Sex Education
Sex Education is one part of the personal development curriculum we teach at Barnes Primary School. (To see the personal development page, please click here). It is recommended that Sex Education is taught in primary schools, in age-appropriate manner. We feel it is an important part of our job to help prepare children for the future, teaching them about respectful relationships, consent, privacy, body parts and conception.
This page is to help you to support your child at home with this learning and ensure you have a clear understanding of what we are teaching in school and why we are teaching it. We hope it is informative and clear. We welcome any feedback on how we can help you further with this topic.
We will send you information before your child has a lesson on puberty or sex education so you can continue the conversations on at home.
Why do we teach sex education?
The top three preferred sources to learn about sex from young people are
- School
- Parents
- Health professionals
Young people who receive effective Relationships and Sex Education are
- More likely to report sexual abuse
- More likely to delay first sex until they are ready
- More likely that first sex is consensual
- More likely to use contraception and condoms
- Less likely to have unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection
(Research taken from sexeducationforum.org.uk/resources/evidence/sre-evidence)
Parental responses to Year 6 Sex Education lessons
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What do we cover in Relationship and Sex Education?
Sex Education is learning about the physical, social, legal and emotional aspects of human sexuality and behaviour, including human reproduction in an age-appropriate way. This includes puberty, relationships, consent, sex and the different ways to make a baby.
At Barnes Primary School, we take the approach that Sex Education is best taught in an integrated way. It is a recommended primary school subject rather than a compulsory one, however many compulsory subjects do overlap, such as:
- science (body parts, human life-cycle, life process of reproduction,)
- health education (changing adolescent bodies both physically and emotionally, menstrual wellbeing)
- relationship education (friendships, recognising and reporting concerns or abuse, appropriate physical contact, LGBTQIA+ relationships)
There are no hard boundaries between these subjects and aspects of Sex Education. Children are naturally curious and will ask questions which overlap between these areas. Therefore, the integrated approach means children can make connections between the related content and not be made to think they have done wrong. A safe environment, with open questions, is an essential part of learning.
We will manage questions in compulsory lessons as much as possible to respect any parents wishing to withdraw their child from Sex Education. There is more information about how we answer questions in our Relationship and Sex Education Policy. We hope that the transparency of what we are teaching ensure all parents feel comfortable with the topics covered.
Barnes Primary School teaching of Relationship and Sex Education
Barnes Primary School teaching of relationship and sex education (RSE) and related science and health education
For more details of this please see the Personal Development (PD) subject map or the curriculum map for the year you’d like to know more about. These are available on the school website.
| Nursery | · To form positive attachments with adults and friendships with peers · To verbally communicate when someone does something they don’t like · To identify themselves as a boy or a girl · To ask questions about differences · To talk about their feelings · To know what safe and unsafe behaviour is · To know the parts in your pants are private and only for you Name body parts but not private parts. (If asked about private part names, will tell the children the accurate names – penis, scrotum, vulva, anus, bottom) |
| Reception | · Words and body language show how people are feeling · Kind words can be used to share feelings and needs · Using kind words or hands make others feel happy · A conversation involves listening as well as well as talking · People have different strengths and weaknesses · Feelings can feel different · There are ways to get ourselves back into the green zone · To know the parts in your pants are private and only for you · Name body parts but not private parts. (If asked about private part names, will tell the children the accurate names – penis, scrotum, vulva, anus, bottom) |
| Year 1 | · Private parts are the areas your underwear cover and should not be shown in public · Parts of the body, including private parts, e.g. vulva, testicles and penis. · Friendships are important and respectful and caring ones make us feel happy · Friends have ups and downs and issues can usually be resolved · Families support and love each other · Families all look different · Everyone is different and that’s what makes us special |
| Year 2 | · Private parts are the areas your underwear cover and should not be shown in public · Parts of the body, including private parts, e.g. vulva, testicles and penis · Our bodies change as we get older · Everyone has similarities and differences and we are all special · The things we like and care about make up our identity and values · Everyone needs caring for · Working in a team can be tricky but learning to collaborate is important · People can love or be attracted to people, and it doesn’t matter if they are men or women, (including terminology gay, straight, lesbian, bi-sexual) · Girls and boys both like similar things and we shouldn’t judge what each other like based on gender · Animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults · Describe the main stages of the human lifecycle |
