Relationships and PSHE Education
Following guidance from the DfE, we are required to incorporate their new Relationships Education guidance into our curriculum from the start of the summer term on the 19th April. As a result of the guidance, we have reviewed our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education) curriculum and policy to ensure that it complies with the guidance and is appropriate for the children at our school.
Relationships Education and PSHE Policy
Useful Documents
DfE Guidance for Parents/Carers
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will my child be taught sex education at Ridgeway?
A: The DfE are not introducing compulsory sex education at primary school. Primary schools are free to determine whether pupils should be taught sex education beyond what is required of the national curriculum. At Ridgeway we will teach the statutory requirements of the science curriculum which, at Key Stage 1, includes teaching about the main external parts of the human body, how the human body changes as it grows from birth to old age, and the knowlege that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults. We will not teach any additional sex education at Ridgeway as we believe that this is better taught later in a child’s school life.
Q: Can I withdraw my child from Relationships Education or Health Education?
A: No, parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from Relationships Education or Health Education or the programme of study set out for Science in the National Curriculum. This is because we are only teaching the statutory curriculum for Relationships Education, Health Education and the Science curriculum at Key Stage1. This crucial teaching will put in place the building blocks needed for positive and safe relationships of all kinds. This will start with family and friends, how to treat each other with kindness and recognising the difference between online and offline friendships.
Q: Does the new Relationships Education take account of my faith?
A: The DfE states that Relationships Education has been designed to help children from all backgrounds build positive and safe relationships, and to thrive in modern Britain – this means taking into account the religious background of pupils when planning teaching, so that topics are appropriately handled. In developing these subjects, the DfE have worked with a number of representative bodies and faith organisations, representing all the major faith groups in England.
Q: Will my child be taught about LGBT+ relationships?
A: Yes, in a general way. At Ridgeway we believe that all pupils should be taught about the society in which they are growing up. Relationships Education is designed to foster respect for others and for difference, and educate pupils about healthy relationships. The DfE states that Primary schools are strongly encouraged and enabled to cover LGBT+ content when teaching about different types of families. As our children are very young, at Ridgeway, this is done through teaching about are different types of families and that they all are special and valued.