Re: Working Together on Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
As you may be aware, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is a statutory part of the primary school curriculum. Schools are legally required to teach Relationships Education, ensuring children are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive as they grow.
At Carcroft, our aim is for every child to grow up confident, safe, and well prepared for the changes that come with growing up. Through our RSE lessons, children learn about friendships, families, respect, and the changes their bodies will experience. We deliver this in an age-appropriate, sensitive, and inclusive way that reflects our school values.
As part of your child’s educational journey, we also promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive programme that provides knowledge, understanding, positive attitudes, and practical skills to help pupils lead healthy, safe, and fulfilling lives – both now and in the future.
We follow the most recent Department for Education guidance, which focuses on:
● Building healthy and respectful relationships
● Supporting children’s physical and mental wellbeing
● Developing safeguarding awareness
● Preparing pupils for life in the modern world
Learning about the emotional, social, and physical aspects of growing up gives children the tools to make informed choices, build positive values, and take responsibility for their own wellbeing.
How will our RSE Curriculum look?
Crew forms the foundation of much of our work in school and is used to develop the children’s character and support them to ‘Work Hard, Get Smart and Be Kind’.
The majority of the RSE curriculum is already embedded and inspired through our work in Crew and this will continue. However, there will also be aspects of our RSE curriculum where specific taught sessions, expeditions or immersive weeks will be planned to ensure all children are provided with the full curriculum offer, to which they are entitled.
We have organised our RSE Curriculum into the following Guiding Questions which will form part of our Crew Curriculum:
What makes our crew special?
This focuses on the importance of family, friendships and respectful relationships.
How do we connect with care?
This focuses on online relationships and principles of e-safety.
How do I keep myself safe?
This focuses on helping the children be safe and know how to report concerns or worries about their safety.
How can I be kind to myself and others?
This focuses on mental wellbeing and revisits internet safety.
How do I keep myself healthy and happy?
This focuses on physical health, fitness, healthy eating and basic first aid.
In addition to learning within Crew, as outlined below, ‘The Growing Up Safe Programme’ is delivered by ‘Big Talk’ – an external company who specialise in Primary Relationship and Sex Education.
The Growing Up Safe Programme follows a ‘spiral curriculum’ where children’s knowledge is built upon through a year-by-year approach at an age-appropriate level for their year group and uses specially designed child friendly resources throughout.
It reflects the current Government Statutory Guidance, Sex Education Forum and Ofsted recommendations and includes feedback from Parents and School Staff.
Here is an outline of what is covered in the respective year groups:
Nursery (Age 3)
The lessons for this year group create a fun learning environment where children are taught the correct scientific names for the body. We appreciate that children may have their own family names for these body parts at home, however as we explain to the children when we are talking like Doctors, Nurses and Scientists we use the correct scientific words. The children are taught the names for different body parts for boys and girls, what areas of the body are private, and the difference between a ‘good’ (appropriate) and a ‘bad’ (inappropriate) touch. ‘Trusted Adults’ is a term that we introduce and use in every year group, to make it clear to the children that they have many adults (at home and at school) who they can talk to, who are there to listen, protect and help them if they are ever worried about anything.
Reception – Year 1 (Ages 4 – 5)
The lessons for these age groups of children reinforce what is covered in Nursery. The term ‘Trusted Adults’ and who those people are is reiterated throughout the lesson. Alongside the knowledge of the private areas of the body, this lesson teaches the children the difference between happy and risky situations e.g. other children or adults taking improper photographs of their bodies, talking to strangers in the park, inappropriate touches etc.
Year 2 and 3 (Age 6 – 7)
Year 2 and 3 content builds upon previous years knowledge and includes internet safety and who they can ask to help them to stay safe online. In these year groups the children are introduced to different types of families e.g. fostering, adoption, Special Guardianship and includes those with same gender parents, this is to reassure children that families are there to love and protect them.
The term ‘Trusted Adults’ and who those people are is reiterated throughout the lesson.
Year 4 (Age 8 – 9)The lessons for these age groups reinforces and builds upon the knowledge and ideas the children have learnt in previous year groups using the same scientific language for the private areas of the body and the term and definition of ‘Trusted Adults’ and the many different types of families. We expand on the topic of internet safety with more emphasis on social media and the dangers of sharing selfies, online content etc. In this year group children are beginning to mature and the emotional and physical changes of growing up are introduced (Puberty). Children are taught to recognise different emotions and the strategies they may use to cope with these changes in mood. How to keep their bodies clean and healthy as they change with the onset of puberty. How babies are made from an ovum and a sperm to then develop in the womb and be born (Reproduction). The lessons link back to and build upon the awareness of ‘our body is our own’, personal safety to support the understanding of risky situations both on and offline, and how to make smart choices and get help if they need it. The children are given the opportunity to gain further understanding by asking anonymous questions in the ‘Ask It Basket’ time at the end of the lesson.
Year 5 and 6 (Age 9 – 11)
The lessons for these year groups revisit the knowledge and understanding the children have gained from previous years. The four private areas, reproduction, puberty, personal safety are revisited, and consent (permission to touch) is introduced. The anonymous ‘Ask It Basket’ session gives the children the opportunity to ask the team what they want to know. We actively encourage the children to ask questions as we want them to be clear on the facts rather than them finding their own answers from the internet or other children which may be incorrect and/or inappropriate content. Children are often curious about and want more details on babies, physical and emotional changes, each class is different. Again it is important that children know who their ‘Trusted Adults’ are in school as well as at home if they want help or information about ‘Growing Up Safe’. This knowledge, understanding and confidence is vital to protect children as they move onto senior school.
The ‘Growing Up Safe’ Programme uses specially designed resources to give children the knowledge, understanding and confidence in how to keep safe, healthy and make smart decisions as they grow. Throughout the lessons ‘Trusted Adults’ at home and at school is reiterated so children know who they can speak to if they need help to protect them and keep them safe. Research in this area shows that children receiving this education are three times more likely to have the confidence to speak out and keep themselves safe.
As always, we would like to thank you for your continued support and engagement. Should you have any enquiries about the above, please make contact with myself or the Inclusion Team.