| Year 3 | · A citizen is part of a community · We include everyone and treat people with respect. It is not okay to exclude someone due to their race, gender or age · Some secrets are okay to keep but it’s not right to keep a secret if they relate to being safe · Everyone is entitled to personal space · Ways to deal with unwanted touch including talking to a trusted adult · To recognize the characteristics of a healthy family life and to seek advice if we feel unsafe or unhappy · All families are different and we should show respect to our own families and others’ · Stereotypes are often unfair and unhelpful and should be challenged |
| Year 4 | · Describe the main stages of the human life cycle · Learn about how the body changes from a child into a young adult during puberty. Many physical and emotional changes happen during this time · As children go through puberty they need to look after their personal hygiene more · Correct terminology for reproductive organs · There are many positive characteristics of a good friend · Respecting others, being kind and showing manners and courtesy to one another is important · Everyone is different and unique · Being assertive will allow you to call out behavior that you do not think is okay, in a respectful way · Stereotypes are often unfair and unhelpful and should be challenged |
| Year 5 | · Citizenship is protected by law and there are many ways to be a good citizen · Being a good citizen is linked to the British Values · Healthy friendships are positive and welcoming and do not make others feels excluded · Talking about someone’s body or looks can make them feel uncomfortable, even if you’re complimenting them · Describe the main stages of the human life cycle from egg to death, including how a baby is born · Gestation is the development during the carrying of an embryo and later a fetus inside animals and is a different length for different animals · Learn about how the body changes from a child into a young adult during puberty. Many physical and emotional changes happen during this time · As children go through puberty they need to look after their personal hygiene more · Puberty prepares the body for reproduction, but emotional readiness for parenthood comes much later in life. · There are many options for a girl to use when they are menstruating · Correct terminology for reproductive organs |
| Year 6
Non-statutory Sex Education is in green | · Describe the main stages of the human life cycle from egg to death · Gestation is the development during the carrying of an embryo and later a fetus inside animals and is a different length for different animals · Learn about how the body changes from a child into a young adult during puberty. Many physical and emotional changes happen during this time · As children go through puberty they need to look after their personal hygiene more · There are many options for a girl to use when they are menstruating · Correct terminology for reproductive organs · Understand what skill are needed to be in a loving and trusting relationship · To know what forms of touching is appropriate · Sex can be for reproduction or pleasure (but we focus and teach about reproduction) · Sex should only happen when people are in a trusted and respectful relationship and both people feel ready · There are other ways to have a child, such as adopting, IVF and fostering · The age of consent is 16 · There are ways to have sex and not get pregnant which they will be taught about by parents/carers or once they are in secondary school |
What do the children think about sex education in school?
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Parental involvement in the teaching of Sex Education
We are a listening organisation and welcome the support and feedback from parents to help our organisation. In the summer of 2020, a parental questionnaire on our teaching of Sex Education was completed. From that, we learnt that they felt the subject was sensitively covered and the children felt informed. We also learnt that parents would like more detail about the lessons we are teaching so they can continue the conversations at home. This webpage is designed to do just that.
In the summer of 2021, our subject leader formed a working party with parent reps from throughout the school. The aim of this was to for parents and teachers to work together to ensure the best support for the children in our school in an age appropriate manner. It was a highly successful meeting where different approaches and views were discussed. Key messages were fed back to the Key Stage 2 teachers who implemented them in the teaching in 2021.
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Talking to your child about online sexual harassment – a guide for parents
Relationship and Sex Education Policy
Parental feedback - Talking RSHE (Relationships, Sex & Health Education) with Amy Forbes talk to parents
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Useful websites
Recommended books
- Let’s Talk About the Birds and the Bee:s Starting Conversations About the Facts of Life by Molly Potter
- Making a Baby: An Inclusive Guide to How Every Family Begins by Rachel Greener
- Bodies, Babies and Belly Buttons by Lynnette Smith
- No Means No by Jayneen Sanders
- My Boday! What I Say Goes! by Jayneed Sanders
- Who Has What?: All About Girls’ Bodies and Boys’ Bodies by Robie H Harris
- Hair in Funny Places by Babetter Cole
- Your Body Belongs to You by Cornelia Spelman
- The Period Comic by Florence Igboayaka
- Brilliant Questions About Growing Up: Simple Answers About Bodies and Boundaries by Amy Forbes-Robertson and Alex Fryer