Relationships and Sex Education

At Kingshurst Primary School we use Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, as our scheme of work to teach PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education). The programme consists of 6 half-term units, each with 6 lessons. We call these Jigsaw ‘Puzzles’. (Being Me in My World, Celebrating Difference, Dreams and Goals, Healthy Me, Relationships and Changing Me).

In the first half of the Summer Term we will be teaching the Relationships Topic. Relationships Education is statutory (DfE Guidance 2019) and parents cannot withdraw their children from it.

We develop positive relationships throughout the school year and through each Jigsaw Puzzle, but there is a more specific focus on this in this Unit of Work, with children learning about different relationships we have with our friends, family and communities (including staying safe online), and how these relationships change as we grow.

In the second half of the Summer Term we will be teaching the ‘Changing Me’ Puzzle. This helps children learn to cope positively with all sorts of change. In Key Stage 2 they will learn about puberty in this Puzzle.  In Key Stage 1 we introduce scientific terminology for body parts, including genitalia, partly for safeguarding reasons and partly to lay the foundations for learning about puberty later.

The purpose of this is to inform you of the statutory requirements placed on schools, and what we plan to teach when for this topic in PSHE this term.

The government statutory guidance gives parents the right to request to withdraw their child from Sex Education, and this section will explain more about what Sex Education is and how you can find out more about this if you wish to.

Health, Relationship and Sex Education

Health and Relationship Education is statutory in all primary schools, and it is recommended that all primary schools have a Sex Education programme that is tailored to the age of the pupils.

The Health and Relationship curriculum content is woven throughout the entire programme of Jigsaw, with a specific focus within the ‘Healthy Me’ and ‘Relationships’ Puzzles.

In the Early Years and Key Stage 1, the focus is on life cycles, valuing our own bodies and learning some vocabulary for the external body parts, that we might use if we needed to talk to an adult such as a nurse or a doctor.

In Key Stage 2,there is a particular focus on the Health Education element of puberty in (including menstruation) and the changes that happen inside and outside the body. This is taught in a way that helps pupils feel prepared for the main changes that happen before puberty starts, and to encourage them to talk to an adult at home or at school if they have any questions.

The right to withdraw

As parents you have the right to withdraw your child from the non-statutory elements of our teaching. These will be the lessons on human reproduction (please refer to the contents table below for the exact lessons). You are unable to withdraw your child from any lessons within Relationship or Health Education (this includes puberty and menstruation). If you do wish to withdraw your child from the human reproduction lessons, please contact Miss Hunter so we can discuss the implications of withdrawing.

What will my child be taught about puberty and human reproduction?

We have reviewed the content in the Jigsaw Programme as part of our policy review and the content below reflects the decisions made as part of this process with the staff, governors and parents.

The Jigsaw unit ‘Changing Me’ is taught in the Summer Term and contains 6 pieces (lessons). Each year group will be taught appropriate to their age and developmental stage. This content will be taught by the class/year teachers. We will not teach beyond the remit of the year group. If questions are asked that the teacher feels are inappropriate or are beyond the content for that year group, the teacher may ask the child to ask their parent/carer,  or the teacher may acknowledge the question and explain that we will learn about that aspect at another time.

The table below only covers the lessons (pieces) that relate to life cycles, the human body, puberty and human reproduction.  The lessons (pieces) that parents are able to withdraw their children from are highlighted in red font.

Phase 1
 

Phase 2 

Phase 3

 Useful documents