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Relationships, Sex and health Education

What is Relationship, sex and health education?

 

Our whole-school approach to RSHE, aims to support a healthy school culture through a “Watch” “Discuss” and “Do” model, which allows teachers to facilitate the discussion. It is relatable; we put our young people at the heart of RSHE and encourage learners to interact with the material and relate it back to their own lives and experiences. It is inclusive; our video library models openness to our learners and provides positive role models to reflect the diversity of young people.

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Age appropriateness

We are sensitive to teach topics at a time that will most benefit the safety and development of the child. The maturity and development of children varies hugely and this is influenced many factors including: 

 

  • A child’s homelife - language and openness modelled by parents/carers 

  • The influence of other people including friends and older siblings 

  • Access to technology and the world of adult focussed content it opens up

  • Neurodivergence

     

We use a combination of the following inputs to develop and deliver our curriculum:

 

  1. National statistics and evidence - for example recommendations published by the PSHE Association or by national charities such as the NSPCC

  2. We use a spiral curriculum format - this means themes are revisited throughout a child’s time in secondary education, each time revisiting the topic in an age appropriate way.

  3. An awareness of the community students are growing up within including police data

  4. Surveys to students and parents

  5. Our understanding of pupil maturity based upon their behaviour, language and prevalence of safeguarding concerns raised in schools

  6. Two classes within the same year group could in theory receive different lessons based upon a judgement of maturity and need.

  7. There is potential for us to deliver interventions with a pupil(s) who needs education on a specific topic without a whole class receiving that lesson. 

  8. Feedback from parents

 

National statistics: 

The average age at which children first view pornography is now 13 years old.


(The Children's Commissioner report 2023)

  • The report findings, based upon a survey of over a thousand 16-21-year-olds and focus groups with teenagers, also showed substantial proportions of young people had seen pornography viewed it at a much younger age than 13 – 27% by age 11 and 10% by the age of 9. 

  • Young people spoke about the unbearable pressure to view hardcore pornography even if they do not want to, much of which depicts degrading acts and violence against women

 

In response to this report, the PSHE Association has recommended in strong terms that pornography should be taught before year 11 and that this topic should be revisited as part of a spiral curriculum of study throughout secondary education.

 

Our school RSHE resource partner Life Lessons recommend that pornography is introduced as a topic in year 8. However schools can teach the subject sooner or later than year 8 based upon their understanding of the maturity, attitudes, prevalence of sexualised language and behaviour and how active students are on digital media.

Life Lessons take an evidence based approach, using best practice recommended by the government endorsed PSHE Association to create their lesson materials.

  • Materials are updated ongoing so that lessons reflect what’s going on in the world and in the lives of young people.
     

  • Materials are 100% flexible. So what we teach, to who and when is all in our control as a school and parent community.
     

  • Life Lessons support our whole school approach with materials designed for use to deliver the curriculum but also to reinforce important themes elsewhere in Pastoral Times and Interventions.
     

The materials, in particular videos, make discussion much easier as they model the conversation in the classroom.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_hGok_kTZQJQj5ekBBuh_m2y7qmaK6oUWKV-aJvECM/edit?usp=sharing

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Parents do not have the right to withdraw their child from Relationships & Sex Education, however parents do have the right to request withdrawal.  At Grow Independent Special School we are happy to discuss any concerns or worries which parents may have.

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If you have any further questions please go to the Government website of frequently asked questions or alternatively you can email our curriculum lead, Liz Pickering on liz@growtuition.co.uk

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