What
is Sex and Relationship Education?
Sex and Relationship Education is lifelong learning
about physical, sexual, moral and emotional development. It is about the
understanding of the importance of stable and loving relationships, respect,
love and care, for family life. It involves acquiring information, developing
skills and forming positive beliefs, British Values and attitudes. These
attitudes and values allow a common purpose amongst the adults within the
school who support the pupils in the development of their own moral compass.
Sex and relationships falls within the school personal, social, health,
economic awareness curriculum.
Every year group has access to Sex and Relationships Education in the Summer term with year 9 pupils completing a 7 week course run by No Limits gaining a certificate at the end. KS4 pupils complete an AQA unit in Sex and Relationships at L2 and have completed some excellent written work, research and evaluations. Lessons across all year groups have a mix of practical sessions, writing, research, discussion and healthy debate.
PSHE staff have undertaken training from The Portsmouth Sexual Health Clinic, The PSHE Association, No Limits, Mermaids and regularly attend PSHE network meetings with other PSHE and SRE teachers across the city.
We are very proud of our SRE provision at The Polygon and would be happy to answer any questions in relation to this. Please contact Mrs Foster Head of PSHE.
The Department for Education’s 2017 statement highlights
the Government’s ambition to support all young people to stay safe and prepare
for life in modern Britain by making Relationships and Sex Education statutory
in all schools. This is to come into effect from September 2019. It states ‘RSE will be age-appropriate,
building knowledge and life skills over time in a way that prepares pupils for
issues they will soon face. With a focus on:
· different types of relationships, including
friendships, family relationships, dealing with strangers and, at secondary
school, intimate relationships;
· how to recognise, understand and build healthy
relationships, including self-respect and respect for others, commitment,
tolerance, boundaries and consent, and how to manage conflict, and also how to
recognise unhealthy relationships;
· how relationships may affect health and wellbeing,
including mental health;
· healthy relationships and safety online; and
· factual knowledge, at secondary school, around sex,
sexual health and sexuality, set firmly within the context of relationships.
