ecl.gov.uk or alex.price@ishamprimary.org.uk Please return all comments by Friday May 28th - it is envisaged no virtual meetings will need to take place.
Should you require paper copies of any document on our website, please contact the school office, via email: admin@ishamprimary.org.uk or phone: 01536 723956