RHSE
From September 2020, primary schools in England also need to teach Relationships and Health Education as compulsory subjects and the Department for Education strongly recommends this should also include age-appropriate Sex Education.
Schools also have statutory responsibilities to safeguard their pupils (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE, 2019) and to uphold the Equality Act (2010).
The Jigsaw Programme supports all.
The DfE have recently updated their guidance for teaching RSHE however we are still awaiting for the final review to be published. The 2024 Draft Review of RSHE can be read by clicking on the following link. supporting-document-for-primary-schools-following-the-release-of-the-2024-draft-review-of-rshe-22-05
The teaching of ‘Relationships’ and ‘Health Education’ is statutory within primary schools. The teaching of ‘Relationships’ includes the different types of relationship and different family compositions. The teaching of ‘Health Education’ includes changes to the body (starting in year 1 as per the draft review), menstruation (starting in year 4, as per the draft review) and puberty (starting in year 3 but excluding menstruating, as per the draft review).
These will be taught in PSHE lessons as they are part of the statutory PSHE curriculum. We teach PSHE through Jigsaw PSHE which has much information for parents/carers if you wanted to peruse the website: https://www.jigsawpshe.com/information-for-parents-and-carers/
Children in year 5 and 6 will also be taught the non-statutory topic of human reproduction in the second half of the summer term. Parents have the right to withdraw their child, if they so wish, by letting the class teacher know.
PSHE – RSHE policy UPDATE 2024
jigsaw-information-leaflet-for-parents-and-carers-2023
Jigsaw-3-11-and-Statutory-Relationships-and-Health-Education-Map (waiting for Jigsaw update)